Summer streaming was a blast but September marks the start of fall TV, which will bring even more new movies and shows to Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video and other streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable networks.
The September streaming lineup kicks off with the fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which adapts J.R.R. Tolkien’s world into a big-budget epic series. The other big new series is Andor, the latest entry in the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to Rogue One.
Highly-anticipated returning shows include Cobra Kai season 5, Abbott Elementary season 2, The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 and Atlanta season 4. On the streaming movies front, a new take on Pinocchio comes from Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks, while Ana de Armas plays Marilyn Monroe in the steamy Blonde.
Here’s our guide on what to watch in September 2022.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime Video)
Already a likely lightning rod of controversy among Tolkienites, The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the Fellowship of the Ring, during the Second Age (which is unfortunate considering Amazon doesn’t have the rights to The Silmarillion, a major tome detailing that time). Evil Lord Morgoth’s forces seem vanquished or on the run, or at least that’s what everyone thinks. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), who is still set on avenging her brother’s death on the battlefield, disagrees and believes Sauron will rise as an even more dangerous threat. Elsewhere, as a peculiar man called The Stranger is seemingly portending big changes, we explore an underground world of Dwarves and man’s troubles at sea become everyone else’s troubles. – Henry T. Casey
Premieres with two episodes on Sept. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on Prime Video (opens in new tab)
Queen Sugar season 7 (OWN)
The final season of Ava DuVernay’s exquisite saga once again brings trials and triumphs to the Bordelon family. Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Darla (Bianca Lawson) have a beautiful baby girl, but the former must forge a new path now that the farm has been declared a historical site. That path seems to lead Ralph Angel to working more closely with the farmers’ collective and contemplating the mill’s legacy. Nova (Rutina Wesley) receives an offer to turn her memoir into a movie, though doing so could reopen old wounds. Her new relationship with Dominic (McKinley Freeman) is tested by the return of previous lovers. After his mother and father reconciled and moved back to Los Angeles, son Micah (Nicholas L. Ashe) remains in New Orleans to figure out where he truly fits in. – Kelly Woo
Premieres Sept. 6 on OWN (stream live via Fubo (opens in new tab))
The Good Fight season 6 (Paramount Plus)
The Good Fight is stepping out of the ring after a sixth and final season. The satirical legal spinoff of The Good Wife is unveiling its concluding remarks about the life and career of Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). After stepping down as a name partner at the firm, Diane is feeling an uneasy sense of déjà vu as Roe v. Wade, voting rights and Cold War aggressions dominate the news. Maybe her troubles will be eased by microdosing a hallucinogenic drug! At the least it brings a handsome physician (John Slattery) into her circle, as she and husband Kurt continue to butt heads over politics. As for Liz (Audra McDonald), her tenure as the firm’s leader is disturbed by the arrival of outrageous new name partner Ri’Chard Lane (Ande Braugher). – KW
Premieres Sept. 8 on Paramount Plus (opens in new tab)
Pinocchio (Disney Plus)
This is the first of two new versions of Pinocchio set to hit the streaming world, and it’s definitely the more traditional of the two. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, and the titular puppet soon comes to life with the voice of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. Full of whimsy, and stars too, Robert Zemeckis’ film is filled out with the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy and Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John. Oh, and this take also introduces a new character in Sofia the Seagull (Lorraine Bracco). As you’ll see in the trailer, Pinocchio looks a lot like the one from the classic movie, so if you want something different, know that Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation is coming this December. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 8 on Disney Plus (opens in new tab)
American Gigolo (Showtime)
Jon Bernthal’s resurgence continues, following his lead role in We Own This City and minor role in The Bear, with a series that gives him big shoes to fill. Fifteen years after the events of the film of the same name, which ended with Julian Kaye (Richard Gere) in jail, the former escort is now out of the clink and played by Bernthal. And everything is upside-down. Not only is he faced with a completely new culture for sex workers, but he’s trying to salvage his relationship with Michelle (Gretchen Mol) while trying to figure out who betrayed him. Detective Sunday (Rosie O’Donnell) is also trying to figure out the secrets about the murder Kaye was framed for, and apparently finds a conspiracy in the process. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 9 on Showtime (opens in new tab)
Cobra Kai season 5 (Netflix)
Once again, the very soul of the Valley is up for grabs — and good can only triumph over evil through karate. OK, sure, Cobra Kai sets up some ridiculous stakes for what is essentially kids doing martial arts. But it’s fun, it’s got some laughs and it is a nostalgic (high) kick. In season 5, frenemies-turned-allies Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) team up to take down nefarious karate impresario Terry Silver. He’s franchising dojos across the Valley with a team of cold-blooded teachers who are all about instilling the “no mercy” mantra in their students. Daniel has recruited the help of another former rival, Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), but Johnny is distracted by personal issues. Plus, resentment continues to breed among the students, threatening an already tenuous partnership. – KW
Premieres Sept. 9 on Netflix (opens in new tab)
The Serpent Queen (Starz)
Starz has essentially made a franchise out of period dramas centering royal women, from The White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville) to Becoming Elizabeth (Elizabeth I) and now The Serpent Queen about Catherine de’ Medici. The older version of the Queen of France is played by Samantha Morton but the show uses flashbacks to trace her journey from her start as a wealthy orphaned teen who marries a prince in love with another woman. Catherine also has trouble conceiving, putting her in a precarious position. Yet, through her wit and cunning, she goes on to become one of the most powerful and influential rulers in history. – KW
Premieres Sept. 11 on Starz (opens in new tab)
The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 (Hulu)
Last we saw June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), she had finally gotten revenge against Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) by leading a group of former handmaids in a brutal attack. Now, she must deal with the consequences, as Gilead’s leaders can’t let such a crime go unpunished and Waterford’s widow Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) publicly stokes righteous fury. June’s actions are also questioned by husband Luke (O. T. Fagbenle) and friend Moira (Samira Wiley), but she’s determined to court danger again to reunite with the daughter she left behind. On the other side of the border, Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) forms an alliance with Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) to rise in power and reform Gilead. – KW
Premieres Sept. 14 on Hulu (opens in new tab)
Atlanta season 4 (FX)
Donald Glover’s Atlanta was praised for two seasons of nearly perfect storytelling, and then earlier this year we got a particularly surprising third season. At times, Atlanta’s European adventure season felt like five times the fever dreams we’ve seen before. Not only were Earn (Glover), Al (Brian Tyree Henry) and Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) finding themselves in weirder situations than ever (and that’s saying something), but the season finale was all about a new identity that Van (Zazie Beetz) took on — and had little of the main trio. That’s to say nothing of the episodes that seemingly take place in another timeline. Season 4 has us excited, though, as it looks to be a return to both Atlanta and the show’s basics, with a renewed focus on Earn and Van. It also looks like we’ll see Al is dealing with more of the problems that success brings. We have no idea what to expect from Darius, though. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 15 on FX (stream next day on Hulu (opens in new tab))
Vampire Academy (Peacock)
Teen vampires may get staked, but the genre will never die. Now, Peacock is leaning into the bloodsucking world, with a new series based on Richelle Mead’s best-selling Vampire Academy books (which is back to the undead life after a 2014 movie of the same name). Here, we follow royal vampire Lissa (Daniela Nieves) and Rose (Sisi Stringer), her friend and guardian-in-training. Lissa is a Moroi princess, and the two are going to have all the drama they can handle at the St Vladimir’s Academy boarding school. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 15 on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Reboot (Hulu)
We’ve crossed the rubicon on reboots: Now, we even have a TV show about a fictional reboot. In Hulu’s upcoming series, we discover that the stars of a classic sitcom called Step Right Up! have not aged that gracefully. For example, Clay (Johnny Knoxville) seems to have more mug shots than recent roles. Bree (Judy Greer) is struggling to land decent jobs and the stuff she gets doesn’t always work out. As for Reed (Keegan-Michael Key), well, he’s fallen into the Method acting pond and hopefully the reboot will help him get back to simpler times. Created by Steven Levitan (Modern Family), Reboot also features Paul Reiser as Gordon, the Step Right Up! showrunner who is back and doesn’t get along with his younger writer’s room. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 20 on Hulu (opens in new tab)
Andor (Disney Plus)
The final Star Wars Disney Plus series of the year is Andor, which already feels like a great excuse to go rewatch the excellent Rogue One. This series starts off five years before that movie, and will give us more insight into how Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) became the man who helped steal the Death Star plans. But it’s about more than just his personal story, as Andor is also telling the story of the rise of the rebellion. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) plays a key role in all of this, and it looks like we’ll see a younger version of Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and possibly learn about how he got those robotic legs. Stellan Skarsgård and Fiona Shaw also co-star. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 21 on Disney Plus (opens in new tab)
Abbott Elementary season 2 (ABC)
One of the best shows of the last season is back, when second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (showrunner Quinta Brunson) returns for a new school year at the criminally underfunded Abbott Elementary. While the first season saw Principal Ava Coleman start to get her act together and keep working for the children, one wonders if the latest TikTok trends will distract her again. Of course, all eyes are on potential romance between Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams), now that she’s on a break from her relationship with Tariq (Zack Fox). We just hope that Janine continues to get along with her fellow teachers, especially the fiery Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and no-nonsense Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who Janine sees as her mentor. – HTC
Premieres Sept. 21 on ABC (stream next day on Hulu (opens in new tab))
Blonde (Netflix)
Blonde isn’t just Netflix’s buzzy Marilyn Monroe biopic, which features Ana de Armas looking exactly like the star she’s portraying. It’s also Netflix’s first NC-17 movie it produced. That said, don’t look for Blonde to be a just-the-facts retelling of the blonde bombshell’s life. It’s based on a novel of the same name, from Joyce Carol Oates, which is basically a fictitious version of Monroe’s life. de Armas has practically promised buzz, telling Empire (opens in new tab) that “It’s a film that is supposed to create controversy and discomfort.” – HTC
Premieres Sept. 23 on Netflix (opens in new tab)
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus)
The Sanderson witches are back! And it only took nearly 30 years this time, not 300. A sequel to the 1993 comedy/horror movie Hocus Pocus seems completely unnecessary yet also totally welcome by its now grown-up fans (who likely have tweens of their own). Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy look like they’re having a blast in returning as the sisters who first terrorized girls in Salem in 1693, then again in 1993. In the modern day, they appear once more when the Black Flame Candle is lit by unsuspecting high schoolers. They must work together to stop the witches before they cause complete chaos. – KW
Premieres Sept. 30 on Disney Plus (opens in new tab)
Other notable premieres
- Devil in Ohio (Netflix, Sept. 2)
- Rick and Morty season 6 (Adult Swim, Sept. 4)
- Central Park season 3 (Apple TV Plus, Sept. 9)
- Monarch (Fox, Sept. 11)
- Fate: The Winx Saga season 2 (Netflix, Sept. 14)
- Los Espookys season 2 (HBO, Sept. 16)
- Dancing With the Stars season 31 (Disney Plus, Sept. 19)
- Quantum Leap (NBC, Sept. 19)
- The Kardashians season 2 (Hulu, Sept. 22)
- Thai Cave Rescue (Netflix, Sept. 22)
- Ghosts season 2 (CBS, Sept. 29)
- Ramy season 3 (Hulu, Sept. 30)
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