Andor, Étoile, You, and more

Hello and welcome to this week’s TV Party roundup column, in which I pick the best new shows you need to be watching right now (I try to list both US and U.K. streamers where possible). It’s another busy one. For this week’s round-up, I’ve got:

• The return of Andor, the Star Wars origin story about a mercenary-turned-rebel.

• Time to wave goodbye to You, the genuinely silly serial killer drama, after five years.

• A cultural exchange between two ballet companies: one in Paris and one in New York.

There is also a recap of the week’s TV news + must-read links. If any of that sounds interesting and you want to stay in the know and up to date the please subscribe to TV Party below. Subscribers get access to these weekly emails and to a separate, weekly essay. Now, on with the round-up.

Stars: Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård

Back after an extended break following its 2022 debut, Andor returns to stake its claim as the only Star Wars-related property worth watching. You’d be forgiven for forgetting what happened first time around. Check out a lengthy recap of S1 below.

Stars: Penn Badgley, Charlotte Richie, Anna Camp

A lot of Netflix programming can be reduced to ‘We know you find serial killers hot’ but only You makes it explicit. The show returns for its fifth and final season with Joe Goldberg (Badgley) returning to New York “to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.”

Stars: Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lou de Laâge

It seems to be the rule when writing about TV to identify that Amy Sherman-Palladino’s shows are an “acquired taste.” While I have never watched Gilmore Girls or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it’s always felt like sniffiness around her work boils down to the fact she makes shows primarily aimed at women. Étoile is a return to the world of ballet, which Sherman-Palladino previously covered in Bunheads, that explores the lives of dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

Jack Thorne’s next project after Adolescence will be Falling, a love story between a Catholic priest (timely) and a nun. Paapa Essiedu and Keeley Hawes head the cast. Variety

Nobody tell Scorsese but Bill Hader is developing an HBO series about the Jonestown massacre. Indiewire

Ayo Edeberi will star in Prodigies, a new romcom by (and also starring) The White Lotus/Giri Haji’s Will Sharpe. Deadline

Heartstopper will come to an end with a feature-length film. Entertainment Weekly

Wednesday will return to Netflix in August. Here is the first look at what’s to come.

‘Oh my God sir, you’re on Love Island!’ What happens to teachers who do reality TV?. The Guardian

Theo Von dismantles the interview show. New York Times

Quiz shows are evolving for gen Alpha with puzzles and social media teasers. The Guardian