Now that the MayMac fight is finally over, we’d like to direct your attention to Netflix’s September schedule – trust us, it packs a punch. We’re talking heavyweights from all corners of the pop-culture spectrum – BoJack Horseman and friends, Lady Gaga, and Jerry friggin’ Seinfeld with his own comedy special. Not to mention the madly hyped new season of Narcos, and a handful of new doco-series that are already creating buzz online. Knock yourself out.
Narcos, Season 3
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For those who haven’t seen seasons one and two, spoiler alert: Pablo Escobar is dead. Wait, so does that mean the cocaine trade died with him? Not likely. Not if the Cali Cartel has anything to say about it. Season three charts the rise and ultimate fall of the self-proclaimed ‘gentlemen of Cali’ – four notorious kingpins whose immense cocaine trafficking operations make Escobar’s look like a Fisher-Price set. Pedro Pascal returns as the venerable DEA agent Javier Pena, who faces strong opposition from corrupt cops, military and politicians in his efforts to take down the Cali Cartel.
Season 3 airs on September 1.
BoJack Horseman, Season 4
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BoJack’s back – and is filled with more self-loathing and whiskey than ever. Still in mourning from, and still blaming himself for Sarah-Lynne’s overdose, he feels completely alienated from everyone around him and needs to start anew. So begins a reluctant journey to reconnect with his estranged family: his disapproving mother Beatrice (now senile, but still as disparaging as ever), as well as a teenager who’s convinced she’s his daughter. Erstwhile, beloved Labrador Mr. Peanutbutter enters the world of politics, with a campaign and election trail so ludicrous they almost give credence to Trump ’16.
Season 4 airs on September 8.
Strong Island
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Director Yance Ford charts the incredulous yet real events of 1992 that saw his brother William – a young unarmed black man – become the prime suspect in his own murder case. Though William was killed by Mark Reilly (a white 19-year-old), authorities were pitiless when dealing with his bereaved family, and merciless in framing him as his own murderer. Strong Island is a first-hand account of the historical injustices and blatant racism faced by black Americans, as lived through and told by the Ford family. It picked up the Special Jury Award for Storytelling at Sundance, and currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Strong Island airs on September 15.
American Vandal
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2015’s Making a Murderer breathed new life into true-crime docos. The streak continued with 2016’s 13th and 2017’s The Keepers. And so of course, the network responsible is now going to satire the shit out of the genre. Netflix’s American Vandal uses all the same filmic techniques as any crime doco – suspenseful soundtrack, poignant throwback footage, newsreel coverage, lots of slow-mo zooms, and heartfelt interviews with those closest to the perp… except the crime committed here was a high school prank, in which someone spray painted dicks onto 27 faculty cars. May their owners find peace, and may we never forget. Watch all eight episodes and judge for yourself whether or not Dylan Maxwell (goofball senior and “known dick-drawer”) did the crime.
The quest for the truth begins on September 15.
Jerry Before Seinfeld
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You read that correctly – Jerry Seinfeld is the next guest to grace Netflix’s Stand-Up Specials. Seinfeld opens up a trove of never-before-seen material for an intimate set at The Comic Strip Live – the famed club that boasts alumni names like Aziz Ansari, George Carlin and Robin Williams. It’s also where Seinfeld learned the ropes way before he was on the show about nothing. Expect a library of legal pads with every joke he’s written since 1975, childhood videos and more.
Jerry Before Seinfeld is the first instalment of two Seinfeld stand-up specials exclusive to Netflix. Airs September 19.
Gaga: Five Foot Two
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Few pop stars in recent years have been as impactful as Lady Gaga. Immense vocal chords aside, she’s known for her iconoclastic fashion: think staggering platform heels, raw meat dresses, bouffant wigs and sea urchin bodysuits. Lying beneath these aggrandized outfits is Stefani Germanotta, the five foot two girl who adopts the Lady Gaga moniker. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel (Banksy Does New York, Me at the Zoo) gives a vulnerable look into Gaga’s life during one of the most pivotal periods in her career yet. Filmed over an eight-month period, Gaga: Five Foot Two promises unfiltered, behind-the-scenes access to Gaga’s studio life as well as her personal life.
The Swarovski-studded gloves come off on September 22.
Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father
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Most of us can look back on our gap years fondly. Sure, the 16-bed shared hostel dorm was a bit manky, but we tell ourselves that it was all part of the experience. Now, years later, imagine sharing that 16-bed dorm with your dad. *My longest no boy ever*.
Well, someone had to do it: comedian and very posh man Jack Whitehall has taken his belated gap year with his 77-year-old father, Michael Whitehall, and has documented the whole thing for our viewing pleasure. Join the pasty pair as they meander through Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, and partake in tuk tuk rides, elephant rides, full moon parties and the like.
Airs September 22.
