The 7 Best New Shows on Netflix in April

Spring is finally in the air, and any self-respecting television fan knows what that means: It’s Emmy season, baby! I know, I know. What with the breakdown of the traditional TV calendar and proliferation of precursor awards, it’s essentially always Emmy season — but the arrival of April means it’s crunch time. Old-school networks and streaming services that allow for weekly releases are pumping out prestige shows left and right, whether it’s Michelle Williams in FX’s “Dying for Sex,” Seth Rogen in the Apple TV+ comedy “The Studio,” or Jon Hamm in the Apple TV+ drama “Your Friends and Neighbors,” the months leading up to May’s Emmy contention deadline are jam-packed with golden hopefuls.

Netflix isn’t immune from the onslaught, though it does operate at a slight delay. The bulk of Netflix’s last-second (aka premium positioned) awards contenders will drop in May, since these shows needn’t worry about airing all their episodes before May 31 — on Netflix, all episodes drop at once, so anything released in May needn’t fret over fitting in its eight or 10-episode season over eight or 10 actual weeks. Plus, many of Netflix’s top contenders — “Nobody Wants This,” “The Diplomat,” “Squid Game,” “Adolescence” — were all released in early or late winter. Maybe the awards calendar is changing again (or maybe Netflix knows it’s ubiquitous and thus doesn’t have to game its release strategies to build extra awards buzz).

So, what does all that indicate in terms of April Netflix releases? There are a few Emmy contenders in the mix, including a new season of “Black Mirror” (which has quite the history when it comes to the Emmys) and a new series titled “Ransom Canyon” (which may remind a few subscribers of “Yellowstone,” an oft-aspiring Emmy contender that was consistently kept on the outside looking in). Perhaps the strongest Emmy option of all is a show that premiered last month but continues into May: “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” Its predecessor, “Everybody’s in L.A.,” won an Emmy for Best Editing, while also earning recognition from the TCA Awards, WGA Awards, and American Cinema Editors. With a longer run and more awareness, “Everybody’s Live” could very well improve on that impressive start.

The rest are mainly what Netflix does best: populist plays. “Pulse” is a soapy medical drama with a ticking clock. The “Devil May Cry” anime series aims to honor its video game origins, and “Young Sheldon” Season 7 aims to honor the memory of “Big Bang Theory.” (One of these missions may be more daunting than the other.) Throw in the final season of “You” (which certainly could be an awards player, even if it’s yet to make a dent) and the typical international acquisitions and kids shows, and Netflix’s April slate doesn’t look all that different from any other month. Whether that means you get to go outside and enjoy the spring weather or hunker down and pretend it’s still too cold and rainy to leave the couch, well, that’s up to you, dear readers. Trust your gut.