Following the return of critically acclaimed April shows, May serves as a training ground for fledgling shows looking for a following. This year it also marks the finite end for influential programs like Mad Men and Late Show with David Letterman. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.
"Grace and Frankie"
Grace and Frankie (Netflix, premieres May 8)
If nothing else, viewers should try Grace and Frankie based on its pedigree. It comes from creators Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (Home Improvement) and stars some of the entertainment industry’s national treasures. The show centers on Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin playing rivals forced to come together when their husbands break up with them and fall in love with each other. The best president ever, Martin Sheen, and Law and Order’s Sam Waterston (chung-chung) play the spouses. Tomlin and Fonda’s decades-long friendship is the core of the program’s strength, plus the chemistry couldn’t get any better as this is a reunion for former co-stars Tomlin and Sheen (The West Wing) and Fonda and Waterston (The Newsroom). Perhaps the best part of Grace and Frankie is that its main characters are over 70. Not since The Golden Girls has a show been all about characters with AARP cards, and it’s about time.
Watch the Grace and Frankie preview
"Girl Meets World"
Girl Meets World (Disney Channel, returns May 11)
Before you roll your eyes, this is the era of 1990s nostalgia, and we’re all just living in it. The recent announcement of a Full House reboot on Netflix comes on the heels of Disney’s Girl Meets World, a continuation of the ’90s hit Boy Meets World. The series returns for its second season and follows the family of Cory and Topanga Matthews. Taking on bigger roles in the new season are BMW favorites Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), Eric Matthews (Will Friedle) and even the wise old sage Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). The show is worth a shot if you grew up with Boy Meets World and need a break from some of the intense dramas inhabiting your DVR.
Watch the Girl Meets World preview
"Wayward Pines"
Wayward Pines (Fox, premieres May 14)
The latest from Fox seems to be targeting cable drama fans with some seriously mysterious and dark plots. Based on Blake Crouch’s novel Pines, Wayward Pines stars Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent tasked with investigating the disappearance of two agents in a small Idaho town. The show also features Carla Gugino (Night at the Museum), Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Empire’s Terrence Howard. Wayward Pines seems to be capitalizing on the popularity of mystery thrillers like HBO’s True Detective and FX’s Fargo, but it’s yet to be determined whether the quality will match its aspirations. Also, let’s not leave out the elephant in the room: Along with creator Chad Hodge, Wayward Pines is executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Village). Shyamalan is a polarizing figure in film, with recent flops like After Earth and The Last Airbender. Hopefully he won’t bring his “golden raspberry” touch to this project.
Watch the Wayward Pines preview
"Aquarius"
Aquarius (NBC, premieres May 28)
NBC is attempting to mimic both cable and streaming trends with their latest series, Aquarius. It stars David Duchovny (The X-Files, Californication) as an undercover cop in the 1960s unknowingly investigating the infamous Manson family. Aquarius calls itself a “gritty cop drama,” jumping on board cable’s trend of noticeably darker tones (see Fox’s interpretation with Wayward Pines). The most unique thing about Aquarius, however, is its distribution method; following the premiere, NBC will put all 13 episodes on NBC.com for your binge-watching pleasure (or displeasure?). It is difficult to predict how the show will fare as Duchovny is its only big name. However, Aquarius is feeding off of the recent X-Files reboot hype by airing back-to-back on NBC with Gillian Anderson’s Hannibal.
All good things must come to an end
"Mad Men"
Mad Men (AMC, finale May 17)
As the song proclaims, it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. Acclaimed period drama Mad Men will come to an end May 17 after seven seasons. While uncertainty surrounds the finale, so far viewers know that Megan and Don are finally divorced and that Sterling Cooper & Partners are officially absorbed into McCann Erickson. It also seems as though creator Matthew Weiner is trying to give characters that have long struggled with love (Peggy, Joan, Betty, Roger) a version of a happy ending. When it comes to Don, maybe audiences will find out whether he is the falling man in the opening credit sequence.
Watch the preview for the final episodes
Jeffrey R. Staab
David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, finale May 20)
After 33 years in late night television, David Letterman will be stepping away. He became a television staple en route to surpassing his hero, Johnny Carson, in 2013 as the longest-serving late-night host. Letterman’s sarcastic interviews and innovative bits (like “Stupid Pet Tricks”) launched him into superstardom, and he was delivering Top 10 Lists before BuzzFeed was even a glimmer in Jonah Peretti’s eye. However, Letterman’s rise to the top has not been without hardship. He was passed over by NBC as Carson’s successor, had long feuds with Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey, and had quintuple bypass heart surgery. Then in 2009, reports surfaced he had affairs with female staffers. Despite all of this, Letterman is still revered as one of the greatest talk show hosts to ever do the job. Political comedy juggernaut Stephen Colbert takes over Late Show on Sept. 8.
