‘Catastrophe’, ‘Dear White People’, ‘Girlboss’ and Bill Nye’s New Science Project New in Streaming This Month

Aubry D'Arminio April 20, 2017, 5:00 pm

Bill Nye Saves the World
Reality, Series Premiere, Friday, April 21, Netflix
The proverbial science guy turns mythbuster in a new series where he takes on beliefs about sex, climate change and alternative medicine from an academic point of view. And because Nye can’t, obviously, do it all on his own, he’s called in some big-name reinforcements, including Zach Braff, Rachel Bloom, Tim Gunn, Wil Wheaton, Karlie Kloss (above, with Nye) and Joel McHale.

Sand Castle
Drama, Movie Premiere, Friday, April 21, Netflix
Screenwriter Chris Roessner turned his harrowing experience as a machine gunner during the second Iraqi conflict into this 2003-set war drama. X-Men’s Nicholas Hoult plays Private Matt Ocre, an inexperienced gunner who arrives on the hot and horrific scene just as his platoon is given the near-impossible task of repairing a water pump station that was damaged by the American military.

Catastrophe
Comedy, Season Premiere, Season 3, Friday, April 28, Amazon
Marrieds Sharon and Rob continue to navigate life’s rougher patches (examples: infidelity, unemployment, toddlers who bite). Prep the tissues for the season ender, which features the late Carrie Fisher (as Rob’s monstrous mom) in one of her final roles.

What's Coming and Going From Amazon in May 2017

Girlboss
Comedy, Series Premiere, Friday, April 21, Netflix
Real-life fashionista Sophia Amoruso’s 2014 memoir/self-help book loosely inspired this sitcom about a style-minded twentysomething (Britt Robertson) who turns her eBay store into a multimillion-dollar clothing empire called Nasty Gal. The costumes are half the fun. (Think The Devil Wears Prada meets Boogie Nights with a bit of Feud thrown in.) Full disclosure: Amoruso stepped down as CEO in 2015 and, shortly after Netflix picked up the show, the actual Nasty Gal filed for bankruptcy. Hmmm…perhaps this means Season 2’s plotlines are already set.

Casting JonBenét
Documentary, Movie Premiere, Friday, April 28, Netflix
This film looks at the murder of JonBenét Ramsey by interviewing girls auditioning to play her in a docudrama. Trust us, it works.

Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On
Documentary, Series Premiere, Friday, April 21, Netflix
Actress and producer Rashida Jones expands her 2016 doc into an anthology series. First up: the intersection of sex and technology.

What's Coming and Going From Hulu in May 2017

Dear White People
Comedy, Series Premiere, Friday, April 28, Netflix
Each episode of this series (based on the 2014 film) about African-American life at an Ivy League university is told from the point of view of a different character as he or she weathers discrimination (and academics) in the millennial age. Marque Richardson and Jeremy Tardy are new additions to the cast.