November is here and with it, the most stressful week (or so) America has seen since the foolish orange buffoon’s last attempt to upend our democracy. Millions of Americans will remember they’re still paying for a cable subscription, or they’ll go looking for the cheapest streaming option offering their favorite national news provider. For hours, days, maybe longer, TV will return to its dominant perch in the cultural landscape, providing exactly what its audience demands, if not always in the way it demands it. (I, for one, do not need so many talking heads casually speculating about the future of my friends and neighbors.)
But that’s only one way November will start. The other option is to tune out; to hide from the news until a decision has been finalized; to avert your ears, eyes, and mind from the onslaught of predictive algorithms and precinct polls. Millions of Americans will remember they don’t have to live out their darkest hours glued to the news. Instead, they can watch Netflix.
OK, they can watch anything, of course — any streaming service, any cable channel, any old Blu-ray or DVD they’ve got stacked on a shelf somewhere — but for the purposes of this list, let’s focus on what’s easily accessible via Netflix’s endless scroll. November 2024 on the streamer is, perhaps cruelly, weighted toward the end of the month. The best new shows on Netflix won’t come out until long after the elections have been settled (or, knock on wood, long after they better be settled). Michael Schur’s follow-up to “The Good Place” starring Ted Danson won’t be released until three weeks into our eleventh month. The light and lovable high school sitcom, “A.P. Bio” is just over two weeks away. “Arcane” Season 2 — a hotly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning animated series — drops on November 9, just four days after most votes will be cast, but it’s only releasing three episodes at a time. (Parts 2 and 3 of Season 2 will come out November 16 and 23, respectively.)
Still, it’s not like you’ve already seen everything on Netflix. If this is your best or only entertainment option to stay good and distracted, don’t forget about last month’s offerings (or, if you don’t fear making a new decision ever few hours, you could always check out some movies). Just take care of yourselves, dear readers. And before you settle in for the days and nights of indecision ahead, make sure you do the one thing that matters most of all: Vote!
1. ‘A Man on the Inside’
Release Date: Thursday, November 21
Creator: Michael Schur
Cast: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Stephanie Beatriz, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sally Struthers, Eugene Cordero, Marc Evan Jackson
Format: 10 half-hour episodes
Best Reason to Watch: Choosing the best reason to watch is too difficult, so let me just list the obvious reasons instead: Ted Danson is the lead of a half-hour sitcom, so yeah, you have to watch that. Michael Schur, who previously created “The Good Place” and co-created “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” is the showrunner/creator here, so that’s another irrefutable reason to watch. Finally, in addition to a strong supporting cast including Stephanie Beatriz and Stephen McKinley Henderson, “A Man on the Inside” is inspired by the 2020 documentary, “The Mole Agent,” which was nominated for an Oscar. Not a lot of sitcoms are based on docs, but there also aren’t a lot of sitcoms like “A Man on the Inside.” So pick your favorite reason, and tune in.2. ‘Arcane’ Season 2
Release Date: Act 1, Nov. 9; Act 2, Nov. 16; Act 3, Nov. 23
Creators: Christian Linke, Alex Yee
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro, Katie Leung, Jason Spisak, Toks Olagundoye, Harry Lloyd, JB Blanc, Amirah Vann, Ellen Thomas
Format: 9 half-hour episodes (but closer to 40 minutes each)
Best Reason to Watch: “Arcane” became a bit of a cult hit in its first season, as Riot Games adaptation of its League of Legends video game franchise went on to win the Emmy for Best Animated Series. Starring the voice talents of Hailee Steinfeld (“The Edge of Seventeen”) and Ella Purnell (“Yellowjackets”), “Arcane” follows two orphaned sisters, Vi and Jinx, who’ve been raised by a bar owner in the downtrodden town of Zaun. Along with their friends, Vi and Jinx make their way by stealing from their wealthy oppressors in Piltover — pilfering valuable items and selling them on the black market. But when one pinched piece proves a little too precious to part with, the sisters end up caught in a class war that feels particularly real. Oh, and there’s magic. Just over three years since Season 1 launched, the expanding fandom will get to see what happens next when Season 2 is released in three parts across three subsequent Saturdays (with three episodes dropping each week).3. ‘Senna’
Release Date: Friday, November 29
Showrunner/Director: Vicente Amorim
Cast: Gabriel Leone, Alice Wegmann, Camila Mardila, Christian Malheiros, Gabriel Louchard, Hugo Bonemer, Julia Foti, Marco Ricca, Nicolas Cruz
Format: Six hour-long episodes
Best Reason to Watch: Based on the true story of Brazilian racing champion Ayrton Senna (which already inspired the Sundance award-winning documentary of the same name), “Senna” is a six-part limited series following the Formula One star across his 10-year career, from when he started in England to when he died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at just 34 years old. How the television series matches the thrills of a sport so often shot for the big screen is one point of curiosity, as well as how it will depict the off-track life of a man beloved by millions, gone far too soon.4. ‘A.P. Bio’ Seasons 1-4
Release Date: Friday, November 15
Creators: Mike O’Brien
Cast: Glenn Howerton, Patton Oswalt, Paula Pell, Lyric Lewis, Mary Sohn, Jean Villepique, Tom Bennett
Format: 42 half-hour episodes
Best Reason to Watch: Before there was “Abbott Elementary” (and after there was “Bad Teacher,” both the movie and the show), there was “A.P. Bio,” an NBC sitcom starring “It’s Always Sunny’s” Glenn Howerton as an above-it-all high school teacher who slowly but surely warms to the students and faculty at the job he absolutely doesn’t want. Witty, creative, and with a stellar ensemble, “AP Bio” went a bit under the radar during its initial run, but now is a perfect time to binge all four seasons. Not just as a companion sitcom for “Abbott” (“A.P. Bio” isn’t quite so cute), but as a damn good show on its own.5. ‘The Madness’
Release Date: Thursday, November 28
Creator and Co-Showrunner: Stephen Belber
Co-Showrunner: VJ Boyd
Director: Clement Virgo
Cast: Colman Domingo, Marsha Stephanie Blake, John Ortiz, Gabrielle Graham, Tamsin Topolski, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Deon Cole
Format: 8 hourlong episodes
Best Reason to Watch: Colman Domingo? The conspiracy-thriller seems to exist mainly as a star vehicle for the Oscar-nominated “Rustin,” “Euphoria,” and “Sing-Sing” actor. Here, he plays media pundit Muncie Daniels, who “stumbles upon a murder deep in the woods of the Poconos mountains” and goes on the run. “As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family — and his lost ideals — in order to survive.” That section about “lost ideals” worries me a bit, given Hollywood’s dicey track record of portraying media professionals, but Domingo is too strong a hook to resist. Let’s see what “Madness” awaits.6. ‘Chef’s Table’ Season 7
Release Date: Wednesday, November 27
Directors: Brian McGinn, Danny O’Malley, Kevin Wilson Jr.
Executive Producers: David Gelb, Brian McGinn, Andrew Fried
Format: 4 hourlong episodes (closer to 45 minutes)
Best Reason to Watch: OK, you know what “Chef’s Table” is, so you already know if you’re going to watch this, but here’s the official synopsis for Season 7: “Volume 7 of ‘Chef’s Table’ continues the series’ tradition of spotlighting the world’s most extraordinary chefs who are redefining the culinary landscape. This season’s lineup features a diverse group of chefs, each bringing their unique perspective and creativity to the table.” This time out, the series will be visiting Philadelphia, New York, the south of Spain, and Mexico City.7. ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 6, Part 2
Release Date: Friday, November 15
Creators: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Xolo Maridueña, Jacob Bertrand, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Gianni DeCenzo, Courtney Henggeler, Vanessa Rubio, Dallas Dupree Young, Yuji Okumoto, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Griffin Santopietro, and Oona O’Brien
Format: 5 hourlong episodes
Best Reason to Watch: You gotta be ready for the “finale event” in 2025, right?!The Rest of Incoming TV
“The Later Daters” (available in November)
“The Trunk” (available in November)
“60 Days In” Season 7 (available November 1)
“Love in the Wild” Season 2 (available November 1)
“Dirty Jobs” Seasons 1-2 (available November 5)
“Love Village” Season 2 (available November 5)
“Love Is Blind: Argentina” (available November 6)
“Born for the Spotlight” (available November 7)
“Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson” (available November 7)
“Face Off” Seasons 6-8 (available November 7)
“Outer Banks” Season 4, Part 2 (available November 7)
“Bank Under Siege” (available November 8)
“The Cage” (available November 8)
“Mr. Plankton” (available November 8)
“Rhythm + Flow: Brazil” (available November 12)
“The Mothers of Penguins” (available November 13)
“Sisters’ Feud” (available November 13)
“SPRINT” Part 2 (available November 13)
“Beyond Goodbye” (available November 14)
“Million Dollar Decorators” Season 2 (available November 15)
“Wonderoos” Season 2 (available November 18)
“Zombieverse: New Blood” (available November 19)
“Adoration” (available November 20)
“Rhythm + Flow” Season 2 (available November 20)
“Shahs of Sunset” Seasons 3-4 (available November 20)
“The Empress” Sesaon 2 (available November 22)
“Gold Rush” Seasons 1-2 (available November 22)
“The Helicopter Heist” (available November 22)
“Tex Mex Motors” Season 2 (available November 22)
“When the Phone Rings” (available November 22)
“The Creature Cases” Chapter 4 (available November 25)
“Asaf” (available November 28)
“Is It Cake? Holiday” (available November 28)The TV Leaving Netflix in November
“Shahs of Sunset” Seasons 1-2 (leaving November 19)
