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Streaming in September was eclectic. The top 10 most popular TV shows of the month, according to data from JustWatch, include opposite takes on international espionage—Lioness’s “everything is at stake” blockbuster vibe versus Slow Horses’ darkly funny, morally ambiguous style.
Other series burning up the charts: spy-adjacent action show Reacher, a couple of sports comedies named after their main characters (Ted Lasso and Chad Powers), a dystopian sci-fi drama (Silo), a superhero show (Lanterns), and stories of criminals and cops (Furious and The Gentlemen). There’s even a horror comedy (Widow’s Bay). You could say there’s something for everyone.
Lanterns
Topping the streaming charts this month is DC’s TV revamp of Green Lantern, in which experienced Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) trains the new guy, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), on how to wield the mysterious and powerful Green Lantern Ring. It’s a reserved, neo-noir style take on the comic mythos, as the heroes investigate a series of murders tied to an extraterrestrial threat. Lanterns is pulling in a 92% fresh ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s definitely worth a stream. Stream Lanterns on HBO Max.
Ted Lasso
Season four of Ted Lasso sees the title character, played by Jason Sudeikis, returning to the UK to take on a new challenge: coaching the Lady Greyhounds, AFC Richmond’s second-division women’s football team. This multiple Emmy Award-winning series still has all the heart, humor, and positivity of the original run. Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.
Reacher
Reacher actor Alan Ritchson is a great action star. Dude’s the size of a house, but he uses his brains as much as his fists, and his “independent ass-kicker” lifestyle makes for great TV. Season four sees our morally uncompromising, giant-sized hero witnessing a supposed suicide, then finding out it’s tied to a conspiracy so huge that world governments are involved. If you like your TV action-packed, you’re probably already watching Reacher, but if you’re not, get on it! Stream Reacher on Prime Video.
Lioness
If you like action, international espionage, and incredible performances, Lioness mashes them all up into a must-watch series. This cast is without lightweights, including Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, Emmy nominee Michael Kelly, and executive producer and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman. Season 3 dives into a hidden network of dangerous foreign operatives, personal betrayals, and a high-stakes war that could define everyone’s lives. Stream Lioness on Paramount+.
Slow Horses
Apple TV’s Slow Horses delivers a more realistic, nuanced take on espionage by detailing the lives of the losers of British Intelligence. Instead of chiseled good guys and gals saving the world, the agents of Slough House are a team of dysfunctional, troubled souls trying to do the right thing (usually) in a morally gray world. Just like real agents. Their leader, gruff, obnoxious Jackson Lamb, is played to perfection by Gary Oldman. Slow Horses has an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score over its first five seasons, and season 6 is setting new records. Stream Slow Horses on Apple TV+.
Furious
In Furious, Emmy Rossum plays Alice Black, an FBI agent and former NYPD homicide detective investigating a series of murders that point to a female serial killer bent on offing the wealthy assholes who victimized her when she was a sex trafficked. If that’s not a killer premise for a TV show, I don’t know what is. Critics agree: Furious has a 99% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Stream Furious on Hulu.
What do you think so far?
The Gentlemen
Director Guy Ritchie’s series is set at the point where the remnants of the British aristocracy meet the nation’s gangsters and lowlifes. Theo James plays Eddie Horniman, aka the Duke, whose inherited family estate is barely paid for by profits from a drug-dealing operation. If you like hard-edged action, British wit, and a stylish gangster vibe, this is the show for you. Stream The Gentlemen on Netflix.
Widow’s Bay
This series from Apple TV has won unanimous praise from both critics and audiences. It’s a rare horror-comedy that manages to be genuinely scary and really funny. In the island town of Widow’s Bay, literally everything seems to be haunted, cursed, or otherwise beset with unspeakable evil, but Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) wants to bring tourism to the island anyway, so he ignores the sea hags, fog monsters, and serial killer ghosts surrounding him in an effort to drum up new business. The great Stephen Root plays Wyck, an old-timer who’s always there to remind everyone that time is short and everyone is doomed. Stream Widow’s Bay on Apple TV+.
Chad Powers
Chad Powers is a sports comedy that’s actually funny. Glen Powell stars as Russ Holliday, a former college football phenom who nuked his own career before he even got to the NFL. Instead of giving up, he dons a disguise, adopts the name “Chad Powers, and tries out for a failing college team. It works, but leads to outrageous complications as the jock tries to hide his deceit. Stream Chad Powers on Hulu.
Silo
Apple TV’s Silo continues to track the downward spiral of the dregs of humanity, who are all living together underground in a cavernous edifice that goes all the way down. If you’ve been wondering how things got so bad, this season goes back in time to reveal the source of humanity’s near-demise. (Unsurprisingly, humans are to blame.) You can stream Silo on Apple TV.
