What to Watch on Paramount+ May 2023

1883 | Drama, western

Cable phenomenon Yellowstone is so popular that a spinoff show was inevitable—but few expected showrunner Taylor Sheridan to take it all the way back to the 19th century. Paramount+ original 1883 tracks the gritty origin story of the hard-ranchin’ Dutton family as they travel across the Great Plains to settle in Montana. Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Sam Elliott star in the 10-episode limited series, which was followed up with another Yellowstone prequel, 1932, and even more to come after that.

Ghosts | Comedy

CBS hit Ghosts runs deeper than the premise would suggest: When New Yorkers Samantha (Rose McIver) and her husband Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) inherit a rundown country estate, they set about turning it into a bed and breakfast. But when Samantha momentarily dies after an accident, she can suddenly see and hear the ghosts that inhabit the estate, a centuries-spanning group of spirits who haven’t moved on. Jay not being able to see them is only part of the comedy of Ghosts, which is also a surprisingly touching series.

Mayor of Kingstown | Drama

Right around the time Jeremy Renner was making a splash with Marvel series Hawkeye in 2021, his Paramount+ original Mayor of Kingstown also premiered. Renner’s no superhero here, but rather a scrappy crime boss nicknamed “mayor” of Kingstown, Michigan. The down-and-dirty drama takes an uneasy look at the prison system, corruption, racism, and human trafficking, but Mayor of Kingstown also has its lighter moments (like when Renner fumbles with a bow and arrow, Hawkeye’s signature weapon).

Star Trek: Picard | Drama, sci-fi

Star Trek series Picard is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, following retired Star Fleet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) quest for a new adventure in his twilight years. He finds it in a conflict between synthetic humans, Romulans, the Borg, and more, traveling the galaxy with a new, scaled-down starship crew (including Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, and Alison Pill) and encountering old friends like Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) along the way. Star Trek: Picard is essential viewing for even casual Trekkers.

• Criminal Minds
• Corporate
• Evil
• The Good Wife
• The Good Fight

• The Stand
• Star Trek: Discovery
• Twin Peaks
• Why Women Kill
• Young Sheldon

Babylon | Comedy, drama

It may have bombed in theaters, but Babylon is still an extravagant sight to behold. It’s also a long one: At slightly over three hours, it’s probably better experienced at home. Babylon follows the highs and lows of several Hollywood characters (played by Brad Pitt, Margo Robbie, Jean Smart, and dozens of others) during the golden age of cinema, beginning in 1926 with the transition from silent films to sound. If the title Everything Everywhere All at Once hadn’t already been taken, it would have fit the excessive Babylon, a hedonistic rollercoaster of sex, drugs, and snake-fighting (yes, really) that you have to see to believe.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark | Adventure, drama

No big deal, just one of the most famed and beloved movies of all time—you’ll have a hard time finding anyone who doesn’t treasure 1981 George Lucas/Stephen Spielberg classic Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Subsequent Indiana Jones sequels are also available on Paramount+ (including 1984’s underrated Temple of Doom), but Raiders of the Lost Ark remains the best and most breathtaking of the franchise over 40 years later. Star Wars’ Han Solo was cool, but Indy is Harrison Ford’s definitive role.

Queenpins | Comedy, drama

Based on a true story, 2021’s Queenpins is a suburban crime story with a twist: coupons. Bored and broke Arizona housewives Connie (Kristen Bell) and Jojo (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) hatch a seemingly innocent scheme to buy tons of goods for almost nothing using unauthorized and forged supermarket coupons. As their racket grows to millions of dollars in losses for the companies, two federal agents (Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser) become involved. Watch for a left-field cameo by singer Bebe Rexha in this already quirky comedy.

Scream | Drama, horror

Which Scream are we talking about here? The 1996 original that upended the horror genre, or the 2022 sequel Scream (a.k.a. Scream 5) set 25 years later? Doesn’t matter; Paramount+ has the entire Scream collection. The latest Scream reunites o.g. cast members Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Marley Shelton, and Roger L. Jackson for a revitalized round of winking meta-takes on slasher-flick tropes, as well as reboots and legacy franchises. Stream all five, if you dare.

• Almost Famous
• Anchorman
• Arrival
• Django Unchained
• Interstellar

• A Quiet Place
• Skyfall
• There Will Be Blood
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• World War Z

• Criminal Minds: Evolution
• From Cradle to Stage
• The Game
• Halo
• Rabbit Hole

• Star Trek: Lower Decks
• Star Trek: Prodigy
• Tooning Out the News
• Tulsa King
• Wolf Pack

• Beavis and Butt-head
• Cheers
• Clone High
• Daria
• Detroiters

• Frasier
• No Strings Attached
• Reno 911!
• Strangers with Candy
• Workaholics

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• The Equalizer
• The Fighter
• Freaks and Geeks
• The Lovely Bones

• The Machinist
• Madam Secretary
• Scorpion
• Single White Female
• The Terminal

• AFC Champions League
• Big 3 Basketball
• Inside the NFL
• The Masters
• National Women’s Soccer League

• NCAA March Madness
• NFL on CBS
• Scottish Professional Football League
• SEC on CBS
• UEFA Champions League

• America in Color
• America’s Secret Space Heroes
• Behind the Music
• Catching Killers
• Disasters at Sea

• Drinks, Crime and Prohibition
• Inside Buckingham Palace
• True Life
• UFOs Declassified
• Wasteland

• Annihilation
• BrainDead
• Extant
• Infinite
• Love and Monsters

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Into Darkness
• Star Trek: Voyager
• Time Traveling Bong
• Under the Dome

• Aeon Flux
• Bumblebee
• FBI
• Gemini Man
• Jack Reacher

• Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation
• Teen Wolf
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Tropic Thunder
• The Warriors

• Carnival of Souls
• Cujo
• Friday the 13th
• Graveyard Shift
• A House on the Bayou

• New Year’s Evil
• Paranormal Activity
• Quiet Place II
• Red Eye
• The Ring

• Blue’s Clues
• The Fairly Odd Parents
• Hey Arnold!
• iCarly
• The Loud House

• Paw Patrol
• Peppa Pig
• Rugrats
• Rumble
• SpongeBob SquarePants