As we go into April, remember one thing – it is not the quantity but the quality that counts. Though there is plenty of older material to find, the new content seems slim. But it is quality content! Take a look.
A few quick points:
- Nathan Fielder Plays with Our Heads Again
- HACKS Is Up To Its Wisecracking Wit
- THE LAST OF US Returns
- We Look Back on Y2K and Ahead to 2073
- Plus, a Chance to Laugh with Brett Goldstein
- And, Dr. Robinavitch’s Shift is Finally Over
HBO Original Series:
And so, the highly anticipated series returns. In 2003, a parasitic fungal infection ravaged the planet, turning humans into violent creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, hardened survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to the rebel Fireflies. Season 2 of THE LAST OF US picks up five years after the events of Season 1. Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind. The seven-episode second season of this HBO’s Emmy-winning original drama series debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 13 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max and also feature an ASL version.
Season two’s returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, recreating his videogame role. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.
–S2Ep01 – “Future Days” written and directed by Craig Mazin, starts us off.
Also returning is the Nathan Fielder work called THE REHEARSAL. It follows one man’s journey to reduce the uncertainties of everyday life. With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Fielder helps ordinary people prepare for life’s biggest moments by “rehearsing” them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design. In season 2, the urgency of Fielder’s project grows as he decides to put his resources toward an issue that affects us all. Six episodes spool out new each week beginning SUNDAY, APRIL 20 at 10:00 pm ET/PT.
THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES is still gracing us with a dose of divine comedy as its final season continues. A new episode arrives on SUNDAY, APRIL 07 (10:30 – 11:10 pm ET/PT).
–S4Ep5 – “You Shall Remember”
While Lori finds herself in a precarious position, Baby Billy tries to get the greenlight on his latest project. Later, Kelvin and Vance face off.
–S4Ep6 – “Interlude IV”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 13 (10:00 – 10:40 pm ET/PT).
- While recording an album together, Lori turns to Aimee-Leigh for help with her failing marriage.
“For Jealousy Is The Rage of a Man” is Episode 7 on APRIL 20 and “On Your Belly You Shall Go” is Episode 8 on APRIL 27.
THE WHITE LOTUS has one more episode left as we get into April, and it is going to be great. It also clocks in as a full 1 hour 30 minute conclusion.
–S3Ep8 – “Amor Fati” Debut Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 06 (9:00-10:30 pm ET/PT).
On their last night in paradise, Laurie, Jaclyn, and Kate are forced to reckon with the changes in their decades-long friendship. Belinda and Zion negotiate a deal that could secure her future. Gaitok shares his plans with a disappointed Mook. Timothy comes up with a shocking plan for his family.
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER resumes its twelfth season SUNDAY, APRIL 06 from 11:10- 11:11 pm ET/PT, then back to its regular time the rest of the month. REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER continues its twenty-third season on FRIDAY, April 04, 10:00 – 11:00 pm ET/PT.
Original Series Exclusive to Max: The ten-episode fourth season of HACKS debuts with two episodes on THURSDAY, APRIL 10, then one episode per week for four weeks. Episodes seven and eight debut together on May 15, followed by episode nine on May 22. The season finale debuts on May 29.
Throughout the story arc, tensions rise as Deborah and Ava endeavor to get their late-night show off the ground and make history doing it. Cast: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo return alongside Dan Bucatinsky, Helen Hunt, Tony Goldwyn, Kaitlin Olson, Jane Adams, Lauren Weedman, Christopher McDonald, Poppy Liu, Lorenza Izzo, Johnny Sibilly, Paul Felder, Polly Draper, Luenell, and Aristotle Athari. New cast members include Julianne Nicholson, Michaela Watkins, Bresha Webb, Robby Hoffman, Eric Balfour, Danny Jolles, Gavin Matts, Grover Whitmore, III, Holmes, Jasmine Ashanti, Katy Sullivan, Matt Oberg, and Sandy Honig.
Okay, I could puke just about now, but I’ll mention it anyway because they do have their fans and they are a part of the stable now. The new reality series PAUL AMERICAN just landed its first installment, and it runs four more of them in April beginning on THURSDAY, APRIL 03 exclusively on Max.
Plus, don’t forget that THE PITT plays out its final hour of the season. THURSDAY, APRIL 10. It has been a long fifteen-hour shift, but a rewarding one. Plus, remember that a Season Two is a certainty.
HBO International Titles: Max is halfway through its Hoy Week crime caper from Spain. WHEN NO ONE SEES US continues beginning FRIDAY, APRIL 04. Two other titles continue on that date. A DECENT MAN (Porządny Człowiek) from Poland also continues its premiere season. Are you following Paweł’s journey? Our last title is REFORMED (le Sens Des Choses). From France, it is the one about the chaotic life of a female rabbi.
HBO & Max Theatrical Movies: For April we take a trip in time. One movie takes us back both back a few years and another ahead a few. Plus we get Nicole Kidman. Here is a look at Y2K, 2073 and Babygirl.
That first trailer tells us we are heading back 25 years to the year 2000, no Delorean required. Director Kyle Moody (Zoolander 2) has this. This A24 film clocks in at 95 minutes and is rated R due to bloody violence, strong sexual content/nudity, pervasive language, and teen drug and alcohol use. In Y2K, two high school nobodies (Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison) make the decision to crash the last major celebration before the new millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. The night becomes even crazier than they could have ever dreamed when the clock strikes midnight. How zany does it get? Find out when the movie debuts on HBO on SATURDAY, APRIL 05 (8:00 – 9:35 pm ET/PT) and on Max the day prior.
The next title is exclusive to Max and debuts on MONDAY, APRIL 07. It takes us to the year 2073. It is a 2024 British science fiction docudrama directed by Asif Kapadia (Amy, Diego Maradona). Set in a dystopian future, the film is inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 featurette La Jetée, which follows a time traveller who risks his life to change the course of history and save the future of humanity. Samantha Morton and Naomi Ackie appear. This is another work uniquely crafted by Kapadia. Is it a speculative piece using real footage or a documentary padded with a strong narrative? Whatever you think it is, it is definitely a warning!
By the time the last weekend of the month comes around, we can bring it all down a bit to just hot & steamy with the A24 title BABYGIRL. In this erotic thriller written, directed, and produced by Halina Reijn (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies), we get Nicole Kidman as a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins an affair with a much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Sophie Wilde and Antonio Banderas also star. Are you ready for some steamy Kidman? Find it debuting on SATURDAY, APRIL 26 (8:00 – 9:55 pm ET/PT) and on Max the day prior.
HBO Documentary Films: Oddly, the latest from HBO’s go-to documentarian Alex Gibney is not in the promotional material, yet I know his latest arrives as a two-parter in April. Perhaps the reason for the current absentia is that there doesn’t seem to be an umbrella title for this piece. Gibney’s eye this time is on the popular prize that is Dark Money. Here is what I’ve found regarding ALEX GIBNEY’S LATEST.
–”PART l: Ohio Confidential” Debut Date: TUESDAY, APRIL 15 (9:00 – 10:58 pm ET/PT)
Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (HBO’s TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE and many more), this two-part documentary examines dark money in American politics.
–”PART II: “Wealth of the Wicked” Debut Date: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16 (9:00 – 10:58 pm ET/PT)
You watch; give it a day or two after this post’s publication, and they’ll decide to acknowledge it.
HBO Original Specials: The HBO Original comedy special BRETT GOLDSTEIN: THE SECOND BEST NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE will debut in April on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 
Unfortunately, they can’t quite lock down when they want to air it, and that always baffles me. If a show is still in some kind of post-production limbo, then save it for the following month. If it is ready, then pick a date. For example, and nothing against the movie called out here, but, in primetime Saturday night April 12 is Crazy Rich Asians. Couldn’t you just surrender that spot over to the new content? Anyway, Goldstein’s gig, for now, is TBA, but I’m sure they’ll tell us soon enough. It will most likely be in the latter half of the month.
The official release states that the HBO Original comedy special BRETT GOLDSTEIN: THE SECOND BEST NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE will debut this April on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. For those who might know thiis Brit wit he is the the creator and executive producer of the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking alongside Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence. All I know is with this special he must have had them rolling on the floor. Oh, wait that’s him.
Max Original Specials: I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: It seems anyone can get a 
comedy special these days. The guy Max is showcasing in April is someone I’ve never heard of or don’t remember hearing of, and he gets a standup gig. Not only does he get one, but it isn’t just a quick 30-minute stint; it isn’t even 1 hour. This guy clocks in at 1 hour and 10 minutes. So, either he has a devout following or a great knack for brokering a deal, or he has that much great material to share. You can find out on SATURDAY, APRIL 19, when SAL VULCANO: TERRIFIED arrives. Sheesh, and you can’t find Brett Goldstein a timeslot?
Oops. After further investigation, I discovered that he is someone people do indeed know if you watch Impractable Jokers, which I don’t. Well, I’m not totally rewriting this segment now, so just color me stupid; I don’t care.
Max Kids & Family: At some point, I’m going to tweak this category as kids programming gets phased 
out. Not today, however, because a few shows for them continue with new installments. Get ready to hop back into the whimsical world of Marc Brown’s HOP as new episodes of the preschool series that embraces kindness, acceptance, and working together returns as of THURSDAY, APRIL 03. Also returning is that purple dino of yore when new episodes of BARNEY’S WORLD arrive on MONDAY, APRIL 07.
GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH, the acclaimed Max Original animated prequel series from Warner Bros. Animation, returns on THURSDAY, APRIL 10, with the second half of season two. This next five-episode drop takes place one year after the events of season one and follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic, mystery, and Mogwai mayhem. Hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai, our heroes journey deep into the American West, coming up against new supernatural creatures and picking up a few mysterious characters along the way.
Don’t forget it is the last year for SESAME STREET on Max. SZA guests in April. The classic show continues its run in its 55th season with new episodes on THURSDAYS. A special from the Street also drops in April. On THURSDAY, APRIL 17, fans of Cookie Monster can catch COOKIE MONSTER’S BAKE SALE: BLOCK PARTY.
HBO Sports: The last four installments of CELTICS CITY play out in April. It continues on MONDAY, APRIL 07.
Chapter VI: Untenable Toll
Debut Date: MONDAY, APRIL 7 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
The tragic death of Len Bias after the 1986 draft casts a shadow over the Celtics, and Larry Bird’s style of play begins to take its toll – all as new rivals emerge with the Celtics going head-to-head with the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons in a heated 1987 playoff series before ultimately falling to Magic Johnson and the Lakers in the Finals. Bird fights through pain to extend his career, but in 1992, he retires and closes a historic chapter for the Celtics and the NBA.
Chapter VII: Not Again
Debut Date: MONDAY, APRIL 14 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
As the Celtics struggle to find a new identity with young Black stars, Reggie Lewis appears poised to lead their resurgence before his sudden death leaves the franchise and city in mourning again. Even the arrival of new team president and coach Rick Pitino in 1997 doesn’t help as the team spirals into crisis, decline, and then irrelevance. One month before the 2000-01 season, promising forward Paul Pierce is left clinging for his life after being stabbed in a Boston nightclub. Fans are left to wonder if the Celtics will ever rise again.
Chapter VIII: Ubuntu
Debut Date: MONDAY, APRIL 21 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
A new century brings new hope: Paul Pierce survives his stabbing and emerges as the team’s franchise cornerstone, leading Boston back to the playoffs alongside fellow star Antoine Walker. After another downturn, former Celtic Danny Ainge takes over as GM and makes a bold series of moves to acquire Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, forming a new “Big Three” with Pierce. With head coach Doc Rivers at the helm, the Celtics reclaim their dominance in 2008, defeating Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in the NBA Finals to capture their 17th championship.
Chapter IX: We’re The Celtics
Debut Date: MONDAY, APRIL 28 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Following the 2008 title, injuries, age, and internal conflict take their toll. Though the Celtics return to the Finals in 2010, Danny Ainge quickly pivots to a new era. Soon, rising stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are tasked with carrying the weight of the franchise’s storied tradition and the city’s complex racial history. In 2024, under Ainge’s replacement Brad Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla, the team captures its record-breaking 18th championship, embodying the legacy of Red Auerbach and Bill Russell as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.
Other Shows On HBO or Max: The highly anticipated Cartoon Network animated series IYANU will debut SUNDAY, APRIL 06 on Max and on CN the day prior. Adapted from Roye Okupe’s graphic novel series “Iyanu: Child of Wonder,” published by YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Comics, comes this tale steeped in Nigerian culture, music, and mythology. The animated series follows Iyanu, a brave young orphan living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. While studying history and ancient arts, she yearns for a normal life—until a looming threat awakens divine powers not seen since the legendary Age of Wonders. Accompanied by newfound friends Biyi, Toye, and a magical leopard named Ekun, Iyanu sets out to uncover the source of this evil, unlocking her destiny along the way.
Another animated title is an Adult Swim import. Also arriving on SUNDAY, APRIL 06, is a tale called LAZARUS. It is described as a pulse-pounding thriller about a miracle drug, Hapna, that presumably frees anyone who takes it from all pain. However, it is later revealed that Hapna has a fatal consequence: all who have taken the drug will perish. With only thirty days to save humanity, a group of agents must find a vaccine before all is lost.
Max is setting up its next Collection. In April, it will curate Dystopian Stories. Contained within will be such works as Falling Skies (TNT), GEN:LOCK (Max Original Series), DMZ (Max Original Series) The Last Ship (TNT) and YEARS AND YEARS (HBO Original Series). Movies that fit the theme will include Death Race (2008), Civil War (2024), Mad Max (1979) and RoboCop (1987).
Next Month’s Tease: He voiced Al Simmons/Spawn in the HBO series TODD MCFARLANE’S SPAWN, and next month will play a ’70s crime thug. Who is he and what is the show?
Last Month’s Tease: We asked you what IYANU was, and now you know; it is the Nigerian-infused animated series coming to Max via CN
Final Clip: Speaking of Dystopian Stories —
Enjoy HBO & HBOWatch!
