History, mystery, food, and family fare are just the start of all the enticing programs now on your home screen, or coming soon

BY LAURA D.C. KOLNOSKI

GASLIT STARZ/ Streaming April 24
The name Martha Mitchell may mean nothing to some, but it conjures stark recollections among those familiar with the Watergate era. For that demographic, accepting Julia Roberts as the stiffy coiffed blonde ultra-conservative the unlikely catalyst who brought down the Nixon administration could be a stretch. The series also asks viewers to believe Sean Penn is her husband, controversial Attorney General John Mitchell.

Gaslit is based on the first season of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast, created and executive produced by Robbie Pickering, a “self-confessed Nixon geek” who compared Martha to “every Fox News personality rolled into one.” Rounding out the cast are Patton Oswalt, Betty Gilpin, and Dan Stevens as young attorney, whistleblower, and current CNN analyst John Dean.

LUCY AND DESI AMAZON PRIME VIDEO/ Now Streaming
The lives of legendary TV titans Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz have been under intense microscopes as of late. Before Aaron Sorkin’s joyless Being the Ricardos was released in December, the power couple’s daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill gave fans a surprise treat last summer: a limited Sirius Radio series airing, for the first time since its original broadcasts, Let’s Talk to Lucy, her mom’s mid1960s CBS radio show. Lucie’s earlier effort to profile her parents, 1994’s Emmy Award-winning Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie, was produced and directed by Lucie in cooperation with her brother Desi Arnaz Jr.

This new documentary from Amy Poehler adds another layer: audio tapes recorded by the couple. Among those providing insight are Norman Lear, Carol Burnett, and Bette Midler. All this focus on Lucy and Desi, offering different perspectives of the same events, gives viewers the opportunity to come to their own conclusions.

MURDERVILLE NETFLIX/Now Streaming
Fans of improvisation are getting a master class from Will Arnett and guest stars through throwback comedy Murderville, an American remake of the award winning British series. The premise revolves around Arnett’s eccentric and mustachioed homicide detective Terry Seattle, whose partner Lori (Jennifer Aniston’s photo on his desk) was murdered. Each week’s guest tries out to take her place by solving a new murder. Sharon Stone, Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, Kumai Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, and football star Marshawn Lynch fly without a script, playing themselves while improvising each half-hour episode.

BE MY GUEST Discovery+, Food Network/ Now Streaming
Barefoot Contessa star Ina Garten’s crave-worthy dinner parties are the stuff of legends. Now, viewers can join in during the chef’s new show, Be My Guest. Each episode sees the amiable kitchen magician lead a day of food exploration, recipe sharing, and field trips to her favorite haunts with guests. The inaugural season features Julianna Margulies, Willie Geist, and James Beard Award-nominated chef Erin French. According to Tasting Table, the series has already been renewed for two additional seasons, with filming resuming later this year.

TOKYO VICE HBO MAX/Streaming April 7
Michael Mann’s ten-episode yakuza crime drama series, created and written by Tony Award-winning playwright J.T. Rogers (Oslo), stars Ansel Elgort as a journalist and Ken Watanabe as a police detective. Filmed in Japan and set in the late 1990s, the series is inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir, Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, which chronicles his time spent covering organized crime for one of Japan’s largest newspapers. According to IMDb, Elgort learned Japanese and trained with professional journalists to prepare for his role. The series premieres with three episodes, followed by two episodes airing every Thursday until the season finale on April 28.

CHIP AND DALE RESCUE RANGERS Disney+/Streaming May 20
Hop on the Way Back Machine and ride it into the future with two of Walt Disney’s perennial favorite characters. Thirty years after Chip and Dale’s wildly popular Disney Channel series Rescue Rangers ended, the pair have grown apart. A la Roger Rabbit (who has a cameo), the film is an animation/live action mash-up with John Mulaney and Andy Samberg playing Chip and Dale, respectively. Samberg’s Lonely Island comedy group is also involved. Once the furry pair reunites, they pick up where they left off, solving crimes that are “too small for the police.” Corey Burton will reprise his role as Zipper from the original series. Seth Rogen, J.K. Simmons, and Eric Bana also appear.

Returning Favorites Now Streaming

STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY SEASON 2 CNN
Foodies, oenophiles, and wanderers have been thirsting for the return of this captivating culinary travelogue with the famed actor, whose memoir Taste: My Life Through Food was published last year.

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL Amazon Prime Video
It’s time for a reset for mid-century stand-up comedian and divorced mom Miriam “Midge” Maisel, her parents, ex-husband, manager, mentor Lenny Bruce, and assorted others. This fourth season, episodes are being released in twos every Friday. It’s been announced season five will be the last for one of television’s best.

PICARD Paramount+
The first season of Picard saw the retired Enterprise captain lured out of his comfort zone and back to space, attracting viewers with appearances by beloved Star Trek characters. This season, Jean-Luc and company are trapped in the 21st century. Fans are apoplectic over the return of the imperious Q, and Whoopie Goldberg’s mysterious Guinan.