TV to watch in May, from 'Bridgerton' to 'Black Twitter: A People's History'
The return of an HBO staple, a new series from the filmmaker behind 'Tiger King', and more


May is a diverse month on TV. You would be hard-pressed to find a theme among this month's new releases, which include a fresh season of a sultry Regency-era historical romance, a stark look at the Holocaust and a docuseries about a popular Twitter collective.
'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' (May 2)
This Peacock miniseries is not an easy or pleasant binge, but it does delve deep into an essential facet of history. "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" was inspired by a bestselling 2018 book by Heather Morris, who wrote it based on the life of a real Holocaust survivor. Both the book and show follow Lali Sokolov (played by Jonah Hauer-King and Harvey Keitel) as he arrives at and later attempts to escape from a concentration camp, striking up a romance with a fellow Jewish prisoner along the way. Melanie Lynskey co-stars as a stand-in for the book author herself. "This devastating six-part adaptation doesn't shy away from the horrors," said The Guardian.
'Hacks' (May 2)
Beloved HBO comedy series "Hacks" is back on Max for a third season following a two-year hiatus. The show centers on the complicated relationship between veteran stand-up Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, who won back-to-back Emmys for the role) and young comedy hopeful Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Ava has been helping the older comic get her groove back, but in last season's cliffhanger finale, Ava was fired from the gig. Following a long time off the air because of Hollywood strikes and Smart's heart surgery, the new season is "infectiously confident, deceptively smooth and, most importantly, consistently hilarious," said Variety.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Hollywood Con Queen' (May 8)
This three-episode docuseries from Apple TV+ and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Smith ("Tiger King," "Fyre") uncovers one of Hollywood's biggest scams. The series is based on reporting done in 2018 by Scott Johnson of The Hollywood Reporter, who teamed with private investigator Nicole Kotsianas to unmask an enigma known as the Hollywood Con Queen. This scam artist impersonated some of the industry's most powerful women, "luring unsuspecting victims to Indonesia with the promise of a life-changing career opportunity" and then stealing their money, said the official synopsis.
'Black Twitter: A People's History' (May 9)
This three-part Hulu docuseries was adapted from Jason Parham's 2021 Wired article of the same name and chronicles the hilarious and influential history of the social media collective known as Black Twitter. (Whether or not it will discuss the ridiculous rebrand of Twitter to X remains to be seen.) In only three hours, Hulu "captures Black Twitter's ability to not only create and influence everything from hashtags (#BlackGirlMagic, #DemThrones), memes (Crying Jordan, Tiffany Pollard, Annalise Keating), social movements (Black Lives Matter and Oscars So White) and entertainment (Scandal, Zola), but turn online life into offline reality," said The Hollywood Reporter.
'Bridgerton' (May 16)
Netflix's famed bodice-ripper is back for a third season. The hit series drops four episodes on May 16, then titillates viewers by making them wait a full month until the next four episodes land on June 13. But if the Regency era has taught us anything, it's that the anticipation of pleasure can be better than pleasure itself. This season promises to home in on the friends-to-lovers dynamic between fan favorites Penelope and Colin. "In the first two seasons, Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time she's very much center-stage," said actress Nicola Coughlan in an essay for Harper's Bazaar UK.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.
-
June 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Thursday's political cartoons include a presidential get-out-of-jail-free card, masked ICE agents, and the Tooth Fairy's message for Senator Joni Ernst
-
Selling sex: why investors are wary of OnlyFans despite record profits
In The Spotlight The platform that revolutionised pornography is for sale – but its value is limited unless it can diversify
-
Garsington Opera opens its summer festival with two 'very different productions'
The Week Recommends A 'fabulous' new staging of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and Donizetti's fake-love-potion comedy L'elisir d'amore
-
Disney is still shielding Americans from an episode of 'Bluey'
Talking Points The US culture war collides with a lucrative children's show
-
6 captivating new US museum exhibitions to see this summer
The Week Recommends Get up close to Gustave Caillebotte and discover New Vision photography
-
5 horror movies to sweat out this summer
The Week Recommends A sequel, a reboot and a follow-up from the director of 'Barbarian' highlight the upcoming scary movie slate
-
5 electrifying books to read this June to spark your imagination
The Week Recommends A love story set in space, a pair of ambitious debuts and more
-
Fast-and-furious zombies, serial killer sharks and a matchmaking conundrum in June's new movies
the week recommends Danny Boyle is back with '28 Years Later' and Dakota Johnson has a Sophie's choice to make in 'Materialists'
-
Is Hollywood losing its luster?
Today's Big Question Television and film production is moving, leaving Hollywood to ponder its place in pop culture
-
'Less is more' in The Fifth Step
The Week Recommends Jack Lowden from Slow Horses is 'staggeringly good' in this new production at London's @sohoplace
-
Here comes the end of 'Squid Game'! Plus more great TV shows to see this June.
the week recommends The next great sports comedy, a young Marvel heroine and the conclusion of 'Squid Game'