By Ruth Young

May is definitely the month of the celebrity documentary, with films about Whitney Houston, Anna-Nicole Smith, Ed Sheeran and more A-listers hitting streaming services in the coming weeks. But if that’s not your bag, there’s also a ton of new content coming to our screens. Here are Friday Things’ top picks for all your streaming needs this month, including the premiere of new series Little Bird, the Netflix docuseries Queen Cleopatra, the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars and CBC’s newest series digi-ART. Read on for the full list of what we’re recommending on Apple TV+, CBC Gem, Crave, Disney+, Hayu, Netflix Canada and Prime Video in May 2023.

Apple TV+

Silo (Premieres May 5)

Set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Based on the book trilogy by Hugh Howey.

City on Fire (Premieres May 12)

Samantha Cicciaro is an NYU student who is shot in Central Park on the Fourth of July, 2003. As the crime is investigated, she’s revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Premieres May 12)

A nonfiction film about the life of beloved actor and activist Michael J. Fox. It will incorporate documentary, archival, and scripted elements.

High Desert (Premieres May 17)

An eight-episode half-hour dark comedy about a former addict in Yucca Valley, CA, who makes a new start after the death of her mother, deciding to become a private investigator.

Prehistoric Planet, Season 2 (Premieres May 22)

Traveling back 66 millions years to a time when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas and skies.

Platonic (Premieres May 24)

A 10-episode, 30-minute comedy about a pair of best friends who reconnect after a long rift.

CBC Gem

Hidden Letters (Premieres May 1)

Women in China were historically forced into oppressive marriages and forbidden to read or write by their households for thousands of years. To cope, they developed and shared a secret language among themselves called Nushu. Written in poems or songs with bamboo pens on paper-folded fans and handkerchiefs, these hidden letters bonded generations of Chinese women in a clandestine support system of sisterhood, hope and survival. Spanning between past and present, from sunken rice fields and rural villages to bustling metropolitan cities, Hidden Letters follows two millennial Chinese women who are connected by their fascination with Nushu and their desire to protect its legacy.

Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness (Premieres May 1)

Join actor, humanitarian, and documentarian Ravi Patel on a trip around the world as he investigates societal norms in search of answers to some of life's most pressing questions. Each episode finds Ravi exploring local traditions and having honest, sometimes difficult conversations with the loved ones he brings along for the ride in hopes of achieving a more fulfilling life for his family, friends, and audience. Diving into loaded topics like growing old in Mexico, overparenting in Japan, workaholism in South Korea, and immigration in Denmark, the four-part docuseries is driven by Ravi's commitment to constant learning and growth, offering an earnest look at his personal experiences with universal struggles.

Love, Leymo (Premieres May 10)

Leymo Mohammed, a young autistic Black man, narrates a visual letter to his late mother who passed away in the early days of the pandemic. In his letter, Leymo tells her about his struggles, achievements and dreams as he comes to understand the world around him and his place in it. Love, Leymo was written by Leymo Mohammed, an AccessCBC short documentary program participant, and produced by Mohammed and Amita Zamaana.

Animal Control (Premieres May 12)

As a former cop whose effort to expose corruption led to his firing from the force, Frank (Joel McHale, Community) now leads the charge as an Animal Control officer with a cynical and curmudgeonly outlook. While he may be a bit rough towards humans, Frank does know animals. Joining him for the fun is new partner Fred “Shred” Taylor (Michael Rowland), Emily Price (Vella Lovell), Amit Patel (Ravi Patel), Victoria Sands (Grace Palmer), Dr. Summers (Alvina August), Dolores Stubb (Kelli Ogmundson), and Templeton Dudge (Gerry Dee).

Colin & Justin’s Hotel from Hell (Premieres May 26)

In the riskiest and most ambitious venture of their lives, Scottish interior designers Colin and Justin have bought a run-down hotel clinging to the edge of the Atlantic in Nova Scotia. In this series, we follow the boys as they attempt to transform the tired decor and turn the old-fashioned hotel into a high-end boutique destination in time for a big reopening event. Each episode is packed with daily problem solving and big decisions – about everything from hiring staff to choosing menus - in addition to visiting local suppliers and showcasing intriguing transformations and addictive reveals. But alongside that runs another layer. With beautiful landscapes cut against the reality of a town down on its luck, the series is a mirror to small town living, the strength of community and a charismatic couple following their dream.

digi-ART (Premieres May 29)

Hosted by Taelor Lewis-Joseph, digi-ART looks to the horizon to see what’s possible with tech and art - charting a course led by creatives and innovators towards new worlds and ways of creating. The timely docuseries is a spirited exploration of the tech innovations that are helping artists digitize, disrupt, and reimagine their creative visions.

Crave Canada

The Office, Complete Series (Premieres May 1)

This US adaptation, set at a paper company in Scranton, Pa., has a similar documentary style to that of the Ricky Gervais-led British original. It features the staff of Dunder-Mifflin, a staff that includes characters based on characters from the British show (and, quite possibly, people you work with in your office).

White House Plumbers (Premieres May 1)

"White House Plumbers" goes behind-the-scenes of the Watergate scandal as Nixon's political saboteurs, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, accidentally topple the presidency they were zealously trying to protect. Chronicling actions on the ground, this satirical drama begins in 1971 when the White House hires Hunt and Liddy, formerly of the CIA and FBI, respectively, to investigate the Pentagon Papers leak. After failing upward, the unlikely pair lands on the committee to reelect the president, plotting several unbelievable covert ops, including bugging the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex.

The Other Two, Season 3 (Premieres May 4)

After comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams, who is now a full adult, and their talk-show host mother, who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary are finally standing on their own two feet,fully “successful” in their own right! And yet, they somehow find themselves comparing themselves to new people, once again.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, Season 8 (Premieres May 12)

The show documents RuPaul inviting past queens that proved themselves to have had the most successful careers once leaving the original show. Like the original show, RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week.

Sisters (Premieres May 17)

The six-part series explores how the absence of parents can influence adult life in unforeseen ways, and how that void can affect a woman’s relationship to alcohol, men, work, and motherhood (or lack thereof). Sisters follows Canadian Sarah (Goldberg) and Irish Suze (Stanley), two strangers who find their lives suddenly intertwined with the discovery that they are half-sisters. Determined to connect with their estranged alcoholic birth father, the two embark on a road trip through Ireland to track him down.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Premieres May 19)

A joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical super stardom.

Love to Love You, Donna Summer (Premieres May 20)

An official selection of Hot Docs, HBO’s Love to Love You, Donna Summer is an in-depth look at the iconic artist as she creates music that takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany, to the glitter and bright lights of dance clubs in New York, to worldwide acclaim, with her voice and artistry becoming the defining soundtrack of an era. A deeply personal portrait of Summer on and off the stage, the film features a wealth of photographs and never-before-seen home video footage, often shot by Summer herself. The documentary provides a rich window into the surprising range of her artistry, from songwriting to painting, while exploring the highs and lows of a life lived on the global stage.

Little Bird (Premieres May 26)

Bezhig Little Bird was adopted into a Jewish family at the age of five, being stripped of her identity and becoming Esther Rosenblum. Now in her 20s, Bezhig longs for the family she lost and to fill in the missing pieces. Her quest lands her in the Canadian prairies where she discovers that she was one of the generation of children forcibly apprehended by the Canadian government through a policy, later coined the 60s Scoop.

Run the World, Season 2 (Premieres May 26)

The series chronicles the euphoric highs and heartbreaking lows that Whitney (Amber Stevens West, 22 Jump Street), Renee (Bresha Webb, MARLON), and Sondi (Corbin Reid, VALOR) must endure in their pursuit of world domination. Whitney must follow the road of self-discovery in order to thrive in her life with or without her fiancé, Ola, while Renee and Sondi must decide what they truly want out of life – both in love and their careers. Whether they reunite with a past love, taste the life of a millionaire, or see their career take off in a radical new direction, these powerful Black women, fortified by their impenetrable friendship, won’t let anything get in their way.

Dark Side of the Ring, Season 4 (Premieres May 30)

Produced in partnership with VICE studios, and narrated by wrestling legend Chris Jericho, Season 4 offers an inside look into the stories of the emotional rollercoaster, of one of wrestling’s most captivating and controversial couples, Chris Candido and Tammy “Sunny” Sytch; the car accident that derailed the career of future World Champion Magnum T.A.; wrestling’s most unhinged monster, Abdullah the Butcher; a focused look on the troubled life of Marty Jannetty; Shawn Michaels’ former tag team partner; and much more.

Disney+ Canada

Ed Sheeran: The Sum of it All (Premieres May 3)

For the first time, global superstar Ed Sheeran opens the doors to a definitive and searingly honest view into his private life as he explores the universal themes that inspire his music. This series follows Ed after he learns of life-changing news and reveals his hardships and triumphs during the most challenging period of his life. Blending exclusive, never-before-seen personal archive, present-day actuality, authentic interviews with his wife and loved ones, and intimate performances in cinematic locations, the series widens the lens to unearth what Sheeran thinks of the world, of himself and his music, as well as showcases a decade of hits enjoyed by subscribers around the world.

Psy Summer Swag 2022 (Premieres May 4)

Korean pop artist Psy’s concert from 2022, which includes performances of his iconic hits “Gangnam Style” and “That That”.

Planners, Season 1 (Premieres May 5)

The ongoing battles and negotiations between real ordinary people, developers and planners over changes to England’s green and pleasant land.

Three Ways (Premieres May 5)

Awkward Stacey Johnson decides to take control of her life, cancel her ex, and conquer her fears by having a threesome with her new beau and a mysterious woman she’s never met.

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Premieres May 5)

In season two of Taste the Nation, award-winning cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes viewers on a culinary adventure across American soil, exploring the rich and diverse communities who have so heavily shaped what American food is today. Over borscht, cornbread, pasteles and more, Padma uncovers the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history — ultimately uncovering stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Premieres May 17)

Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

American Born Chinese (Premieres May 24)

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang, an average teenager juggling his high school social life with his home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of the school year, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

The Clearing (Premieres May 24)

The Clearing is an eight-part psychological thriller based on the best-selling crime thriller ‘In The Clearing’ by author J.P. Pomare, inspired by the darkness of real-life cults in Australia and around the world.  This series is an emotional and psychological thriller that follows the nightmares of a cult and a woman who’s forced to face the demons from her past in order to stop the kidnapping and coercion of innocent children in the future.

The Kardashians, Season 3 (Premieres May 25)

The cameras return as Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie invite viewers back into their lives as they navigate motherhood, coparenting, and building their own empires. Their bond will be tested and tensions arise, but as a family they will stand together through the storm.

Hayu Canada

The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Season 15 (Premieres May 7)

The Real Housewives of Atlanta returns for season 15 with housewives Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Shereé Whitfield, Drew Sidora, Marlo Hampton, and Sanya Richards-Ross back for more. Monyetta Shaw-Carter and Courtney Rhodes join this season as friends.

Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard (Premieres May 7)

For more than 100 years, Black vacationers have flocked to Martha’s Vineyard, an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and one of the first beach destinations where African Americans could vacation and purchase property. Known for its natural beauty with pristine beaches, romantic sailboats, colourful gingerbread cottages, and cultural identity, this summertime sanctuary has become a favourite escape for the rich, famous, and politically connected. This brand-new show follows a group of 12 friends as they enjoy their island getaway. With beach parties, decadent dinners, and summer hookups, both fun and drama are in store for these young Black professionals and entrepreneurs.

Ballroom Dancing Queens (Premieres May 9)

This brand new series follows Colette Marotto, Donie Burch, Gaëlle Benchetrit, Leonie Biggs, Pooja Mehta and Sabrina Strasser as they invest their time and money into their all consuming passion to vie for the top spots, respect and recognition in the world of Pro-Am dance competitions. Pro-Am combines amateur dancers competing with professional partners. These highly skilled amateur dancers spend tens of thousands of dollars on their hair, makeup and outfits, plus the expenses for their professional partners to practice, travel and compete.

Netflix Canada

Love Village (Premieres May 2)

Singles 35 and over of various backgrounds relocate to a house in the countryside for another chance at love. Will they find "the one" — or leave alone?

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Premieres May 4)

Young Queen Charlotte's marriage to King George of England sparks an epic love story and transforms high society in this "Bridgerton" universe prequel.

Hannah Gadsby: Something Special (Premieres May 9)

Emmy and Peabody Award winning comedian Hannah Gadsby is back for their third Netflix comedy special, Something Special, and it's a feel good show. Seriously. In this smart and dare we say...feel good set, the comedian talks about a wedding (theirs!), more than one traumatic encounter with a bunny and much more.

Dance Brothers (Premieres May 10)

Two brothers trying to make it as dancers open their own club, but their artistic drive soon clashes with the business, threatening their relationship.

Queen Cleopatra (Premieres May 10)

From Executive Producer Jada Pinkett Smith comes a documentary series exploring the lives of prominent and iconic African Queens. This season will feature Queen Cleopatra, the world’s most famous, powerful, and misunderstood woman -- a daring queen whose beauty and romances came to overshadow her real asset: her intellect. Cleopatra’s heritage has been the subject of much academic debate, which has often been ignored by Hollywood. Now our series re-assesses this fascinating part of her story.

Queer Eye, Season 7 (Premieres May 12)

Join the party with the Fab Five in the city of New Orleans for a new season of inspirational heroes — and beautiful before-and-afters.

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me (Premieres May 16)

From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.

McGregor Forever (Premieres May 17)

Conor McGregor embarks on the most important year of his career, fighting three times and trying to climb back to the top of the UFC ladder. This series will be an all-access look at this polarizing superstar, along with the deeper history of what brought him to this point.

Working: What We Do All Day (Premieres May 17)

What brings you joy in work? What gives you purpose? What makes a good job…good? These are the questions at the center of Working: What We Do All Day, a compelling documentary series that explores the ways in which we find meaning in our work and how our experiences and struggles connect us on a human level. Narrated by President Barack Obama, who makes appearances alongside everyday people in their homes and places of work, the series follows individuals at all levels of the workforce — from service jobs all the way up to the C-suite — across the industries of home care, tech, and hospitality.

Muted (Premieres May 19)

Sergio hasn't spoken since he murdered his parents six years ago. Now, a psychiatrist aims to uncover what happened through a twisted investigation.

Selling Sunset, Season 6 (Premieres May 19)

The stakes and stilettos are as high as they’ve ever been at the brokerage, as longtime agents make big changes and two new team members bring the heat.

MerPeople (Premieres May 23)

MerPeople dives into the fascinating world of underwater performers who have turned their love for the mystical sea creatures into real-world careers. From putting on dazzling small-town shows in Florida to the crowning of the King and Queen of the Seas in the Bahamas, this series will take you on a journey of passion and perseverance. Get ready to set sail on an unforgettable voyage and immerse yourself in a world where fantasy becomes reality.

Victim/Suspect (Premieres May 23)

When a journalist digs into a case of a woman charged with falsely reporting a rape, a pattern emerges: authorities turning the tables on victims.

Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer (Premieres May 23)

Legendary comedian, actress and producer Wanda Sykes returns for her second hour-long Netflix comedy special. From the challenges of raising Gen Z teens to the dilemmas of being a liberal in a hyper charged political climate, Sykes, renowned for her social commentary, delivers her insightful and ferocious wit and candor audiences have come to know and love.

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Season 3 (Premieres May 30)

The critically acclaimed and hilariously absurdist comedy series, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson returns for a third season. Creators and writers Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin bring their distinct comedy style and observational humor to the forefront, continuing to poke fun at life's most bizarre and mundane situations.

Prime Video

Triangle of Sadness (Premieres May 5)

In this satirical black comedy, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.

Moonage Daydream (Premieres May 10)

Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Brett Morgen’s (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Cobain: Montage of Heck, Jane) feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores David Bowie’s creative, musical and spiritual journey. The film is guided by David Bowie’s own narration and is the first officially sanctioned film on the artist.

Zarna Garg: One in a Billion (Premieres May 16)

From escaping an arranged marriage in India at 15 to dominating the NYC stand-up comedy scene, Zarna Garg has pulled off the impossible. She is one in a billion, an Indian immigrant mom stand-up comedian who believes brown women everywhere have a right to laugh at anything and anyone they want–including the sacred cows: brown men and their mothers. This nearly one-hour special features the fierce Zarna Garg in action, and you don’t want to miss it.

Modern Love Chennai (Premieres May 17)

Bollywood-hit series Modern Love is premiering their all-new Amazon Original show. The series will continue telling the stories of love and life, celebrating diversity and unique lived experiences in Chennai.

The Whale (Premieres May 19)

In a town in Idaho, Charlie, (Brendan Fraser) a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter.

The Gryphon (Premieres May 26)

Based on the cult fantasy novel by Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein The Gryphon is a true classic. This epic six-part series premieres on May 26. Follow the lives of three outsiders, Mark (Jeremias Meyer), Memo (Zoran Pingel) and Becky (Lea Drinda) as they take discover the fantastic world of Der Schwarzen Turm in Krefelden in 1994. In this, the griffin, a world-devouring monster, leads a reign of terror and mercilessly subjugates all living beings. It's only when Mark's brother Thomas (Theo Trebs) is kidnapped that the friends must set off into the world of the Black Tower and grow up faster than they could ever have imagined.

Women Talking (Premieres May 28)

Women Talking tells the story of a group of women from an isolated religious community who grapple with reconciling their reality and their faith.

Rodeo (Premieres May 30)

Julia, played by Julie Ledru, is a young misfit who is passionate about riding, meets a crew of dirt riders who fly along at full speed and perform stunts. She sets about infiltrating their male-dominated world, but an accident jeopardizes her ability to fit in.