New year, plenty of new shows to fall in love with. These are five recently released TV shows available on streaming devices that WCHS students should consider adding to their watchlists.

“Abbott Elementary” 

“Abbott Elementary,” a comedy airing Tuesdays on ABC and streaming on Hulu the next day, takes place at an underfunded elementary school in Philadelphia and follows the hardworking, compassionate and hilarious teachers who work there in a mockumentary format. The show was created by and stars Quinta Brunson, who got her start producing and acting for BuzzFeed. Brunson named the show after her beloved sixth grade teacher and was inspired by her mom who worked in the Philadelphia education system.

Each character is unique and lovable in their own way: Gregory (Tyler James Williams), the substitute who finds himself getting attached to the school quicker than he expected; Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), the edgy Southside teacher who has a “guy” for everything; Ava (Janelle James), the principal who prioritizes running her TikTok account over the school; and Janine (Brunson), an optimist with a heart of gold who struggles with not being able to solve all the problems her students face.

Although the show is a comedy, it doesn’t shy away from real issues that schools face today such as the school-to-prison pipeline, teacher burnout and underfunding. “Abbott Elementary” is a must-watch series for those who love “Parks and Recreation” or anyone searching for a new comedy to look forward to watching every week.

“How I Met Your Father” 

“How I Met Your Father,” streaming Tuesdays on Hulu, is a new take on the early 2000s sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” that centers on Sophie (Hillary Duff), a hopeless romantic, as she searches for love in New York City. Taking a different approach from the original, the show opens with an older Sophie (Kim Cattrall) telling her son (who the viewer doesn’t get to see) the story of how she met his father. The reboot makes subtle references to “HIMYM” but is a different story with a more diverse main cast. 

Sophie lives with her best friend Valentina (Francia Raisa) who struggles with committing to her new British love interest Charlie (Tom Ainsley). The rest of the ensemble is made up of Sophie’s Uber driver-turned-friend Jesse (Chris Lowell), his sister Ellen (Tien Tran) who is getting over her ex-girlfriend, and Jesse’s bar owner best friend Sid (Suraj Sharma). 

The start of the series leaves room for character development and building long running jokes – which was one of the main elements that made “HIMYM” so great. “HIMYF” will need some more screen time before it’s able to get this same opportunity, but in the meantime, it is a lighthearted, funny and worthwhile watch.

“The After Party” 

The murder mystery comedy genre is currently thriving in television and “The Afterparty” (new episodes streaming Fridays on Apple TV) is a perfect execution. With a large ensemble cast of all-star comedians including Tiffany Hadish, Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer and Ike Barinholz, the show draws viewers in with a mysterious plot but keeps them entertained with hilarious writing and delivery. 

The show focuses on the shocking death of famous actor and singer Xavier (Dave Franco) during an afterparty at his mansion following his high school reunion. The detective on the case (Hadish) interviews the remaining party goers individually to gain information about Xavier’s cause of death. She tells each suspect to tell the story of the night like they are the main character in their own movie. Thus, each episode shows how one suspect perceived the reunion and the afterparty: One is a romantic comedy, one is an action packed feature, one is a musical and one is a thriller.

The re-telling of the same night from different perspectives is very entertaining to watch and will have viewers wondering who to trust the whole time.

“The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” 

If the title wasn’t a clear enough hint, “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” (Netflix, all episodes streaming now) is a humorous parody of murder mystery tropes. Anna (Kristen Bell) is a grief-stricken woman who spends her days drinking copious amounts of wine while staring out her window. One day, as the title suggests, she witnesses the murder of a woman in the house across the street – or at least she thinks she does.

While this Netflix show is a spoof and incorporates repetitive gags, it is also a well developed mystery that often feels genuinely frightening. 

“Murderville” 

A different take on the comedic murder mystery is Netflix’s “Murderville” (all episodes streaming now). The show stars Will Arnett as detective Terry Seattle, who solves a new case each episode with the help of a celebrity guest star. The catch: The guest star is not given a script and must improvise their way through the case and ultimately guess which suspect is the murderer.

The show is an adaptation of the British show “Murder in Successville” and features comedic guest stars such as Conan O’Brien, Annie Murphy and Kumail Nanjiani who hilariously bounce off ideas with Arnett on the spot. 

One of the best parts of “Murderville” is watching the actors break character and try to hide their laughter, making the show feel like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. 

Whether viewers are in the mood for a dramatic murder mystery, a lighthearted comedy, or something in between, Hollywood’s new 2022 releases have a little something for everyone.