11 Binge-Worthy New Shows to Stream in May

Every month, we say that this is one of the best months for new television. And every month we are overwhelmed with choice once again.

Last month felt like there was a huge new release every week, and May appears to be no different. From blockbuster superhero productions to one of the most star-studded series we’ve ever seen, to a devastating miniseries from the director of Moonlight, May is definitely spoiling television lovers with all that is on offer.

Here is our pick of the best new shows to stream in May.

11 Best New Shows to Binge-Watch in May 2021

1. RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under 

Eight episodes. All local queens. Guest stars including Kylie Minogue and Taika Waititi. RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson on the judging panel. This brand new Stan Original Series is one of the most anticipated new releases of the month. Fans of Drag Race won’t be disappointed. In fact, we think this will convert a whole new group of Australians to the lifestyle, the religion, that is RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Where to watch it: From 1 May on Stan.

2. Young Rock

This show does exactly what it says on the tin. Have you ever wondered what Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was like as a teen? Well, even if you have never wondered such a thing, Young Rock will answer that question. Conceived by the star and filmed in Queensland last year during the pandemic, Young Rock is a portrait of the wrestler as a young man, following him through high school and into early adulthood, particularly detailing the relationship with his family and his mother. This one looks like a lot of fun. 

Where to watch it: Weekly from 2 May on Foxtel. 

3. Pose, Season 3

This groundbreaking, trailblazing, award-winning show is coming to an end in May. Pose, which spotlighted the world of ballroom culture in New York in the ‘80s, and introduced us to actors including Billy Porter, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson and Hailie Sahar, is just one of the many shows that are bidding farewell to television this month. The final season of Pose will be set in New York in the middle of the AIDS crisis. Be prepared with tissues – this one is going to be a tearjerker. 

Where to watch it: From 3 May on Binge.

4. Jupiter’s Legacy

Every time we think we’ve hit peak superhero, a television show comes along that surprises us. At the moment, that series is Jupiter’s Legacy, a canny superhero adaptation that asks what it might be like for the first generation of heroes to pass the torch onto their children. There’s some serious star power in this series, which is led by Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb, and the production values are high. If you can’t get enough of an action franchise, this could be the show for you. 

Where to watch it: From 7 May on Netflix. 

5. Mythic Quest, Season 2

AppleTV+ is quietly setting itself up as one of the most underrated streaming platforms: its comedy offering, which includes the sublime Dickinson, the lovely Ted Lasso and this show, Mythic Quest, is really, really good. Mythic Quest is just a very sweet and very watchable series about a video game studio and the people who work on creating a video game called… Mythic Quest. It’s a cross between The Office and Silicon Valley, but with even more jokes. We love it. Binge the first season now, before the second drops shortly. 

Where to watch it: From 7 May on AppleTV+.

6. Small Axe

There has been plenty of debate over whether or not Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen’s series Small Axe is a group of movies, or a television show. We can’t make up our minds either: the star-studded vignettes, with a cast that includes John Boyega and Letitia Wright, are so cinematic and so beautifully made that they feel like films, and yet they are available to watch on television. All we can advise is to sit back, relax, and stream them this month. Small Axe is some of the best movies/television we’ve seen all year. 

Where to watch it: From 7 May on Foxtel’s BBC First. 

7. Halston 

Ryan Murphy, the super producer behind The Politician and Hollywood, is back with another project for Netflix. This time it’s familiar ground for him, given that he has previously miniseries about the fashion designer Gianni Versace: the life story of American fashion maverick Halston. Starring Ewan McGregor in the title role and set across New York in the ‘70s and ‘80s, this miniseries will be a perfect companion piece to the final season of Pose. If you’re a fan of star-studded fashion biopics, you’ll binge this in record time. 

Where to watch it: From 14 May on Netflix. 

8. The Underground Railroad 

Created and directed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind the devastating Moonlight, The Underground Railroad is one of the most anticipated television releases of the year. Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, the historic story follows Cora Randall (Thuso Mbedu), a young woman desperately fighting for her freedom after escaping a plantation in antebellum Georgia, all while being pursued by Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton), a bounty hunter tracking her every step of the way. The cast is incredible, and also includes Damon Herriman, Lily Rabe, William Jackson Harper, Chase W Dillon and Will Poulter. This one is going to be big. 

Where to watch it: From 14 May on Amazon Prime Video. 

9. Solos

Does a miniseries cast get better than this? Morgan Freeman! Anne Hathaway! Helen Mirren! Constance Wu! Dan Stevens! Anthony Mackie! Nicole Beharie! Uzo Aduba! This anthology series about “what it means to be human” has collated an incredible array of talent together. Though not much is known about this series, we imagine it will be similar to Amazon Prime Video’s other anthology series Modern Love, in that it tells very different stories episode to episode, with a wide range of cast members. We can’t wait. 

Where to watch it: From 21 May on Amazon Prime Video. 

10. The Bold Type, Season 5

This is the final season of The Bold Type, a beloved and much successful series that perfectly captures what it’s like to work at a magazine. How will Kat, Jane and Sutton bid farewell to the world of Scarlet Magazine? What surprises are still left in store for this trio as they prepare to move beyond the pages of the glossy that they have worked so hard to produce? We can’t wait to binge on these episodes, and to spend this last bit of time with these characters we love so much. We’ll miss you, The Bold Type. 

Where to watch it: From 27 May on Stan. 

11. Lucifer, season 5B

Lucifer is our guilty pleasure: a sexy, silly television series about, um, the literal devil who is cast out of hell and lives in Los Angeles, where he helps the local police solve crimes. We know, the whole thing sounds ridiculous, and it is. Ridiculously fun! If you haven’t gotten into the series yet, it’s perfect Sunday viewing, and with a few seasons available for streaming now on Netflix there’s plenty of back catalogue for you to get through. This was supposed to be the last season, but fans campaigned for more and now Lucifer is getting a sixth season, so if you get hooked on the franchise after binge-watching it, you’ll get another fix next year. 

Where to watch it: From 28 May on Netflix. 

Want more? Here were the 9 best new TV shows of April 2021.