New Paramount+ Series Premiering This Weekend: 3 Must‑Watch Shows (May 1–3)

Published May 1, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

Derek Malcolm has been covering the worlds of tech and entertainment for more than two decades.

Before coming to How-To Geek in 2025, Derek was a contributing editor and writer for the A/V and Home Theater section at Digital Trends, where he wrangled and wrote everything from what to watch on Netflix to reviews, explainers, and guides on the latest Bluetooth speakers, turntables, projectors, and other A/V gear.

Based in Toronto, Derek graduated from Humber College's Journalism program in 1999, after which he started covering the worlds of music, movies, TV, and celebrity for publications such as TV Guide, Hello! magazine, and Inside Entertainment. He then got the bug for covering tech and gadgets in 2006, when he served as editor-in-chief of Canadian tech magazine Connected for more than a decade.

An avid skier, when all the snow's gone Derek can be found at home spinning vinyl with his daughter or cheering on his favorite F1 team, McLaren.

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Paramount+ may have abruptly cancelled its newest Star Trek spinoff, Starfleet Academy​​​​​, with little warning, but the streamer seems to be making up for it by locking down the rights to another major sci-fi space franchise that it has released in all its glory, starting May 1st. And if that wasn't enough, aside from the pending Warner Bros. merger closing, P+ has earmarked a reported $1.5 billion for new content this year, which is sure to make its formidable library even harder to sift through.

But you're likely more concerned with what you're going to watch this weekend. As we get through the awkward days between now and when Paramount+ starts trickling out its new May shows, there are still great choices, including the aforementioned epic space franchise, a dusty new season of a horse-reining reality series, and a Detroit-set dark comedy with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.

3 Battlestar Galactica

Sci-fi's gold-standard reboot finds a home on Paramount+

After several years trapped in on-again-off-again availability on various streaming platforms, Paramount+ has added another major sci-fi franchise to its roster. Following a deal with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, Battlestar Galactica, the epic 2000s reboot of Glen A. Larson's 1987 original, has settled in at Paramount+ (and Pluto TV) as of May 1. If you've never seen it, buckle up and get ready to jump.

The series opens right after humanity's cybernetic creations, the Cylons, have gone rogue, attacking the planets of the Twelve Colonies in an effort to wipe out their creators. Only 50,000 humans survive, all divided up amongst a fleet of ships forced to flee into space, endlessly jumping (their primary method of faster-than-light travel, or FLT) through space to escape the Cylons. Leading the fleet is the Galactica, an aging warship helmed by Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell, Donnie Darko), who, throughout the show's incredible four seasons, try to keep what's left of humanity alive.

The cunning Cylons, however, don't make it easy. One of the best and most nail-biting parts of the series is that the Cylons have evolved into perfect humanoids, of which there are eight models. Part of the fun of the series is the speculation and revealing of who among the show's characters are Cylons. Among the show's excellent cast are Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian) as fighter pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, James Callis as the morally compromised Gaius Baltar, and blond bombshell Tricia Helfer as the Cylon Number Six. Paramount+ will also stream the short-lived prequel series, Caprica, and the feature-length film The Plan.

Battlestar Galactica

2 The Last Cowboy

Taylor Sheridan's reality competition show

I know it's a reality competition series, but hear me out—it's from Taylor Sheridan. You know, the Yellowstone guy. Long before the Dutton Ranch seeded itself in the vernacular, Sheridan had a passion for the real world it's rooted in. The Last Cowboy, now in its sixth season, which just landed on Paramount+ on April 29, follows the high-pressure world of horse reining and the lives of the elite real-life cowboys who train and compete in Sheridan's coveted Run for a Million prize.

Apple TV 4K

So what's reining, you ask? I didn't know either, but a few episodes in and you get the gist—and you're hooked. Also, if you've watched Yellowstone, the equestrian sport is a major feature. In contrast to its European "horse ballet" cousin, dressage, reining is often described more like horse drag racing, with its explosive bursts of speed, sliding stops, and spins that are rooted in ranch activities like chasing cattle. The routines are judged on precision and technique, with the horses worth as much as high-end luxury cars. Each season of The Last Cowboy culminates in the final competition at Las Vegas' South Point Arena, where the winner takes all.

Six seasons are now available to binge. You can go back to the start and follow along, or just jump right in at season six, where past champions Jason Vanlandingham, Casey Deary, and Andrea Fappani are among the competitors. Giddyap.

1 Diarra from Detroit

The best and smartest mystery thriller you've never heard of

Landing on Paramount+ at the beginning of April, Diarra Kilpatrick's hilarious and whip-smart crime comedy is one of the best shows you've probably never watched, which is insane because it's sooo good, and had a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Dropping first on BET+ in 2024, Diarra from Detroit stars the Emmy-nominated actress, writer, and creator, Kilpatrick (American Koko), as the titular character, a schoolteacher going through a divorce and trying to get her mojo back on the dating scene.

After a successful (and steamy) rebound Tinder date with a guy named Chris (Shannon Wallace), he goes AWOL. Refusing to believe that he'd have the gall to ghost her, the unrelenting Diarra just can't let it go and goes all P.I. to find Chris, who's seemingly disappeared. It turns out that Chris may have something to do with a decades-old Detroit missing-person cold case with connections to the seedy Detroit criminal underworld.

Diarra acts as the narrator in her own story, and as she goes down the rabbit hole, she's also got her colorful support team behind her, including her best friend (her ex's cousin) Aja (Dominique Perry), her work husband Mr. Tea (Bryan Terrell Clark), and her neighbor Moni (Claudia Logan)​​​​​​. Diarra from Detroit is full of clever dialogue, surprisingly dark suspense, and some cool twists and turns. Critics loved the show, and it's already been renewed for a second season.

Diarra From Detroit

Three rabbit holes, three new obsessions. If you blow through these new Paramount+ by Sunday (that would be a feat) and want more weekend recs, How-To Geek runs companion roundups every week for Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more that should keep the queue full.

If you enjoy CBS offerings, you'll want to subscribe to Paramount+. You get access to hit shows like Star Trek and Yellowstone, as well as a variety of SHOWTIME content.