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How to Survive April's Incredible (and Incredibly Overwhelming) TV Schedule
From Fargo to American Gods, we've got you covered
I'm not trying to be dramatic, but April might be both the busiest and greatest month of television since the invention of the medium. Seriously. In addition to the debuts of several highly anticipated series, including Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale and American Gods on Starz, several critically acclaimed series are also returning.
FX's Emmy-winning Fargo is back for its third round, Damon Lindelof's The Leftovers will kick off its final season in Game of Thrones' traditional spring time slot, and Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul will welcome Giancarlo Esposito's drug lord Gus Fring back into the mix.
There's a lot of incredible TV coming your way, basically, and so it's understandable if your shoulders are already sagging under the overwhelming weight of wanting to watch all of your favorite shows -- and discover some new ones -- while still finding time to have somewhat meaningful human interactions with friends and family as well as sleep, eat and occasionally bathe.
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But we're here to say that you shouldn't worry about any of that! Because we've come up with a highly scientific way to prioritize and balance April's viewing schedule that should hopefully alleviate all your problems. Read on to find out which shows you should watch live, which can be watched the next day and which are best saved for the weekend.
WATCH LIVE / THE NIGHT OF
Better Call Saul
Monday, April 10 at 10/9c on AMC
Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Robert Trachtenberg/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
Any concerns about whether Better Call Saul would follow in the footsteps of its multiple Emmy-winning parent series and become must-see TV evaporated the minute Jonathan Banks delivered the performance of a lifetime in Season 1's "Five-O." The Bob Odenkirk-led drama has proven time and again it's not only a worthy successor to the saga of Walter White, but that it's also the only good thing about Mondays.
Better Call Saul Season 3 rewards patient viewers
The Leftovers
Sunday, April 16 at 9/8c on HBO
Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux, The Leftovers
Van Redin
The Leftovers' final season will eventually conflict with new episodes of Starz's American Gods, but for the first two weeks of Season 3, Damon Lindelof's excellent if low-rated drama won't face much in the way of real competition on Sunday evenings. And that's good, because the final season, which relocates to Australia and sees leading man Justin Theroux sport an epic beard, promises to be a memorable one.
Fargo
Wednesday, April 19 at 10/9c on FX
Ewan McGregor, Fargo
FX
Aw jeez, you better clear your schedules for this one. Noah Hawley's Emmy-winning series returns for its third season this month after taking more than a year off. With a character named Nikki Swango and Ewan McGregor taking on dual roles as brothers, you're not going to want to miss a minute of the action, which is set in 2010 this time around.
Fargo: We have so many questions about the first full-length trailer
The Handmaid's Tale
Wednesday, April 26 on Hulu
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Hulu
The timing of Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel could not be more perfect -- in a rather depressing sort of way. So it's a good thing the series, which stars Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss as Offred, a handmaid trying to survive an oppressive regime while not losing hope of regaining her agency, is incredibly well written and acted. And because it's on Hulu, new episodes will arrive every Wednesday morning and you can catch them whenever you have a free hour to kill.
American Gods
Sunday, April 30 at 9/8c on Starz
Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle, American Gods
James Dimmock / Starz
Beginning April 30, fans of prestige dramas will need to make a choice between The Leftovers and Bryan Fuller and Michael Green's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods. But while the decision about which to watch first is between you and your god (if you believe), the fact of the matter is that both series are religious viewing experiences in their own right. So we suggest watching one live and then immediately watching the other, but if you can't, all we're going to say is, American Gods is definitely the show everyone will be talking about the next day. Choose wisely.
WATCH IT THE NEXT DAY
Archer
Wednesday, April 5 at 10/9c on FXX
Archer
FXX
Archer has taken many forms over the years. The show's eighth season continues Season 7's private detective theme but takes place in an alternate 1940s-set noir-like reality known as Dreamland on account Archer remains in a coma after being shot in the Season 7 finale. The series is still just as funny as it's always been, but sometimes in life we have to make sacrifices, and unfortunately Fargo takes priority on Wednesday evenings. All this means is that you should save Archer for a Thursday mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Veep
Sunday, April 16 at 10:30/9:30c on HBO
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Justin M. Lubin / HBO
It feels like we've been living inside an episode of HBO's razor sharp political comedy Veep for a while now, but it sure will be nice to be able to turn on our TVs and watch the show's fake politics play out instead, even if it's only for a little while. But like lead-in Silicon Valley, Veep's jokes won't be ruined if you leave them to sit on the DVR for 24-48 hours.
Silicon Valley
Sunday, April 23 at 10/9c on HBO
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley
John P. Johnson
HBO's comedy Silicon Valley is a very good show. It's a also a very funny show. It's probably one of our favorite shows on TV. But it's also a show that can wait to be viewed until Monday. And honestly, there's probably no better cure for the Monday morning blues than watching Zach Woods do literally anything, so kick this baby to the next day and thank yourself later.
SAVE IT FOR THE WEEKEND
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Friday, April 14 on Netflix
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Darren Michaels, SMPSP
Cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 makes its long-awaited return this month via Netflix, which means the series, starring Jonah Ray, Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt, is already primed for weekend viewing. We're not saying you need to stay up into the wee hours of Saturday morning watching the new episodes, but there's probably no better time to watch terrible B-movies with your favorite talking robots.
The first trailer for the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 is everything we wanted
Doctor Who
Saturday, April 15 at 9/8c on BBC America
Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie, Doctor Who
Simon Ridgway / BBC America
Again, this one should be relatively easy to achieve because the long-running British sci-fi series about a mad man with a box that travels all of time and space already airs on Saturday evenings on BBC America. This season, the show's tenth since being rebooted, promises to be a big one. Not only is it Peter Capaldi's final season in the TARDIS, but it's also showrunner Steven Moffat's last hurrah, too. When you add in the fact that the Doctor's new companion, Bill, is the first openly gay companion, this season is shaping up to be pretty darn cool.
Great News
Tuesday, April 25 at 9/8c on NBC
Great News
NBC
Great News, which will air two episodes every week from 9-10 p.m., finds a directionless mother interning at her daughter's evening news station, much to the latter's chagrin. It shares DNA with NBC's late, great comedy 30 Rock -- it was created by writer Tracey Wigfield and is executive-produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock -- and it definitely shows. But while it's a show that should be on your radar, if you don't get to it immediately, you won't be left completely out of every conversation your friends are having.
Doctor Who: 9 people we'd like to see become the next Doctor
Dear White People
Friday, April 28 on Netflix
Dear White People
Adam Rose/Netflix
Justin Simien has adapted his critically acclaimed film directorial debut for Netflix in order to continue the conversation about race relations on college campuses. That sounds heavy, but Simien and his young cast bring the same irreverent humor from the movie to the series, tackling serious issues with sharp wit and fast-paced dialogue. This is the college drama of the future and you won't want to miss it, so clear your weekend schedule and binge.