As the Hollywood strikes continue, TV viewers are split into haves and have-nots.
Many will feel the impact this fall. They’ll wonder how many reality shows the human soul can absorb.
For others, it will be milder. Loaded with streaming networks, they’ll keep finding new shows.
It can’t last, of course. Even the streamers – which work far in advance – will sputter if the writers’ and actors’ strikes continue. But for now, life seems semi-normal.
One vivid example is Wednesday, Sept. 13. That’s when Apple TV+ launches the third season of “The Morning Show,” rippling with sharp dialog and vivid characters played Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon (shown here) and Jon Hamm.
That same day, Hulu has the mini-series “The Other Black Girl,” the season-opener of “Welcome to Wrexham” and an exceptionally good episode of “Reservation Dogs.” That’s a day after it has an episode of the witth “Only Murders in the Buiding” and a day before it has the movie “Theater Camp.”
On that same day (Sept. 13), Disney+ will have the movie “Elemental” (a week after it added the non-cartoon version of “Little Mermaid”), plus “Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory” and a new episode of the “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka.” Other streamers will prepare for their weekend surge.
Still, it’s all uneven … and requires loading up on streamers. Here’s a sampling of what’s ahead. Some of the streamers are still pending and many are also loading up on movies, network shows and even sports. Unless listed as a movie, these are series or mini-series:
NETFLIX
— “Fall of the House of Usher.” Edgar Allan Poe’s short story has been filmed at least 10 times, ranging from a silent short to a Roger Corman movie and an NBC mini-series. Now it’s an eight-parter. Oct. 12.
— “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” Fresh from his quirky gem “Asteroid City,” director Wes Anderson has another oddity. This one is from a story by Roald Dahl, who gave us Willy Wonka, Matilda, the giant peach and more. Oct. 13.
— “Pain Hustlers” takes another look at the opiod crsis, but this time through the drug-reps who thought they were pushing a great product. Emily Blunt and Chris Evans star. Oct. 27.
— “All the Light We Cannot See.” Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie play the father and grand-uncle of a blind girl who is trying to keep a diamond from the Nazis during World War II. Nov. 2.
— “The Killer.” After big success in movies, including “Gone Girl” and “The Social Network,” David Fincher switched to Netflix for the Oscar-nominated “Mank.” Now he’s back there for this story of an assassin. Nov. 10.
— “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.” This has already been a non-cartoon movie. Now it’s an animated series, with an ordinary chap battling fierce forces. Nov. 17.
DISNEY+
— “Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory.” In a six-partetr, the young filmmaker travels the world. Sept. 13.
— “Lang Lang Plays Disney.” The acclaimed pianist, backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performs music from Disney movies, old and new. Sept. 15.
— “Goosebumps.” R.L. Stine’s tales have already been turned into two movies and a kids’ series. Now it’s a 10-parter about teens in a spooky town. October.
— “Echo.” The latest spin-off from the Marvel world has Maya Lopez (alternately known as the superhero Echo) returning to her hometown, to re-connect with her Native roots. It stars Alaqua Cox, who is deaf and has Menominee and Mohawk roots. “Reservation Dogs” fans will know some of the supporting players, including Devery Jacobs and Zahn McClarnon.
HULU
— “Love in Fairhope.” In an Alabama city of 22,000, this nine-part reality show follows romances for five generations of women. Sept. 27.
— “Quiz Lady.” This movie has Sandra Oh and Awkwafina as sisters who find that a quiz show (hosted by Will Ferrell) may be the only way out of their mother’s gambling debts. Nov. 3.
— “A Murder at the End of the World.” Emma Corrin – an Emmy-nominee as Diana in “The Crown” – plays a tech-savvy young crimesolver in a story filmed in Iceland. Nov. 14.
APPLE TV+
— “The Morning Show.” Aniston and Witherspoon are hurled into instant crisis. By the end of the potent opener, one is in outer space and the other is at the border. Sept. 13.
— “The Super Models.” This four-week documentary looks back at an era when the models – Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, etc. — shared the fame of the designers they worked for. Sept. 20.
— “Lessons in Chemistry.” Brie Larson, the “Room” Oscar-winner who plays Captain Marvel in superhero movies, plays a chemist who finds success in the 1950s with a food show on TV. Oct. 13.
— “The Buccaneers.” Edith Wharton died in 1937, before finishing her novel about young American women invading London’s social scene in the 1870s. Still, the unfinished book was published the next year and a completed version (using her outline) came out in 1993. PBS aired an ambitious mini-series in ‘95, with Carla Gugino and Mira Sorvino. Here’s a new version. Nov. 8.
AMAZON PRIME
— “Wilderness.” Jenna Coleman – the “Victoria” star and “Doctor Who” co-star – vacations with her husband while learning how much of a cheater he is. Sept. 15.
— “Gen V.” With the success of “The Boys,” here’s a spin-off about a school for prospective superheroes. Sept. 29.
PARAMOUNT+
— “The Gold” tells the true story of a British team that stole a fortune in gold in 1983, then spent years trying to turn it into cash. Sept. 17.
— “Pet Sematary: Bloodlines” is a prequel to the 1989 Stephen King film about unburied evil. Oct. 6.
— And the “Star Trek” universe continues, currently with “Strange New Worlds.”
PEACOCK
— “The Continental” is billed as a prequel to the John Wick movies. It’s set at a New York hotel chain fpor assassins. Sept. 22.
— “The Treasure of Foggy Mountain.” The comedy group called Please Don’t Destroy usually makes hilarious videos for “Saturday Night Live.” Now they have a movie about guys who find a strange compass and search for treasure. Nov. 17.
ACORN
— “The Chelsea Detective” and “Mrs. Sidhu.” On the day when the last of four “Chelsea” films airz, the “Mrs. Sidhu” ones begin. The latter has a British caterer of Indian descent solving crimes. For both shows, a season has four movie-length (90-minute) stories. Sept. 18.