“Obi-Wan Kenobi” premieres on Disney+ with the first two episodes dropping on May 27. The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” as Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat — the corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who became the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. Ewan McGregor returns as Obi-Wan, while Hayden Christensen reprises his role as the evil Master Vader.
Watch the trailer for “Obi-Wan Kenobi”
Upcoming shows and deals:
- HBO Max has renewed “Julia,” starring Sarah Lancashire as the famed cook Julia Child for a second season. Child’s long-running PBS series “The French Chef” pioneered cooking shows and this dramatization follows that journey. David Hyde Pierce co-stars as Child’s supportive husband and his “Cheers” and “Frazier” co-star Bebe Neuwirth plays Child’s friend and producer.
- Peacock will become the Pay 2 window streaming home of Lionsgate films beginning in 2024 with “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” This means that after Lionsgate films go to the studio’s in-house cable network Starz then to Roku for an exclusive window before landing exclusively on the NBCU streamer.
- “Yo! MTV Raps” is back. The iconic hip-hop series will soon stream on Paramount+ with all-new episodes. The series offers hosted segments from battle rapper Conceited and DJ Diamond Kuts. There will also be live performances, cyphers, and lifestyle content. Guest stars will include Freddie Gibbs, Latto, Tee Grizzley, and IDK.
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New nature series “Mamas” will stream on the Roku Channel beginning on May 6. The show follows the powerful matriarchs of the animal kingdom and how the female of the species protects her young. It is narrated by Connie Britton and Zoë Saldaña and is available in English and Spanish.
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Tubi renewed the animated hit comedy “The Freak Brothers” for a second season. The eight-episode season is scheduled to premiere in December 2022. “Freak” is based on Gilbert Shelton’s cult classic underground comic series and boasts an all-star voice cast featuring Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, and Tiffany Haddish.
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Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield, Va., created a singular recovery program to help end the cycle of arrest, release, and re-arrest for heroin addicts, the majority of his prison inmates. The series chronicling these efforts, “Jailhouse Redemption,” premieres May 12 on discovery+. The four-part series documents the Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (HARP) and shows what one person can do to change a broken system.
- Amazon Prime Video has increased its content from India, including 26 new and nine returning original series. The new shows are set to release over the next two years and Amazon plans to double its investment in Prime Video in India over the next five. India has been a key market of focus for Amazon as the company grows its global subscriber base.
- New kids titles coming to Netflix include “Daniel Spellbound,” in which a young boy tracks hard-to-find magical objects in New York City; “Dead End: Paranormal Park” based on Hamish Steele’s horror-comedy graphic novels; “My Dad the Bounty Hunter;” and “Oni: Thunder God’s Tale,” centering on Japanese mythology. “The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib” and “My Little Pony: Make Your Mark” arrive later in May.
- The WNET Group announced the launch of Arts TWG+, a new free ad-supported streaming television channel dedicated to the arts. Arts TWG+ is on Plex and Local Now streaming platforms and will appear on additional services later this year. Arts by TWG+ offers a full slate of programming, including dance, biography, visual arts, music, and live performance. You can find details on where to find Arts TWG+ at artstwg.tv.