The 7 shows you’ll hear everyone talking about in September

September arrives with that “back-to-school for grown-ups” energy: fresh routines, new habits, and yes—TV we’ll be dissecting in group chats and hallway hellos.

If you’ve looked at your queue and felt a little overwhelmed (same), I’ve done the homework.

These are the seven series that will dominate conversations this month—because of the stars attached, the cultural moment they tap into, or the sheer watchability they promise.

1. Wednesday: Part 2 (Netflix) — September 3

Think of this as the season’s jump start.

Part 1 landed in August; Part 2 picks up with the kind of momentum you can feel ricocheting through social feeds.

Why the chatter? Jenna Ortega’s deadpan magnetism, a soundtrack that refuses to leave your head, and a fandom that treats theories like Olympic sport. If you’re allergic to spoilers, mute your keywords now—this is the show your co-worker will “accidentally” discuss before you’ve had your coffee.

From a storytelling lens, Part 2 is also a case study in pacing. Splitting a season into two drops keeps the attention curve high (annoying to wait, brilliant for buzz).

If you’re the type who hates cliffhangers, set aside a mid-week evening and clear the decks.

2. The Paper (Peacock) — September 4

Greg Daniels’ new workplace comedy lives in the same documentary-style universe that made The Office water-cooler canon—only now the cameras have wandered into a struggling Midwestern newsroom.

Expect the same “I shouldn’t be laughing at this” ache that great workplace comedies deliver, plus a cast built for reaction-gif glory (Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Oscar Nuñez, and more).

Here’s why it’ll trend: it taps into the very 2025 feeling of trying to do meaningful work while everything—budgets, bandwidth, the industry—shrinks around you.

As someone who spent years in corporate life, I have a soft spot for stories that find humanity in broken systems. Daniels tends to land those beats.

3. NCIS: Tony & Ziva (Paramount+) — September 4

Some reunions are engineered for headlines. This one comes pre-loaded with a decade of fan emotion.

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s will-they/won’t-they dynamic fueled seasons of Tuesday-night chatter; now they’re front-and-center in a globe-trotting spinoff that blends spycraft with parenting and unresolved feelings.

Translation: even your dad’s group text will be talking about it.

From a habits perspective, it’s a classic “appointment” show for a streaming age that rarely asks for appointments. If you’ve fallen off procedural TV, this is a compelling on-ramp.

4. Task (HBO/Max) — September 7

When the creator of Mare of Easttown drops a new limited series—and it stars Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey—you clear your schedule.

Task is a gritty, Pennsylvania-set cat-and-mouse built around an FBI task force and a string of violent robberies, with Ruffalo inhabiting the kind of haunted lead that gets awards voters leaning forward.

Early pieces and festival chatter have circled the performances and the show’s textured sense of place; think rust, regret, and real-world stakes.

This is prestige TV designed to be argued about: Is the moral math convincing? Does the ending pay off the slow burn? Cue the long brunch debates.

5. Only Murders in the Building — Season 5 (Hulu) — September 9

There’s comfort TV, and then there’s “comedy-mystery with Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short roasting each other while solving murders.”

Season 5 returns to that sweet spot between cozy and clever.

The joy of Only Murders isn’t just the whodunit mechanics; it’s the micro-pleasures—stage gags, one-liners, cameos, and the gentle ribbing of true-crime culture—that keep people recounting favorite bits the next day.

If you’re juggling time, this is a perfect “watch on release night, rewatch on the weekend” series. It rewards attention without punishing you for folding laundry.

6. The Morning Show — Season 4 (Apple TV+) — September 17

Love it or hate-watch it, this glossy media drama is built to dominate conversation.

Season 4 arrives with the usual cocktail: boardroom betrayals, newsroom ethics, and performances that dare you not to have an opinion.

The show also tends to map itself onto real-world headlines, which means your Twitter/X feed will serve a side of think-pieces with every episode drop.

From a self-development angle (yes, I’m that person), I love using The Morning Show as a mirror: how do we make decisions when values, incentives, and optics collide? You don’t have to work in media to feel those tensions.

7. Black Rabbit (Netflix) — September 18

A New York nightlife owner, a chaotic brother, escalating danger—Black Rabbit carries the moody, neon-lit promise of a September obsession.

With Jude Law and Jason Bateman co-starring (and producing), it’s the kind of limited series that inspires “have you seen it yet?” texts within 48 hours.

Expect a lean, plot-tight thriller that also gives you characters to chew on—brothers, loyalties, and that magnetic pull of the old life you swore you’d left behind.

For streamers battling subscriber fatigue, star-driven, finite stories like this are the move. They’re bingeable but not disposable.

If you’re trying to watch smarter (not just more), here’s how I’m planning my month:

• Cluster your premieres. Wednesdays are Wednesday (I mean), Thursdays lean Peacock/Paramount+ (The Paper, NCIS: Tony & Ziva), Sundays are prestige night (Task). Front-loading your week makes the Friday “catch-up” scroll more intentional. 

• Rotate subscriptions. September is stacked on Hulu, Netflix, and Apple TV+. If you’re pruning, eyeball which platform has two or more of your must-watch titles and pause the rest. Several outlets are even advising strategic rotation this month.

• Protect your attention. Big, buzzy shows invite doom-scrolling. I’ve started a tiny ritual: watch the episode, jot one line about what it made me feel, then put my phone away for ten minutes. You’ll be shocked how much more you retain.

• Claim a conversation lane. Are you the “plot mechanics” friend? The “performance” friend? The “theme dissection” friend? Pick one. It turns post-episode chatter into mini-salons instead of everyone shouting, “Wait—who is that guy again?”

Final thought

Seven shows, one month, and a lot of shared story to talk about.

Whether you’re here for top-tier comfort (Only Murders), prestige pressure cookers (Task), or glossy media melodrama (The Morning Show), September’s slate has teeth—and heart.

My advice? Choose three must-watch shows and give them your full attention. You can always circle back for the rest when the noise dies down. The goal isn’t to keep up; it’s to be moved.