What's on TV this week—Candy debuts, Breeders and Hacks return

Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, May 8 to Thursday, May 12. All times are Eastern. Happy viewing. [Note: The weekend edition drops on Fridays.]

The biggies

Candy (Hulu, Monday, 12:01 a.m., series premiere)

Jessica Biel leads this true-crime drama as Candy Montgomery, a suburban housewife accused of murdering her friend, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey), in 1980 Texas. Created by Nick Antosca and Robin Veith, the five-episode Candy will release a new episode every day this week, with the finale on May 13. (Fun fact: This saga will also play out in HBO Max with the forthcoming Love And Death, which stars Elizabeth Olsen and Lily Rabe). Keep an out for our Candy review on The A.V. Club.

Co-created by Martin Freeman, Simon Blackwell, and Chris Addison, this dark comedy follows the parenting adventures of Paul (Freeman) and Ally (Daisy Haggard). The 10-episode third season will debut with two episodes, and each installment will be available to stream the next day on Hulu. Here’s an excerpt from our review:

“I’m not a bad mother; I’m a good mother at the end of her rope,” Ally says. The crushing and utterly realistic dialogue, delivered passionately by Haggard, perfectly surmises Breeders’ outlook on parenting. The comedy’s relatability is its strength, but it’s also why most people might find it difficult to get through. Still, if viewers can survive the parental nightmare there’s also joy and laughter to be found.

Jean Smart rightfully collected multiple honors during the most recent awards season for her performance as feisty comedy legend Deborah Vance in Hacks. The show returns this week for its 10-episode second season, and Deborah and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) have decamped from Las Vegas for a national tour. Which begs the question: will the road bring them closer together, or drive them farther apart? The cast includes Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Kaitlin Olson, with Laurie Metcalfe, Ming-Na Wen, Margaret Cho, and Martha Kelly joining the ensemble. Keep an eye out for The A.V. Club’s review next week.

Hidden gems

Workin’ Moms (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)

Created and led by Catherine Reitman, the Canadian comedy is about women who deal with the challenges of being—as the title suggests—working moms. The irreverant, underrated series will release all 13 episodes of season six.

Each episode of this emotional docuseries examines on a single missing persons case, and tries to determine if that person profiled was a victim of foul play. The episodes will include interviews with the loved ones who were left behind. Episode one features co-producer Tyler Perry, who delves into the disappearance of a 27-year-old Black man from Florida in 2004. Never Seen Again season one will stream in its entirety.

If watching Colin Firth in the new HBO Max series The Staircase isn’t enough Firth for you, tune into his new British World War II drama on Netflix. Operation Mincemeat and tells the real-life story of the elaborate effort to keep plans for the Allied invasion of Sicily a secret. The star-studded cast also includes Succession’s Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald, Mark Gattis, and Jason Isaacs. Look out for The A.V. Club’s review soon.

More good stuff

The Challenge: All-Stars (Paramount+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m., season three premiere)

In season three, 24 reality stars from Real World and Road Rules face over-the-top challenges in the Andes Mountains of Argentina for a $500,000 grand prize.

If you’re already missing Oscar Isaac’s British accent and his crushed-it performance in Moon Knight, Disney+ and Marvel have you covered. The latest Assembled episode goes behind-the-scenes of the drama, featuring interviews with the cast and crew about the making of season one.

This immersive hybrid competition series drops eight teenagers into the fictional world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy. The fantasy world come to life with a castle, royals, and various creatures.

Can’t miss recaps

Barry (HBO, Sunday, 10 p.m.)

Better Call Saul (AMC, Monday, 9 p.m.)

This Is Us (NBC, Tuesday, 9 p.m.)

Atlanta (FX, Thursday, 10 p.m.)

Ending soon

Call The Midwife (PBS, Sunday, 8 p.m., season 11 finale)

Winning Time (HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m., season one finale)

Naomi (The CW, Tuesday, 8 p.m., season one finale)

The Garcias (HBO Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season one finale)