An early candidate for best show of the year debuts this week

What does the term “limited series” mean to you? An ephemeral creative burst of episodes telling an open-and-closed story? A miniseries, but with a fancier name? Something to binge and leave behind? Well in Hollywood, the term means absolutely nothing. The limited series Big Little Lies begat Big Little Lies Season 2 and (possibly) Season 3, giving us big little questions of why they were doing this. The Flight Attendant took a successful first season and flew into a second with a whole new unnecessary story. And now Netflix’s Beef, a wonderful little miniseries that is cleaning up at awards shows, [is reportedly coming back for more beefing]( (with the star of today’s newsletter, Jake Gyllenhaal!). We now know nothing is ever final in TV, but I do think these shows should at least give their “limited series” awards back, and they should be redistributed to actual limited series. It’s only fair. Here’s what to watch this week. -Tim   Your Watch This Now! newsletter is created by Senior Recommendations and Reviews Editor Tim Surette and more show-obsessed editors at TV Guide!   SERIES PREMIERES TUESDAY ON HULU AND FX AT 10/9C [Shōgun is an early candidate for best show of the year]( At Shōgun's press screening in New York City, actor Hiroyuki Sanada described the upcoming period drama as a "dream East-meets-West project." It's not hard to understand why. The series, which adapts James Clavell's 1975 book of the same name, is an extensive collaboration between writers, producers, and actors from both the U.S. and Japan. Set in 1600, the story follows Lord Toranaga (Sanada) as his political rivals form an alliance to plot his demise. The arrival of shipwrecked English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) just might be Toranaga's saving grace, but the daimyo must also put his trust in noblewoman Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) as their translator. Shōgun astounds in scale and scope, as [Keith Phipps says in his glowing review]( transporting us to feudal Japan, where life or death hinges on where one's loyalties lie. Shōgun is doing something a little unusual for FX: It’s streaming on Hulu on Tuesday first, before making its linear debut on FX later that evening. -Kat Moon SERIES PREMIERES THURSDAY ON CBS AND PARAMOUNT+ AT 10/9C [Elsbeth takes the good fight to New York City]( [Premiering on Leap Day is such an Elsbeth Tascioni move. The unconventional attorney, played by Carrie Preston, is getting a The Good Wife spin-off of her very own, because TV should never have to go too long without one. (Paramount+'s The Good Fight signed off in 2022.) Like the two previous series in the franchise, Elsbeth was created by Robert and Michelle King; unlike those series, it's moving the action from Chicago to New York, where Elsbeth will be working alongside the NYPD. Expect bright costumes and a roster of top-notch guest stars — Jane Krakowski, Retta, Blair Underwood, Linda Lavin, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson are among the names who've already been announced. Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson join Preston as series regulars. -Kelly Connolly]( LIMITED SERIES PREMIERES SUNDAY ON HBO AND MAX AT 9/8C [The Regime reunites HBO with one of its greatest muses]( [If you like HBO dramas about wealthy, powerful, terrible people, you're in luck (again). The Regime, created by Succession writer Will Tracy, is a political satire set in the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to crumble over the course of a year. Kate Winslet stars as the chancellor of that fictional government, whose viciousness behind closed doors should give Winslet plenty to feast on. Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal) directs, and Matthias Schoenaerts, Martha Plimpton, Andrea Riseborough, Guillaume Gallienne, and Hugh Grant round out the cast. Sharpen your knives for this one. -Kelly Connolly]( MARCH ON OVER TO YOUR COUCH [Everything on Prime Video and Netflix in March]( It’s a good thing February was on the quiet side of things, because March is looking like one of the busiest months of TV we’ve had in some time, especially for streaming’s dueling giants. As usual, Netflix has the clear advantage in options — 3 Body Problem, The Gentlemen, Girls5eva, Damsel, and many more — but Prime Video has a beefy Jake Gyllenhaal taking on Patrick Swayze’s Road House role in a Doug Liman-directed remake of the 1989 cult classic. Even if that sounds awful to you, you’re still going to watch it. Here’s [everything coming to Netflix]( and [Prime Video]( in March. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( | [View in Browser]( [Unsubscribe]( © 2024 TV Guide, A Fandom, Inc. company. All rights reserved. TV Guide, [130 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94104, U.S.A.](#)