Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Wednesday, August 18. All hours are in the East.

The best choice

Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu, 12:01 am, series premiere): Nicole Kidman is directing this Hulu drama based on the book of the same name by Liane Moriarty. She plays a mysterious Russian woman named Masha who runs a health and wellness center called Tranquillum House. The limited series follows nine strangers who arrive for a 10-day retreat, with each passing day revealing secrets about the guests, as well as their host. The stacked cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Luke Evans and Michael Shannon. Gwen Ihnat will recap the series each week, starting with the first of three episodes. (And be sure to check out Cameron Scheetz’s interviews with Cannavale, Samara Weaving, and Melvin Gregg after watching these episodes.)

Regular coverage

What if…?

(Disney +, 3:01)

Wildcards

The vanquished (Netflix, 3:01): This drama follows Max McLaughlin (Taylor Kitsch), an American cop who travels to Berlin in 1946 in search of his missing brother. There, he bonds with a German police officer (Nina Hoss), as they attempt to protect the city from post-war crimes. Michael C. Hall and Logan-Marshall Green are also on the bill. The series was initially broadcast internationally in 2020 on Canal +.

Memories of a Murder: The Nilsen Tapes (Netflix, 3:01): Michael Harte directs this true crime documentary series about famous British serial killer Dennis Nilsen, which chronicles his life and gruesome crimes via a series of spooky audio tapes recorded from his prison cell. Nilsen killed 15 people over a five-year period, picking up vulnerable men and luring them to his home before strangling them and throwing their bodies under his floor.

In the same breath (HBO, 9 p.m.): Directed by Nanfu Wang, this documentary film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It tells about the experiences of people on the ground in the early days of the novel coronavirus and how two countries handled its initial spread. From the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan to its rampage across the United States, it features emotional testimonies from medical professionals, patients and grieving family members, as well as striking images of China and the rest of the world. United States.

Season premieres

Diary of a future president (Disney +, 3:01): In the second season, Cuban-American and future leader Elena Cañero-Reed (Gina Rodriguez) enters the seventh year. Told using storytelling from excerpts from her diary, this coming-of-age family comedy follows a young Elena (Tess Romero) through college and the journey that led to her becoming president of the United States. All episodes are now streaming.

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comédie Central, 10 p.m.): Season two premieres with two new episodes, titled “Never Too Old” and “Stop! Nora Time. The half-hour comedy follows Nora Lin (Awkwafina) as she navigates life with the help of his grandmother (played by Lori Tan Chinn), his father Wally (BD Wong) and his cousin Edmund (Bowen Yang).