ON NOW:
Chef’s Table (Netflix) – There’s certainly no shortage of cooking and dining shows these days, but Chef’s Table offers a rare, cinematic look into some of the world’s finest restaurants, profiling a different chef in each episode. From classic French fine dining to ethically minded farm-to-table fare, Chef’s Table has something for every appetite. Three seasons are now available for streaming.
American Horror Story (Season Premiere, 10 p.m. Wednesday, FX) – The popular horror anthology series is switching things up this fall, keeping fans in the dark about the details of the upcoming sixth season. In past years, seasonal themes like Asylum, Freak Show and Hotel were revealed in advance, along with information about new and returning stars and the characters they’d be portraying (AHS boasts a bevy of actors that have played varied roles in many different seasons of the show). There have been zero trailers featuring actual footage or characters, only teasers that allude to various tropes in the horror genre — everything from evil children to aliens to swamp creatures and creepy-crawlies — with an emphasis on the number six, which refers to the numeric season but is also tied to the occult. AHS lends itself to fantastical fan theories — creator Ryan Murphy frequently plants Easter eggs as clues about the next season’s theme, sparking lots of speculation — and one running idea is that all the seasons, whose storylines have spanned from the 1700s to present day, are actually connected and are not just separate anthological installments. We’ve seen some minor character crossover, but this could be the nail in the coffin, so to speak. And considering the show’s self-referential nature, could the theme/setting actually be the set of a horror production? We’re calling it now: American Horror Story: Meta.
COMING SOON:
Westworld (Series Premiere, 9 p.m. Oct. 2, HBO) – Based on the 1973 sci-fi Western thriller film, Westworld centers on an amusement park where the rollercoaster and restroom lines are the least of your problems. In a dystopic but not too distant future, fun-seekers can experience a Wild West populated by hyper-realistic androids. Guests can pay to engage in a good, old-fashioned shootout or spend the night with the finest girl in the brothel. That is, until the artificial intelligence gets a little too smart. Think Jurassic Park (also from O.G. Westworld creator Michael Crichton) meets Ex Machina.
Black Mirror (Season Premiere, Oct. 21, Netflix) – When we power down our screens — cellphones, computers, tablets, TVs, laptops, smart watches — what are we left with? Some expensive-ass black mirrors. That’s the idea behind this cult-favorite U.K. anthology that’s been scooped up by Netflix. The common pitch: Twilight Zone with technology. And as lazy as “X meets Y” descriptions of shows are (sorry, Westworld), it’s pretty accurate. Each episode feels like a mini film, with different directors (Joe Wright and Dan Trachtenberg), writers (creator Charles Booker and, surprisingly, Parks and Recreation’s Mike Schur and Rashida Jones) and actors (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Kelly MacDonald, Mackenzie Davis) exploring some disturbing facet of contemporary life, from social media and video games to A.I. and smart houses. It’s not necessary to watch all previous episodes for continuity, but as addictive and limited a series as it is, you physically won’t be capable of watching just one. Go ahead and plan on binging on the first two seasons and Christmas special in addition to these six new episodes.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Season Premiere, Nov. 25, Netflix) – The quaint, comforting corner of Connecticut that is Stars Hollow, the endless cups of coffee, the love interests, the mile-a-minute dialogue sprinkled with pop culture references — Lorelai and Rory are back! There’s plenty of time to recap on the original seven seasons before this four-part special that catches up with the ladies Gilmore 10 years later.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Making a Murderer (Netflix) – During a time when America seems more divided than ever, it’s kind of comforting to know that we can all agree on one thing — that Making a Murderer was a pretty good show. Whether you’re certain Steven Avery is an innocent victim of a corrupt judicial system or you believe he’s guilty of killing Teresa Halbach, nearly everyone with a Netflix login was bitten by the true-crime bug after it premiered last December. No word on when we can expect another season, but Netflix has confirmed it’s in the works, as events continue to unfurl in real time.
Stranger Things (Netflix) – Season 2 is a go! Creators recently granted fans a teaser ambiguous enough to keep us speculating through 2017, when the next season will premiere. In the meantime, keep your Barb prayer circle in tact.
