May Television: TV Shows Worth Your Time This Month

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May is the month when the year finally feels like it’s properly arrived. The evenings are longer. Things are blooming. People are making plans. And yet somehow the TV options in May are genuinely excellent. I think there’s a tendency to assume that as the weather improves, good TV dries up. But actually, May is when many shows hit their seasonal peaks. Long-running series are heading toward their finales. New summer content is starting to arrive early. And there are enough unpredictable spring evenings to justify plenty of screen time. Here’s what I’ve been looking into for May.

Why May Is Underrated for TV

May sits in an interesting spot in the TV calendar. In the US, it’s historically the sweeps period, when networks air their strongest content to boost ratings. So broadcast TV actually tends to deliver more in May than people expect. According to TV Line, many network shows air their season finales in May, which means many satisfying conclusions are landing this month.

Streaming platforms also tend to push content harder in May to hold subscribers before the summer movie season takes over. So there’s actually more worth watching than the sunny weather might suggest. As always, JustWatch is the best way to track what’s available in your region across all your subscriptions.

Season Finales Worth Catching Up For

May is genuinely the month of the season finale. If you’ve been following any ongoing shows, this is when things tend to pay off. But it’s also a great time to catch up on a series from the beginning, knowing the whole thing is almost available.

The Last of Us on HBO/Max has been one of the most talked-about dramas of recent years. It’s based on the acclaimed video game and follows survivors as they cross a post-pandemic America overrun by a fungal infection. It sounds bleak, and it is, but it’s also deeply human and emotionally rich. The performances are exceptional. More at HBO.

Andor on Disney+ is a Star Wars prequel series that genuinely surprised people who went in sceptical. It’s a slow-burning political thriller that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. You don’t need to be a fan of the franchise to appreciate it. It stands completely on its own. Details at Disney+.

Both are worth catching up on in May before new seasons or finales arrive.

Shows That Match May’s Optimistic Energy

May has a forward-looking quality. There’s momentum in the month. Things feel possible in a way they didn’t in January or February. The best TV for May reflects that energy. Stories about people trying, striving, building something.

Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ keeps getting recommended in these posts, and it belongs here, too, for anyone who still hasn’t started it. It’s fundamentally a show about optimism as a genuine philosophy. It fits May perfectly. All three seasons at Apple TV+.

Detectorists is a quiet BBC gem available on Netflix in many regions. It follows two amateur metal detectorists in rural England. It sounds like the most unlikely premise for a compelling show. Somehow it’s completely absorbing and deeply calming. Three short series. Wonderful for a May evening when you want something gentle. Find it on Netflix or BritBox.

Schitt’s Creek on Netflix keeps coming up whenever people talk about shows that leave you feeling genuinely good. Six seasons of a wealthy family losing everything and slowly finding something better. Perfect May energy.

Outdoor and Adventure Shows for the Season

Something about May makes you want a TV that takes you somewhere. Travel, wilderness, adventure. Shows that match the expansive feeling of longer days and open windows. This genre has produced some genuinely brilliant content recently.

The English on Amazon Prime is a Western drama starring Emily Blunt as an English aristocrat travelling through the American frontier in the 1890s. It’s cinematic and beautifully shot, with a real sense of landscape and space. More at Amazon Prime Video.

Yellowstone on Paramount+ has built an enormous audience over several seasons. It follows the Dutton family as they run the largest ranch in Montana while navigating conflicts with developers, government agencies, and neighbouring communities. It’s gripping and visually stunning. A great May binge. More at Paramount+.

Planet Earth III, on BBC iPlayer and available internationally through various platforms, is visually extraordinary. David Attenborough narrates. The cinematography is some of the best ever committed to a nature documentary. A perfect Sunday evening show in May when the light is good, and you’re feeling connected to the natural world. Find it at BBC iPlayer.

International Shows To Try In May

May feels like an adventurous month. Days are longer, and there’s more energy to try something new. International TV continues to deliver some of the most creative storytelling available right now, and May is a great time to explore.

The Tunnel is a French-British crime drama available on various streaming platforms. It’s based on the Scandinavian series The Bridge and follows French and British detectives investigating a crime committed on the border between their countries. It’s tense and atmospheric, and the central dynamic is excellent. Check availability at Walter Presents, which is a brilliant resource for European drama.

All Quiet on the Western Front is technically a film, but it swept the international awards circuit and is on Netflix. If you want something that will stay with you and feels relevant to the world right now, it’s worth your time. Details at Netflix.

Kingdom (South Korea, Netflix) is a historical drama set in medieval Korea during a zombie outbreak. It sounds outlandish, but it’s brilliantly made and uses the genre to explore politics and class in really interesting ways. Short seasons and very easy to watch. More at Netflix.

Shows About Friendship For May

May is a social month. People are making plans, meeting up, and spending time together. So shows that centres on friendship and community feel especially relevant right now. There are some really good options across different genres.

Reservation Dogs on Hulu is one of the most original comedies of recent years. It follows a group of Indigenous teenagers on a reservation in Oklahoma. It’s funny and melancholy and unlike almost anything else on TV. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi. All three seasons are available. More at Hulu.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX (Hulu in the US) is one of the longest-running live-action comedy series in American TV history. It follows a group of deeply terrible friends running a bar in Philadelphia. It shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s genuinely hilarious. More at FX.

Sex Education on Netflix is a British comedy drama about a teenager who sets up an informal sex therapy practice at his school. It’s warmer and funnier than the premise suggests. Four complete seasons. It has a really strong ensemble and a genuine sense of community among its characters. Details at Netflix.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy For May Evenings

As evenings get lighter, sci-fi and fantasy actually feel more fun, not less. There’s something about watching imaginative, expansive TV when the world outside feels a bit more alive. These are some strong picks in the genre.

For All Mankind on Apple TV+ imagines an alternate history in which the Soviet Union beat the US to the moon, and the space race never ended. It’s ambitious and genuinely gripping. Each season jumps forward in time, and the world it builds gets more interesting with each one. More at Apple TV+.

Silo on Apple TV+ is a dystopian thriller set in a vast underground silo where thousands of people live, cut off from the outside world. It starts as a mystery and builds into something much larger. Based on Hugh Howey’s novel series. Very easy to get absorbed in. Details at Apple TV+.

Battlestar Galactica (the 2004 reimagining) is on Peacock in the US and various platforms internationally. It’s one of the best sci-fi dramas ever made and still holds up completely. It follows the survivors of a human civilisation after a devastating attack by robotic beings called Cylons. Deeply character-driven. Find availability at JustWatch.

How To Make The Most of May Watching

My strategy for May is to embrace the split. Use the good evenings to watch shorter episodes or lighter content that doesn’t demand full concentration. Save the longer, more intense watches for when the weather turns or the weekend gives you a proper chunk of time.

May is also a good month to try something completely outside your usual taste. The seasonal energy makes it easier to take a chance on something unfamiliar. Metacritic TV is great for finding critically acclaimed shows you might have overlooked. And IMDb’s TV popularity chart shows what people are actually watching right now, which is a useful contrast to the critical consensus.

May is full and bright and just a bit unpredictable. Turns out that’s exactly how good TV should feel, too.

Happy watching. The evenings are yours now.