Even though the end of 2021 is near, it is just the beginning for shows premiering this November. This month offers us a range of programs, from comedies to intense dramas, to keep our attention as the weather gets cooler and we find ourselves sitting on the couch in search of something new to watch.
Two docuseries releasing this month center women who, in most stories, tend to be relegated to the sidelines. “Always Jane” (November 12) portrays the everyday life of trans teen Jane Noury, and “Black and Missing” (November 23) sees Black activists Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson working to ensure Black missing persons cases receive the same resources and attention as their white counterparts.
For the first time, on November 6, Netflix is teaming up with Twitch to co-stream the premiere of “Arcane,” a new three-act animated series based on “League of Legends.” The series will give a new spin to the backstories on characters from the iconic game, starting off with a look into the lives of two sisters, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell).
There are a few new dramas out this month as well — like “Yellowjackets” (November 14), which tells the story of a teenage girls soccer team who survive a plane crash, but must deal with the secrets of that traumatic experience years later as adults. Another is the adaptation of the book “The Wheel of Time” (November 19), which takes the audience on a fantastical journey as its characters try to save humanity.
Several new comedies arrive this month, from narrative series to comedy specials that will keep us laughing for weeks. Mindy Kaling’s newest show “The Sex Lives of College Girls” (November 18) follows four college roommates as they navigate their studies and their varying social lives. Premiering the same day is Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo’s new comedy “Sort Of,” about a non-binary millennial trying to balance family and culture, along with work, and life in general. Plus, two new comedy specials will stream: “Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words” (November 4) and the all-Latina showcase “Comedy Chingonas” (November 18).
November also marks the return of some of our favorite shows. “Gentefied” (November 10) and “The Great” (November 19) are both heading into their second seasons, and Alena Smith’s “Dickinson” (November 5) is set to make its final bow.
Here are November’s premiering and returning women/nonbinary-driven and women/nonbinary-created TV projects. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
TV and Episodic Premieres
“Undercover Underage” (Docuseries) (Premieres November 2 on Discovery+)
Follows child advocate Roo Powell and her team at nonprofit organization SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse), as they work with law enforcement to help stop and identify the menacing adults who use the internet to harm children.
“Head of the Class” (Premieres November 4 on HBO Max)
“Head of the Class”
The rebooted series revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher (Isabella Gomez) who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.
“Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words” (Comedy Special) – Directed by Nadia Hallgren and Kristian Mercado; Written by Aida Rodriguez (Premieres November 4 on HBO Max)
Aida Rodriguez tackles the issues of the day, ripped straight from the headlines and from the pages of her personal life story. With her grounded and unapologetic point of view, she gets candid about being worn out from political comedy, embracing both sides of her Puerto Rican/Dominican heritage, getting back into the dating game, and more. A comedic, no-holds-barred exploration of identity and family, the special concludes with a documentary of Rodriguez’s travels to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
“Sacrifice” (Premieres November 4 on BET+)
Secrets. Scandal. Sacrifice. Daniella Hernandez (Paula Patton) is back protecting the lives of the rich and famous all while trying to put the pieces of her life back together.
“Lace” – Created by Michelle Ebony Hardy and Katrina Y. Nelson (Premieres November 4 on ALLBLK)
Lacey McCullough (Maryam Basir) is a successful and highly connected lawyer whose influence sometimes leads her down a very dark path. The prolific Los Angeles attorney often finds herself blurring the lines between right and wrong to protect her rich and powerful clientele. With the help of her trusted associates, Othello Charles (Skyh Black) and Britney Deveaux (Tanyell Waivers) — and the ever-efficient twins, Aaron (Antoine Harris) and Nora Tuft (Taylor Bynoe) — McCullough faces one of her most mysterious and perilous cases to date.
“The Club” – Created by Zeynep Günay Tan (Premieres November 5 on Netflix)
In cosmopolitan 1950s Istanbul, a mother with a troubled past works at a nightclub to reconnect with and help the rebellious daughter she couldn’t raise.
“Arcane: Act I” (Premieres November 6 on Netflix)
Set in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic “League of Legends” champions (Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell) and the power that will tear them apart.
“Attica” (Documentary) – Directed by Traci Curry and Stanley Nelson (Premieres November 6 on Showtime)
On Sept. 9, 1971, more than 1,200 inmates at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, N.Y. seized part of the maximum-security prison, took 39 guards as hostages, and demanded more humane treatment and better conditions. For four days, the world watched as news cameras covered the story from both outside and inside the prison, while negotiators and official observers negotiated with prisoners. When New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, a proponent of President Richard Nixon’s “law and order” platform, ordered the authorities to retake Attica, the resulting massacre by state police resulted in the most deadly violence Americans had inflicted on each other since the Civil War.
“Entrelazados” (Premieres November 12 on Disney+)
Allegra (Carolina Domenech) dreams of being part of the Eleven O’Clock musical theater company and becoming the star of “Freaky Friday,” a play that consecrated her grandmother years ago. Grandmother Cocó (Elena Roger) is a living legend in the world of musical comedy and has a complicated relationship with her daughter Caterina (Clara Alonso), Allegra’s mother. Allegra’s life is completely altered when she finds a mysterious bracelet in her home that sends her back to 1994, the year Caterina (Manuela Menéndez) was her age and took her first steps in Eleven O’Clock while living in the shadow of Cocó, a star at the peak of his career. By learning about her mother and grandmother’s past, Allegra will not only help heal the wounds and bring the family together, but she will also discover that while the past cannot be changed, there is a lot to learn from it.
“Always Jane” (Docuseries) (Premieres November 12 on Amazon Prime Video)
“Always Jane”: Alyson Aliano/Amazon Prime Video
Jane Noury lives with her family in rural New Jersey, and like any teenager, must balance friends, family, and school. While today’s political and social climate may not seem like the easiest time for a transgender teenager to grow up, you haven’t met her family, the Nourys. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and find irreverent humor in daily life, while Jane sets her sights on life beyond her family.
“The Shrink Next Door” (Miniseries) – Written by Georgia Pritchett (Premieres November 12 on Apple TV+)
Inspired by the true story of Marty (Will Ferrell) and the therapist who turned his life around — then took it over. When he first meets Dr. Ike (Paul Rudd), Marty just wants to get better at boundaries. Over 30 years, he’ll learn all about them — and what happens when they get crossed.
“Blade Runner: Black Lotus” (Premieres November 13 on Adult Swim)
“Blade Runner: Black Lotus” is an animated show that takes place in 2032, and is based in the same world as the highly influential sci-fi series. The story will take place in the aftermath of the “Black Out” movie, and will center around Elle (Jessica Henwick), who is a Replicant. (Collider)
“Kamikaze” – Created by Johanne Algren (Premieres November 14 on HBO Max)
The story follows the fierce and charming 18-year-old Julie (Marie Reuther) on a journey of rediscovery, after losing her parents and brother in a plane crash. Suddenly, she finds herself alone in a large mansion with expensive cars in the garage, and, in theory, everything that most people only dream of: youth, beauty, and money — lots of money — but material possessions hold no value to Julie anymore and she is forced to search for a reason to go on. She embarks on a wild and turbulent trip that takes her from her native Denmark to the far corners of the world. The series is based on the novel “Muleum” by Erlend Loe.
“Yellowjackets” – Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Premieres November 14 on Showtime)
“Yellowjackets”
Part survival epic, part psychological horror, and part coming-of-age drama, this is the story of a team of wildly talented high school girls’ soccer players who survive a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together 25 years later. What began in the wilderness is far from over. Starring Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis.
“Adele: One Night Only” (Concert Special) (Premieres November 14 on CBS)
“Adele: One Night Only” is a new primetime special welcoming back the superstar performer with an extraordinary concert performance that includes the earliest opportunity to hear her first new material in six years.
“In the Dark of the Valley” (Documentary) (Premieres November 14 on MSNBC)
A Southern California mother discovers that the Santa Susana Field Lab, the site of one of the largest nuclear accidents in U.S. history, is located only seven miles from her home. Concealed from the public eye for 20 years and never fully cleaned up, she grapples with the idea that the site may be responsible for exposing her daughter and community to cancer-causing radioactive waste.
“Lies and Deceit” (Premieres November 15 on Netflix)
A literature teacher seeks justice against a surgeon she claims date raped her, while he vehemently denies her accounts of the encounter.
“Simple as Water” (Documentary) – Directed by Megan Mylan (Premieres November 16 on HBO/HBO Max)
Epic in scope but intimate and elegant in feel, “Simple as Water” is a meditation on the elemental bonds between parent and child. A masterful look at the impact of war, separation, and displacement, the film takes audiences into Syrian families’ quests for normalcy and through the whirlwind of obstacles — to building life anew. Filmed over the course of five years in five countries including Turkey, Greece, Germany, Syria, and the U.S., director Megan Mylan’s sensitive camera reifies the universal importance of family.
“Christmas Flow” – Created by Marianne Levy, Henri Debeurme, and Victor Rodenbach; Directed by Nadège Loiseau (Premieres November 17 on Netflix)
An unlikely Christmas romance blossoms between a famous rapper and a tenacious journalist. But can they make it work despite their differences?
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” – Created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble (Premieres November 18 on HBO Max)
“The Sex Lives of College Girls”
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” follows four college roommates as they arrive at New England’s prestigious Essex College. A bundle of contradictions and hormones, these girls are equal parts lovable and infuriating as they live out their new, free lives on campus.
“Jagged” (Documentary) – Directed by Alison Klayman (Premieres November 18 on HBO/HBO Max)
“Jagged”: TIFF
1995 was the year of Alanis Morissette. Her groundbreaking album “Jagged Little Pill” delivered a rawness and emotional honesty that resonated with millions. “Jagged” explores how Alanis came to be that empowered woman so many admire, and what happens when a 21-year-old becomes a worldwide phenomenon.
“Hollington Drive” – Created and Written by Sophie Petzal; Directed by Carolina Giammetta (Premieres November 18 on Sundance Now)
“Hollington Drive” focuses on the lives of two sisters, Theresa and her older head teacher sibling Helen (Rachael Stirling). After Theresa’s 10-year-old son Ben (Fraser Holmes) asks to play in the nearby park with his cousin Eva (Amelie Bea Smith) and the children don’t return on time, Theresa goes in search. Her suspicions are heightened when she finds the children on the edge of a woodland area, and they appear to be fighting. Immediately her instincts tell her something terrible has happened. This is all too realized when later that evening a distraught neighbor, Jean (Jodie McNee), learns her 10-year-old son Alex (Hughie Hamer) has gone missing. In a plot thick with secrets, lies, twists, and turns, Theresa can’t help thinking her son knows more than he is saying. Could Ben and his cousin Eva be implicated in Alex’s disappearance?
“Comedy Chingonas” (Comedy Special) (Premieres November 18 on HBO Max)
Carmen Carrera of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will host the all-female Latina comedy showcase, featuring Gina Brillon, Jill-Michele Meleán, Monique Marvez, Carmen Lynch, Aida Rodriguez, Debi Gutierrez, Shayla Rivera, and Vanessa Gonzalez. (Variety)
“Sort Of” – Created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo (Premieres November 18 on HBO Max)
“Sort Of”
“Sort Of” follows the journey of Sabi Mehboob (Bilal Baig), a gender-fluid millennial who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore/bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family. Sabi feels like they’re in transition in every aspect of their life, from gender to love to sexuality to family to career. A coming-of-age story, “Sort Of” seeks to expose the identities and labels that are no longer applicable — to anyone.
“Anna” – Written by Francesca Manieri and Niccolò Ammaniti (Premieres November 18 on AMC+)
Based on the critically-acclaimed Italian novel, “Anna” is a dystopian story of a ravaged world destroyed by a virus which kills adults but spares children. Set amongst parched fields and mysterious forests, the crumbling hulks of shopping malls and abandoned cities pierce deserted wide-open spaces on an island reclaimed by nature and run by savage communities of survivors, most of whom are children. Anna (Giulia Dragotto) only has one guide: a book left by her mother with instructions on how to survive. But, with each passing day she discovers that the old rules no longer apply, and instead has to make up new ones as she goes along.
“The Wheel of Time” (Premieres November 19 on Amazon Prime Video)
“The Wheel of Time”
Set in an epic fantasy world, “The Wheel of Time” follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young villagers, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn: the one who will either save or destroy humanity.
“Harriet the Spy” (Premieres November 19 on Apple TV+)
“Harriet the Spy”
Outspoken and perpetually curious. That’s 11-year-old Harriet (Beanie Feldstein) in a nutshell. But if she’s going to be Harriet M. Welsch, future writer, she’ll need to know everything. And to know everything means she’ll need to spy — on everyone.
“Black and Missing” (Docuseries) – Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren, Samantha Knowles, and Yoruba Richen (Premieres November 23 on HBO/HBO Max)
This four-part series follows sisters-in-law and Black and Missing Foundation founders Derrica and Natalie Wilson as they fight an uphill battle to bring awareness to the Black missing persons cases that are marginalized by law enforcement and national media. The series, which was three years in the making, takes on new urgency given the renewed national conversation on “missing white woman syndrome.”
“Hayden & Her Family” (Documentary) – Directed by May May Tchao (Premieres November 23 on WORLD Channel)
The Currys adopt Hayden, and four other special needs children, into their home. Follow Hayden as she, her new siblings, and parents, navigate the complexity, jealousies, and joy of becoming a family.
“Cusp” (Documentary) – Directed by Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt (Premieres November 26 on Showtime)
Set in a small Texas military town and shot in verité style, “Cusp” chases three spirited teenage girls – Brittney, Aaloni, and Autumn – as they live out their fever-dream summer. The film captures intimate moments in female friendship while revealing the often traumatic experience of growing up in a culture of toxic masculinity. Though the girls’ experiences are completely unique to their upbringing, “Cusp” tells a strikingly universal coming-of-age tale that is, at turns, funny, tragic, complicated, magical, and stirring.
Returning Series
“Dickinson”
“Frayed” – Created by Sarah Kendall (HBO Max, November 4)
“Dickinson” – Created by Alena Smith (Apple TV+, November 5)
“Big Mouth” – Created by Jennifer Flackett, Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, and Mark Levin (Netflix, November 5)
“Gentefied” – Created by Linda Yvette Chávez and Marvin Lemus (Netflix, November 10)
“The Queen of Flow” (Netflix, November 17)
“Star Trek: Discovery” (Paramount+, November 18)
“The Great” (Hulu, November 19)
“Power Book II: Ghost” – Created by Courtney A. Kemp (Starz, November 21)
“Holly Hobbie” – Created by Sarah Glinski (Hulu, November 23)
“Hanna” (Amazon Prime Video, November 24)
“Saved by the Bell” – Created by Tracey Wigfield (Peacock, November 24)
“Ruthless” (BET+, November 26)
