Fitness
The 6 Shows You’ll Want To Binge This Spring
How many of these will YOU watch?
AARP (Getty Images; Shutterstock, 2; Darko Sikman/Disney; Apple TV; Carl Herse; Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Now that spring is here, and the flowers are blooming outside, there’s a plethora of new TV shows springing up as well.
If you are looking for something new to watch, here are six new series to consider:
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, (March 20 — Prime Video)
Initially, when my 22-year-old daughter told me about the show Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, the concept sounded silly and I was skeptical that I would like it. But my daughter insisted the show was really good, so I tuned in and, of course, she was right.
A mix of scripted comedy and reality, the first season of Jury Duty featured a nice guy named Ronald Gladden. Ronald thought he had really been summoned for jury duty when he showed up at the courthouse. But what Ronald didn’t know was that every other person he encountered (judge, lawyers, fellow jurors, etc.) was a paid actor. A mix of scripted comedy and reality TV, the more absurd the circumstances got, the funnier it was to see Ronald’s genuine reactions to the people and actions around him. Ronald was so lovable that he made the show a fun and surprisingly heartwarming success.
This time, instead of a courtroom, the series will take place at a company retreat. Anthony Norman is the nice guy who doesn’t know he is starring in a TV show. Anthony believes he was hired as a temp to help run a company retreat for a small family-owned business. Once again, everyone around Norman is a paid actor who is there to create chaos. How will Norman react, and will he figure out that something is wrong at the hot sauce company?
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (April 15 — Apple TV)
David E. Kelley (The Practice, Ally McBeal, Big Little Lies) returns with his latest series, based on the novel by Rufi Thorpe, and starring his wife of 33 years, the one and only Michelle Pfeiffer. Elle Fanning plays Margo, a college student who dreams of becoming a writer. But an unexpected pregnancy leaves her unable to attend school or hold down a full-time job. As the title suggests, Margo is low on funds. She turns to OnlyFans to make some cash to support herself and her son. In addition, Margo has to ask for assistance from her eccentric family, including her mother, Shyanne (Pfeiffer), Shyanne’s fiancé Kenny (Greg Kinnear), and her father/Shyanne's ex, Jinx (Nick Offerman).
Rooster (March 8 — HBO Max)
Another intergenerational family comedy, Rooster, created by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Scrubs)
Because everyone needs a Girlfriend™
Sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter every Thursday.
stars The Office’s Steve Carell as successful book writer Greg Russo. Greg is invited to guest lecture at Ludlow College, where his daughter, Katie, is a professor. He accepts the invitation mostly because he wants an excuse to check in on Katie, who has been going through a hard time both personally and professionally.
Although Katie and her father love one another, it is clear from the start that their relationship is complicated. When Greg is offered a full-time teaching job on campus, he decides to accept it with the hope of connecting with Katie and finding more meaning in his own life.
With a cast of familiar faces (including Carrell, Scrubs’ John McGinley, and Ted Lasso’s Phil Dunster), Rooster is both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, an ideal watch for families to enjoy together.
Dutton Ranch (May 15 — Paramount)
Fans of Yellowstone will enjoy this spin-off that follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. Dutton Ranch picks up after the events of the Yellowstone finale, with Beth, Rip, and their ward, Carter, leaving Montana for a new life in South Texas. While Beth and Rip may be leaving their old home state, it seems like some of the ghosts from their past won’t stay in the rearview mirror for long. And the trailer implies they will create brand new problems in Texas. Hollywood heavy hitters Annette Bening and Ed Harris are joining the cast. Bening will play a powerful ranch owner, and Harris will be a good-natured veterinarian.
Cape Fear (June 5 — Apple TV)
The original psychological thriller film Cape Fear premiered in 1962 and was based on the 1957 novel “The Executioners” by John D. MacDonald. The film was remade in 1991, starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange. Now, Apple TV has made a mini-series based on the films. The show stars Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson as Anna and Tom Bowden, a happily married couple who are both attorneys. Former client and convicted killer Max Cady, played by Javier Bardem, has been released from prison and seeks revenge on his former attorneys, who he believes wronged him. If you like your shows scary and suspenseful, this one's for you.
Scrubs (February 25 — ABC, Hulu)
As a big fan of the original show, I was wary of a reboot. However, the gang's back together and, dare I say, just as clever and endearing as before. The new Scrubs takes place several years after the series finale and stars most of the original core cast. J.D. (Zach Braff), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), and Turk (Donald Faison) are now seasoned doctors in charge of mentoring a new group of interns. The show is both a comforting hug of nostalgia and a fresh new comedy with plenty of laughs.
More from The Girlfriend
More for you, from AARP
We are a community from AARP. Discover more ways AARP can help you live well, navigate life, save money — and protect older Americans on issues that matter.