7 best movies and TV shows to watch this weekend on Max, Netflix Apple TV+, and more

It's a big week for series as each of our picks comes in multiple parts. Three big franchise names are coming in hot this week, including the latest piece of Gothem City's lore as The Penguin hits Max. If the gritty crime isn't calling to you, Agatha All Along pulls us back into the WandaVision universe to watch one of the MCU's quirkiest villains make a comeback. And for the casual sitcom viewers, yes, Frasier is back to his old antics with new friends. However, if you want something with a little bit of everything, Tulsa King strikes a fun balance as it returns for its second season.

While those series tell great stories, sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Listen to stories from some of the greatest rock bands of all time with Nöthin' But a Good Time on Paramount+, or tune in to Netflix as Bill Gates explores some of the biggest challenges facing our world today. Finally, if you just enjoy watching bad things happening to bad people, A Very Royal Scandal digs deep into the story behind the interview that backfired on Prince Andrew.

7 The Penguin

Max — Season 1 — September 19

While feelings are mixed about the 2022 Batman reboot, Colin Farrell’s Penguin was masterful. Now he’s bringing back the iconic villain to star in his own full mini-series on Max, detailing his crusade to take over the criminal underworld of Metropolis.

Farrell won’t be alone with the countless physical quirks, Cristin Milioti joins as the twisted and violent Sofia Falcone. The 8-episode series premiered on Thursday (Sept 19), but new episodes begin next Sunday and roll out each week until it finishes on November 10.

6 Agatha All Along

Disney+ — Season 1 — September 18

Marvel has produced some popular and well-known TV series to ride alongside the movie franchise, but none of them have been more iconic than WandaVision. While that specific series will probably never get an official second season, Agatha All Along is here to fill in.

Kathryn Hahn reprises her role as the witchy Agatha Harkness, one of the quirkiest and least-known villains, as she regains her memories and launches a quest to restore her powers. The series kicked off with two episodes on September 18, and there will be new episodes each Wednesday until another two-episode finale on October 30.

5 Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of '80s Hair Metal

Paramount+ — Docu-series — September 17

Whether it’s Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Skid Row, or Def Leppard, the 80s hard rock scene was an unapologetic embrace of excess. Hear the stories of success and failure, highs and lows, and pyrotechnics gone wrong.

This is a documentary straight from the mouths of the people that lived it with interviews from plenty of the real musicians, managers, and journalists — plus a few special guests. All three episodes came out together on September 17, so there’s no waiting for the series to finish. On the fence about subscribing? Check out the first episode free on YouTube.

4 Tulsa King

Paramount+ — Season 2 — September 15

After a nearly two-year hiatus, Sylvester Stallone returns to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The hit show returns with its original cast of characters, but there’s a new villain (Neal McDonough) standing in the way of Dwight’s growing empire.

It’s a bit funny, it’s a bit dramatic, and it’s definitely criminal. Rewatch the original season on Paramount+, then catch new episodes every Sunday before this season wraps up on November 17.

3 A Very Royal Scandal

Amazon Prime Video — Mini-series — September 19

The Royal Family never fails to deliver some amount of dama and controversy, but few scandals can live up to Prince Andrew’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent tell-all interview. Netflix’s dramatization follows Emily Maitlis and the events leading up to the interview that ultimately forced him to resign his royal duties.

Netflix isn’t keeping anybody waiting, all three episodes in the docu-series dropped on September 19, so you can binge the whole story in one go or spread it out over the weekend.

2 What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates

Netflix — Docu-series — Sept 18

Thinking about our impact on the world is crucial to building a better present and future, but very few people have the means to move mountains like Microsoft’s founder and former CEO, Bill Gates. Netflix is hosting Gates for a series of discussions with celebrities, politicians, and experts about some of the biggest topics impacting us today, and how they’re going to change on a global scale.

In classic Netflix fashion, all five episodes came out together on September 18. This give you the opportunity to scream at your TV in a single binge session or partition your panic into smaller and more manageable doses.

1 Frasier

Paramount+ — Season 2 — September 19

I could sense the inevitable judgment of every Frasier fan if the classic sitcom didn’t make the list. Yes, the revival of Kelsey Grammer’s hit series is back for its second season. Dr. Frasier Crane is still in Boston, but that won’t keep him away from old haunts like KACL radio, or catching up with Roz. It’s a mix of something new to go with all things familiar.

The move to streaming left fans with shorter seasons. There may be less to consume, but that usually means the writers are packing even more into each of those ten episodes. The first two landed on September 19, and new episodes will be rolling out every Thursday.