AMC Networks’ May 2023 Highlights

This May, AMC Networks will debut the final seasons of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead and Acorn TV’s Happy Valley, as well as season finales for AMC’s Lucky Hank starring Emmy-nominated Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) and Mireille Enos (The Killing), Shudder’s Slasher: Ripper starring Eric McCormack and Sundance Now’s Totally, Completely Fine starring Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho). AMC+ continues film debuts every week including God’s Time, Consecration, Influencer and Huesera: The Bone Woman to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend, and the documentary film Bad Axe, in honor of AAPI Heritage month. These films, series and more join an extensive catalog of compelling dramas, beloved franchises, highly anticipated films, and timely collections on AMC+, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, Shudder, Sundance Now, and anime-focused HIDIVE, all month long.

On ACORN TV:

· Happy Valley Season 3

The final Season Premieres on Acorn TV and AMC+ on Monday May 22

In the epic and unmissable final season, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire, Julia, Last Tango in Halifax) discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim, sparking a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight back to murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton, McMafia, Little Women). Catherine’s grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah, The Runaways) is now sixteen and has ideas of his own about what kind of relationship he wants to have with Tommy, the man Catherine still refuses to acknowledge as his father. Still battling the seemingly never-ending problem of drugs in the valley and those who supply them, Catherine is on the cusp of retirement. Will she solve this final case?

· Brokenwood Mysteries Season 9 (Acorn TV US Exclusive)

Season Binge Premieres Monday May 1

This quirky New Zealand mystery follows DI Mike Shepard, who arrives to the seemingly peaceful town of Brokenwood with classic car, a country music collection and an indeterminate number of ex-wives. His assistant, DC Kristin Sims, is a by-the-book investigator 15 years younger than her boss’s car. Shepard soon discovers that Brokenwood is full of secrets and suspicions.

· Dalgliesh Season 2 (Acorn TV Original)

New Episodes Premieres Mondays Through May 8

The new season is based on three more P.D. James novels – Death of an Expert Witness, A Certain Justice and The Murder Room — with Bertie Carvel (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell) reprising his role as the enigmatic chief investigator. Akin to other distinguished detectives, like Holmes and Poirot, this season sees DCI Adam Dalgliesh (Carvel) taking us through 1970’s England as he solves unusual murders ranging from a senior forensic biologist found dead in his lab, to an illustrious but controversial defense barrister found deceased in her chambers, to a young doctor being set on fire in the grounds of his family museum.

· Balthazar Season 5 (Acorn TV US Exclusive)

New Season Binge Premiere Monday, May 1
Suave, smart, and somewhat strange, Raphaël Balthazar (Tomer Sisley) can make the dead speak like no one else. As a forensic pathologist in Paris, he works with no-nonsense chief inspector Hélène Bach (Hélène de Fougerolles) to solve the city’s most disturbing crimes. But there’s one case that continues to haunt him–the murder of his wife over a decade ago. (French-language)

On ALLBLK:

· Judge Me Not (ALLBLK Original Series)

New Series Premieres May 25

Judge Me Not is the story of Zelma Jay Johnson, an unusually bright, young black woman who struggles with mental health issues, a ludicrous family, and volatile love life. We join her as she takes on her new role as a judge in a court full of outrageous characters both in front of and behind the bench. As her passionate relationship with her live-in lover takes them both on a ride, she finds herself caught in the crosshairs a psychological thriller that puts her life at risk. Starring Chyna Lane, Javon Terrell, Terrence Green, Jonathan Chase, Gena Shaw, and Bonita Brisker.

· Mama June: Family Crisis (WE tv Original Series)

New Episodes Stream on ALLBLK Every Tuesday, Following the WE tv Premiere Beginning May 9

The relationship between June and the girls finally reaches its breaking point due to legal issues, lies, and secret life-altering changes. Pumpkin and Josh are raising four kids under five and have taken full custody of Alana. They’re struggling to make ends meet despite June’s monthly child support contribution as well as balancing their responsibilities as parents. Meanwhile, Jessica has been distant from her family and shares a shocking personal secret. June is now living with her new husband Justin in Alabama while struggling with health issues. Determined to mend her relationship with the girls, June continues to reach out to Pumpkin and Alana to no avail. With June’s pending wedding ceremony and Alana’s graduation on the horizon, can this family ultimately come together?

On AMC+:

· Lucky Hank

Season Finale on Sunday, May 7 on AMC; Stream Early on AMC+ Thursday, May 4

Lucky Hank is a mid-life meltdown tale set at Railton College, told in the first person by William Henry “Hank” Devereaux, Jr. (Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in a working-class American town. Hank’s discontent is rooted in unresolved issues with his father, a mediocre and entitled student body, and in the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans. Mireille Enos (Hanna, The Killing) stars as Lily Devereaux, the emotionally grounded, unflappable wife of Hank and the Vice Principal of the local high school in rural Pennsylvania where they live. As Hank’s life starts to unravel, Lily begins to question the path she’s on and the choices she’s made.

· Fear the Walking Dead Season 8A

Final Season Premieres Sunday, May 14 on AMC; Stream Early Every Thursday on AMC+ Beginning May 11

Fear the Walking Dead‘s eighth season begins after the conclusion of Season 7, when Morgan’s (Lennie James) and Madison’s (Kim Dickens) hopes to rescue Mo from PADRE did not go as planned. Now, Morgan, Madison and the others they brought to the island are living under PADRE’s cynical rule. With our characters demoralized and dejected, the task of reigniting belief in a better world rests with the person Morgan and Madison set out to rescue in the first place — Morgan’s daughter, Mo.

· Happy Valley Season 3

Final Season Premieres on Acorn TV and AMC+ on Monday May 22

In the epic and unmissable final season, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire, Julia, Last Tango in Halifax) discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim, sparking a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight back to murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton, McMafia, Little Women). Catherine’s grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah, The Runaways) is now sixteen and has ideas of his own about what kind of relationship he wants to have with Tommy, the man Catherine still refuses to acknowledge as his father. Still battling the seemingly never-ending problem of drugs in the valley and those who supply them, Catherine is on the cusp of retirement. Will she solve this final case?

· Celebrating AAPI Heritage: The Asian Cinematic Influence

New Collection Available All Month Long (May 1 – May 31)

Features films from across the portfolio, including new AMC+ exclusive films (see Bad Axe and God’s Time below), the iconic The Karate Kid franchise, and influential horror/action film series from Shudder including Ring, Train to Bustan, Tetsuo, and The Witch.

· New Exclusive Films Premiere Every Friday, including:

o Bad Axe – Premieres Monday, May 1 (AMC+ Exclusive) A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump’s rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Killing Fields.

o God’s Time – Premieres Friday, May 5 (AMC+ Exclusive)

Dev and Luca race through New York to stop Regina, on a righteous mission to murder her ex-boyfriend. Starring Jared Abrahamson (Travelers), Segun Akande (Quantico), Harry Bouvy (New Amsterdam).

o Huesera: The Bone Woman – Premieres Friday, May 12 (Shudder)

Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Starring Sonia Couoh (Rosario Tijeras), Alfonso Dosal (Narcos: Mexico), Mayra Batalla (Here on Earth).

o Consecration – Premieres Friday, May 19 (Shudder)

After the alleged suicide of her priest brother, Grace travels to the remote Scottish convent where he fell to his death. Distrusting the Church’s account, she uncovers murder, sacrilege and a disturbing truth about herself. Starring Jenna Malone (The Hunger Games franchise) and Danny Huston (Yellowstone, Magic City).

o Influencer – New Film Premieres Friday, May 26 (Shudder)

While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn. Starring Sarah Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Emily Tennant (Riverdale) and Cassandra Naud (See).

· NEW to AMC+ this month:

o Fear the Walking Dead: Live From WonderCon – Special Premieres Monday, May 8 (AMC+)

The cast and crew discuss what fans can expect from the final season in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick at this year’s WonderCon, including stars Kim Dickens, Jenna Elfman, Christine Evangelista, and Ian Goldberg, as well as showrunner Michael Satrazemis.

o King’s Coronation Highlights – Special Premieres Friday, May 12 (BBC America)

Highlight special chronicling the live coronation of King Charles III on Saturday May 6.

o Attenborough’s Global Adventure – Natural History Film Premieres Saturday, May 13 (BBC America)

From the deep oceans in a state-of-the-art submarine on the Great Barrier Reef, to the ancient rainforests of Borneo, this captivating special highlights some of the incredible locations Sir David Attenborough visited, and the fascinating creatures he has encountered along the way.

On HIDIVE:

Insomniacs After School (HIDIVE Exclusive)

Streaming Now; New Episodes Throughout May

The award-winning drama manga series Insomniacs After School is now an anime and streaming exclusively on HIDIVE with new episodes every Monday throughout May. Ganta Nakami is a high school student who suffers from insomnia. One day, he meets Isaki Magari, a girl with the same condition. A strange, but special relationship blossoms as they share a secret and catch up on their sleep in their school’s abandoned observatory… Produced by LIDENFILMS, Insomniacs After School is directed by Yuuki Ikeda and written by Rintarou Ikeda.

· TOO CUTE CRISIS (HIDIVE Exclusive)

Streaming Now; New Episodes Throughout May

The sci-fi comedy series TOO CUTECRISIS is bringing laughs and streaming exclusively on HIDIVE this spring with new episodes every Friday throughout May. Invading alien Liza Luna wants nothing more than to destroy planet Earth… after she gets in a little sightseeing, first. But her travels soon take her into a cat café, where the furry felines inside invade her heart just as surely as Liza invaded Earth! Destroying the world won’t be so easy now that she’s discovered the joys of kitty cats… Produced by SynergySP, TOOCUTE CRISIS is directed by Jun Hatori and written by Aya Satsuki.

On SHUDDER:

· Slasher: Ripper (Shudder Original Series)

New Episodes Every Thursday Until Season Finale on May 11

Slasher: Ripper takes the Slasher franchise back in time to the late 19th century and stars Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) as Basil Garvey, a charismatic tycoon whose success is only rivaled by his ruthlessness, as he oversees a city on the cusp of a new century, and a social upheaval that will see its streets run red with blood. There’s a killer stalking the mean streets, but instead of targeting the poor and downtrodden like Jack the Ripper, The Widow is meting out justice against the rich and powerful. The only person standing in the way of this killer is the newly promoted detective, Kenneth Rijkers, whose ironclad belief in justice may wind up being yet another victim of The Widow.

· The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Season 5A (Shudder Original Series)

New Episodes Premiere Live on Shudder TV and AMC+ TV Friday Until May 21; the Remaining Five Episodes Will Debut in June

On The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, Joe Bob Briggs hosts eclectic horror movie double features, expounding upon their merits, histories, and significance to genre cinema. Join Joe Bob, Darcy the Mail Girl, and the rest of The Last Drive-In crew as they ring in an all-new fifth season, which for the first time ever will be split into two parts, with the first half of the season premiering on Friday, April 21 and the final half returning mid-June, rounding out the horror-viewing experience. The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs is produced by Matt Manjourides and Justin Martell and directed by Austin Jennings.

· Huesera: The Bone Woman (Shudder Exclusive Film)

New Film Premieres Friday, May 12

Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. A Mother’s Day weekend offering only Shudder could scare up, starring Sonia Couoh, Alfonso Dosal, and Mayra Batalla.

· Consecration (Shudder Exclusive Film)

New Film Premieres Friday, May 19

After the alleged suicide of her priest brother, Grace travels to the remote Scottish convent where he fell to his death. Distrusting the Church’s account, she uncovers murder, sacrilege, and a disturbing truth about herself. Starring Jena Malone (The Hunger Games franchise) and Danny Huston (Yellowstone).

· Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2023 (Shudder Exclusive)

Horror Awards Show Streams Live on Shudder TV and AMC+ TV on Sunday, May 21 @ 9PM ET

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards is an annual award ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements in horror film and television. For the third year in a row, the event will be hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil, Dune), this time joined by co-host Peaches Christ (All About Evil, the Midnight Mass podcast) and will feature Jamie Clayton (Hellraiser), Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw (The Black Phone), and Akela Cooper (Malignant, M3GAN) among its presenters. This year’s nominees include X, Prey, The Black Phone, Pearl, Nope, Stranger Things, Blood Relatives, Queer for Fear, Barbarian and Terrifier 2.

· Influencer (Shudder Original Film)

New Film Premieres Friday, May 26

While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn. Starring Sarah Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Emily Tennant (Riverdale) and Cassandra Naud (See).
On SUNDANCE NOW:

· SisterS (Sundance Now Exclusive Series)

Season 1 Premieres Wednesday, May 17 as Binge on Sundance Now; New Episodes Every Wednesday on IFC

In Toronto, Canada, Sare’s (Sarah Goldberg, Barry) mother dies. In the aftermath of her death, she discovers that her father was not her actual father, he was in fact, an Irish busker her mother met while backpacking some thirty years ago. She decides to travel to Ireland to track him down, only to discover she has a half-sister. Meanwhile in Dublin, Suze’s (Susan Stanley, Fair City) life is unravelling – she’s lost her partner, her flat, her job… and not to mention – her dignity. On her 37th birthday, her life takes an unexpected turn, when her Canadian half-sister shows up. Sare convinces a reluctant Suze to embark on a road trip across Ireland to find their alcoholic father. Confined by the four walls of a crumbling ice cream van, it’s a baptism of fire for these sisters. They forge an unbreakable bond as they discover sometimes it’s the family you choose that can carry you through. SisterS is written and executive produced by real-life best friends Goldberg and Stanley.

· Totally, Completely Fine (Sundance Now Original Series)

New Episodes Every Thursday Until Season Finale on May 18

Inspired by true events, Totally Completely Fine is a six-part dark comedy that explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship and the ways in which sadness can unite people. It follows a 20-something Vivian Cunningham (Thomasin McKenzie, Last Night in Soho, Jojo Rabbit), whose life is a mess. Last week she accidentally burnt down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape and this week she’s inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop shack and is tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge. Strangely enough, they’ve responded to her chaotic, nihilistic brand of psychology. Maybe, just maybe, in saving these people, she’ll slowly start to save herself. The series was created and is executive produced by Gretel Vella (The Great), who co-wrote the show with Keir Wilkins (Neighbours) and Emme Hoy (stage play The Tenant of Wildfell Hall).