5 new shows to watch this weekend across Netflix, HBO Max, and more (May 8-10)
Who’s ready to head back to the kitchen and hang out with our favorite crew on The Bear? While the new season is still over one month away, Hulu dropped a surprise prequel episode of The Bear earlier this week. Titled Gary, the episode chronicles a trip to Indiana featuring Mikey (Jon Bernthal) and Richie. While it’s not an entire season’s worth of episodes, it’s a nice appetizer before the final season.
As for the new shows on streaming this week in the U.S., our top pick is a stellar adaptation of William Golding’s seminal novel. Other selections in the top three include a British crime drama set in the 1990s and a continuation of a Jane Austen adaptation.
5
Citadel season 2
Prime Video’s expensive spy show returns
Remember when Citadel was supposed to change the television landscape in 2023? I do. Amazon recruited the Russo Brothers to help craft a globe-trotting spy show for Prime Video. Citadel cost $300 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive shows ever made. The show was supposed to launch several spin-offs in different countries.
Citadel season 1 came and went and did not have a significant impact on Prime Video and pop culture. Regardless, the show has returned for a seven-episode second season starring Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, Stanley Tucci, and Lesley Manville. Initial reviews suggest that the new episodes are an improvement from season 1, with Chopra listed as the standout. Even without strong reviews, it’s a fairly entertaining action show that you can binge in one weekend.
All seven episodes of Citadel are now streaming on Prime Video.
4
Legends
The British go undercover
Head back to the 1990s during Britain’s war on drugs in the new gritty crime drama, Legends. To combat drug smuggling, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise devises a plan to send operatives undercover into some of the country’s most dangerous gangs. Don (Steve Coogan) is the head of operations for this task force, with Guy (Tom Burke) and Kate (Hayley Squires) as his top candidates.
After reading the premise about unexpected people becoming top operatives, my mind immediately goes to Slow Horses, Apple TV’s excellent spy show. Legends does not reach the highs of Slow Horses, but it’s still a fun entry into a genre many people, including myself, enjoy.
All six episodes of Legends are now streaming on Netflix.
Legends
- Release Date
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May 7, 2026
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Brady Hood, Julian Holmes
3
Song of the Samurai
A manga gets the live-action treatment
The next anime series to get the live-action treatment is Song of the Samurai, a Japanese action TV show based on the manga Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem. The show stems from HBO Max’s partnership with U-NEXT and combines samurai culture with Japanese dramas. Set toward the end of the Edo era (1600-1868), Song of the Samurai stars Yuki Yamada as Toshizo Hijikata, a street fighter who joins the Shinsengumi—a legendary samurai force that defended Kyoto.
- Integrations
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Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
- Ports
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HDMI, Optical, Ethernet
Fans of Shōgun will gravitate toward Song of the Samurai for its depiction of samurai in Japan. However, Song of the Samurai’s action sequences mirror the tremendous action sequences in Warrior, so it pulls from both hsows.
Song of the Samurai premieres internationally on HBO Max on May 9.
Song of the Samurai
- Release Date
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March 26, 2026
- Directors
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Kazutaka Watanabe
- Writers
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Shinya Umemura, Masaaki Sakai
2
The Other Bennet Sister
New take on a Jane Austen character
Where were you when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy told Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennet that she “bewitched his body and soul” in Pride and Prejudice? There have been countless adaptations of Austen’s beloved novel that it’s hard to keep track. If you need a fresh interpretation of the material, The Other Bennet Sister might be exactly what you need.
Based on Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel, The Other Bennet Sister follows Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri), the titular sister of Elizabeth. The first two episodes depict Pride and Prejudice through Elizabeth’s eyes before she embarks on a journey to London to find love. It’s a refreshing story with a standout performance from Bruccoleri that acts as a treat for Austen’s diehard fans.
The first three episodes of The Other Bennet Sister are now streaming on Britbox.
The Other Bennet Sister
- Release Date
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May 6, 2026
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Jennifer Sheridan
1
Lord of the Flies
William Golding’s book comes to life
Like many of you, I had to read Lord of the Flies during my days before high school. Golding’s gritty coming-of-age novel follows a group of young boys who survive a plane crash and take shelter on a deserted island. Without any adults, the boys are forced to fend for themselves while trying to establish a sense of order and democracy. The peace quickly turns into a rebellion as the boys slowly descend into madness.
I couldn’t think of a better writer to adapt Lord of the Flies than Jack Thorne, one of the geniuses behind Netflix’s Adolescence. Thorne captured the loss of innocence in a boy’s troubled journey from childhood to young adulthood. Those same themes from Adolescence carry over into Lord of the Flies, a stunning adaptation that does Golding’s work justice.
All four episodes of Lord of the Flies are now streaming on Netflix.
Lord of the Flies
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Marc Munden
More TV shows to stream
If you’re searching for more shows to watch, then I have a few more recommendations to share. There are six awesome shows that only get better after the first season, including Better Call Saul and Succession. Plus, try Tokyo Vice or Fleabag, two examples of shows that deserve revivals, like Malcolm in the Middle.