Edgy series Beef and Euphoria back with sizzling new seasons in April

Beef 2

Debuts on Netflix on April 16

Netflix’s Emmy-winning anthology series (2023 to present) returns with a clean slate and a very different kind of conflict.

Season 1 saw a road-rage incident spiral into an all-out revenge fest between characters played by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, but the follow-up is set in a California country club, with two couples battling it out for social survival.

The marriage of the club manager (Oscar Isaac) and his wife (Carey Mulligan) is unravelling, and two newly engaged junior staff (played by Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny) witness an alarming fight between them.

The younger pair tries to exploit that as both couples compete for the favour of the club’s billionaire owner (Youn Yuh-jung), who is trying to contain a scandal of her own involving her husband (Song Kang-ho).

Why watch it: The conflict here is more passive-aggressive than in Season 1, but Korean-American creator Lee Sung Jin looks to have preserved the show’s fascination with ego, resentment and spiralling petty grievances.

The cast list also screams “prestige drama” – from South Korean Oscar winner Youn (Minari, 2020) to British Oscar nominee Mulligan (An Education, 2009) to veteran South Korean actor Song (Parasite, 2019).

Euphoria 3

Debuts on HBO Max and HBO on April 13

In Seasons 1 and 2 (2019 and 2022), the series followed a group of American teenagers grappling with addiction, toxic relationships, social media and grief.

But this new chapter jumps forward five years, moving its characters out of high school and into early adulthood.

At the centre remains Rue (Zendaya), now sober and living in Mexico, but struggling to pay her debt to her former drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly).

Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has become an adult-content creator and is engaged to Nate (Jacob Elordi), though their relationship hangs by a thread.

Jules (Hunter Schafer) is attending art school and working as a high-end “sugar baby”, while Maddy (Alexa Demie) hustles her way through her new life in Hollywood.

And the trailer suggests things take a violent turn for at least one person in the group.

Why watch it: Zendaya, Sweeney and Elordi – whose careers have soared on the big screen since Season 2 – will bring new fans to Euphoria, which became a cultural phenomenon for its raw, edgy depiction of teen trauma.

It may lose some shock value now that the characters are older, but creator Sam Levinson should bring the same moody cinematography and viral visuals.

Sins Of Kujo

Debuts on Netflix on April 2

Based on the hit manga series of the same name, this star-studded Japanese live-action adaptation follows Taiza Kujo (Yuya Yagira), a lawyer who defends clients most would avoid.

Whether it involves yakuza bosses, drug deals, drink driving or adult videos, he and associate attorney Shinji Karasuma (Hokuto Matsumura) expertly navigate the law to their clients’ benefit.

As they take on the most reprehensible villains and dubious cases, their morality comes into question.

Why watch it: This is one of the most anticipated Japanese series of 2026 because of the popular source material and all-star cast, led by Yagira (Nobody Knows, 2004), Matsumura (Suzume, 2022) and Elaiza Ikeda (Sadako, 2019).

Acclaimed Japanese film-maker Nobuhiro Doi (The Voice Of Sin, 2020) shares the director’s chair with Takeyoshi Yamamoto and Hiroshi Adachi.

Malcolm In The Middle: Life’s Still Unfair

Debuts on Disney+ on April 10

The Emmy-winning sitcom Malcolm In The Middle (2000 to 2006) was a staple of American television in the 2000s, beloved for its story of a chaotic working-class family with five sons.

Two decades on, it is back with a four-episode revival series, which finds its perpetually exasperated protagonist Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) – the middle child with the IQ of a genius – now an adult.

To escape his family, he has created a quiet life away with his daughter, whom he has shielded from them for a decade.

But his peace is shattered when his parents Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) summon him home for their 40th wedding anniversary.

Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield reprise their roles as Malcolm’s brothers Francis and Reese.

Why watch it: The show is expected to deliver the fast-paced humour, unhinged energy and fourth-wall-breaking asides of the original. And the returning cast will be a nostalgic anchor for long-time fans.