What's new in TV this November
Dominique Farrell
There's an abundance of excellent releases in TV this November, so if you're looking for something to watch this month, you'll be spoilt for choice.
There's a new original series from the creator of Breaking Bad, the final season of the Netflix megahit Stranger Things, a new Beatles anthology, and the latest real-life drama from the world of MomTok...
Squid Game: The Challenge – Season 2, Netflix, 4 November
The Netflix reality competition series Squid Game: The Challenge, inspired by the streamer's hugely popular original series, is back for a second season. The game sees 456 new contestants compete for a life-changing $4.56 million (€3.84 million) prize pot.
This time, the stakes are higher with Netflix promising "shocking twists and never-before-played games". As the players face elimination at deception, they must ask themselves, "Why make friends… when you can make millions?"
Pluribus, Apple TV+, 7 November
From Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, comes Pluribus, a highly-anticipated psychological sci-fi drama. The series sees Gilligan reunite with Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn, who plays the lead role of author Carol Sturka.
The tagline for the show reads: "The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness." The premise seems to revolve around Carol's immunity to an unexplained virus that transforms the world's population into content and optimistic citizens.
Carol talks to the US President over the phone, and he tells her: "Rest assured, Carol. We will figure out what makes you different... so we can fix it. So you can join us."
Intriguing!
Speaking about the new series, Seehorn told The Hollywood Reporter: "It is a very challenging role and a very challenging show in the best way. It's everything that an actor would want."
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Season 3, Disney +, 13 November
"This new scandal is about to rock MomTok...." The drama is set to kick off once more when season three of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives drops on Disney +.
The first two seasons of this explosive reality series followed a group of Utah-based TikTok influencers as they navigated the fallout of a social media scandal that engulfed them all.
A teaser for the latest episodes reveal that Taylor's got some "crazy news", and it looks like Jessi has gotten wrapped up in a scandal. Buckle up!
The Beast in Me, Netflix, 13 November
The always excellent Claire Danes (Homeland) and Matthew Rhys (The Americans) head up the cast in The Beast in Me, a promising-looking new Netflix drama from The X-Files writer Gabe Rotter.
The eight-episode series sees Danes play Aggie Wiggs, an acclaimed author who has retreated from public life as she grieves the loss of a child. She finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Rhys), a famed real estate mogul who was once the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance. Aggie finds herself compulsively hunting for the truth in a game of cat-and-mouse that might turn deadly.
If the trailer is anything to go by this will be a fascinating watch.
One Shot with Ed Sheeran, Netflix, 21 November
One Shot with Ed Sheeran sees Adolescence director Philip Barantini follow the music superstar through the streets of New York City for a "music experience unlike any other".
The Emmy-winning director, who famously shot each episode of the acclaimed, Stephen Graham-starring series Adolescence in a single continuous take, has adopted the same filmmaking technique here.
Sheeran will take viewers along on a journey with him as he spends an afternoon travelling the streets of the Big Apple while performing his greatest hits, "playing impromptu gigs on sidewalks and the subway, interacting with fans and unsuspecting passersby."
Stranger Things: Season 5, Netflix, 26 November
The fifth and final season of Netflix's hit supernatural drama Stranger Things is nearly here. Netflix is rolling out the rapidly-anticipated season in three parts - Volume 1 is launching on 26 November, with Volume 2 landing on 25 December and the finale debuting on 31 December.
If the trailer is anything to go by - we're in for a wild ride.
Our heroes are united by a single goal - to find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished, and to complicate matters further, the government has placed Hawkins under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), forcing her into hiding.
The final battle is looming as they confront a darkness more powerful and deadly than anything they've faced before.
"Wherever this blood leads, I need you to fight one last time," David Harbour's Chief Jim Hopper tells Eleven in the teaser. "Let's end this kid."
The Beatles Anthology, Disney +, 26 November
The Beatles' landmark Anthology documentary series has been restored and remastered - with the first three episodes coming to Disney +.
The series traces the band's journey, from their beginnings in Liverpool in 1960, to Beatlemania, their groundbreaking arrival in the USA, their spiritual exploration in India and their eventual breakup.
The series also includes a completely new ninth episode which features previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Paul, George and Ringo coming together between 1994 and 1995 to work on The Anthology and reflecting on their shared life as The Beatles.
RTÉ Entertainment.