By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, next month (May 2024) plans to add 78 new TV shows and movies to its lineup. Here’s the three most interesting, in my humble opinion:
Hacks (Season three premiere)
Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, an aging comedienne (based loosely on Joan Rivers) who must freshen up her act or else face show business extinction. Hannah Einbinder plays Ava Daniels, a young arrogant comedy writer who can’t keep a job because of her stubborn nature. The comedy begins when Deborah hires Hannah to write her a new act, but the real charm of Hacks comes from the Mommie/Daughter relationship between the two leads. Smart is terrific as an overbearing performer desperate to stay relevant while Einbinder (the daughter of Saturday Night Live charter member Laraine Newman) is equally good as the rebellious Ava. You’ll laugh and cry with Hacks, sometimes both at the same time. Season three begins on May 2 with two episodes and then two episodes will air each week on Thursday until the season finale on May 30. (The first two seasons are now available on Max.)
Stop Making Sense
Max will debut a 4K restoration of the amazing 1984 concert film featuring The Talking Heads and the band’s iconic lead singer, David Byrne. Directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), the live performance was shot over three nights at the Hollywood’s Pantages Theater and features the group’s most memorable songs including Psycho Killer, Burning Down the House and Take Me to the River, the cover of Al Green’s soul masterpiece. Debuts May 3.
The Iron Claw (2023)
The 2023 biofilm (debuts May 10 on Max) stars Zach Efron and Jeremy Allen White as sons of wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich who groomed them to become pro wrestlers despite physical and emotional tragedies that plagued the family for years. Holt McCallany, who co-starred in Netflix’s Mindhunter, plays the family patriarch with Maura Tierney as his wife. The critics loved The Iron Claw with an 89 score at Rotten Tomatoes. “The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports,” the site states.
Complete List of New Titles Coming to Max In May
May 1
All About My Mother (1999)
Black Christmas (2019)
Crank (2006)
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
Don Jon (2013)
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
The Edge (1997)
The Florida Project (2017)
Genius (2016)
Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 35 (Food Network)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)
Jersey Boys (2014)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Mad Max (1979)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? (TLC)
Poltergeist (2015)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Poltergeist III (1988)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Sisters (2015)
The Upside of Anger (2005)
Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
Wonderland (2003)
May 2
Hacks, Season 3 (Max Original)
Selena + Restaurant, Season 1 (Food Network)
Six Is Not A Crowd (Felices Los 6), Season 1 (Max Original)
Turtles All the Way Down (Max Original)
May 3
Batwheels, Season 2B (Cartoon Network)
Stop Making Sense (A24 2023 Re-Release)
Teen Titans Go!, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
Zillow Gone Wild, Season 1 (HGTV)
May 4
America’s Backyard Gold, Season 1 (Discovery Channel)
May 5
People Magazine Killer Investigates, Season 1 (ID)
May 6
Mini Beat Power Rockers, S4B
Next Baking Master: Paris, Season 1 (Food Network)
Yellowstone Wardens, Season 4 (Animal Planet)
May 7
Mecum Full Throttle: Houston TX 2024 (Motor Trend)
Outdaughtered, Season 10 (TLC)
May 8
In Pursuit with John Walsh, Season 5 (ID)
Stupid Pet Tricks, Season 1 (TBS)
May 9
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (Max Original)
May 10
The Iron Claw (2023) (A24)
May 11
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO Original)
May 12
Expedition From Hell: The Lost Tapes (Discovery Channel)
Naked and Afraid XL, Season 10 (Discovery Channel)
May 13
SMILING FRIENDS, Season 2 (Adult Swim)
Summer Baking Championship, Season 2 (Food Network)
May 14
Doubling Down with the Derricos, Season 5 (TLC)
May 15
Botched Bariatrics, Season 1 (TLC)
Ghost Adventures, Season 28 (Discovery Channel)
Home Sweet Rome (2023) (Max Original)
Sleepless (2017)
May 16
Murder in the Heartland (ID)
May 17
My Lottery Dream Home, Season 15 (Discovery Channel)
May 18
Design Down Under, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
May 19
Ciao House, Season 2 (Food Network)
May 20
Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight, Limited Series (CNN Original Series)
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A (HBO Original)
May 21
Elephants vs. Man with Nick Paton Walsh (CNN Original)
Hell on Earth: The Verónica Case (La Mano En El Fuego) (Max Original)
May 22
Moonshiners: Master Distiller (Discovery Channel)
May 23
Last Chance Garage, Season 1 (Motor Trend)
Romário: The Guy (Romário: O Cara), Season 1 (Max Original)
Texas Metal’s Loud and Lifted, Season 2 (Motor Trend)
Thirst with Shay Mitchell (Max Original)
May 24
Caught: Wild and Weird America (Discovery Channel)
Diary of an Old Home, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
May 25
Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America (Discovery Channel)
May 26
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
May 27
90 Day Fiancé: UK, Season 3
Two Guys Garage, Season 23 (Motor Trend)
May 29
Homicide Hunter: American Detective, Season 4 (ID)
MoviePass, MovieCrash (HBO Original)
Traces of Love (Evidências Do Amor) (Max Original)
May 30
Outchef’d, Season 3 (Food Network)
May 31
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail, Season 3 (Discovery Channel)
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
