August is coming to a close, but you can still enjoy several new shows premiering this week on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, and other streaming services, as well as cable and cable channels.
The new TV lineup is led by Season 2 of “Pachinko,” which continues the saga of a Korean-Japanese family across decades and generations. “That ’90s Show,” which ended in the summer of 1996, is also back for another season. Additionally, the new teen drama “Classified” thrusts a young Californian into a new world: Johannesburg.
Here's our guide to the best new TV shows to check out this week.
“Classified” (Prime Video)
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This coming-of-age drama follows Ella (Imani Pullum), a 15-year-old student in Oakland, California, who is arrested during a protest. She escapes jail time thanks to her well-connected stepmother, Dianne (Christine Horn), who pulls the strings. As part of the deal, Ella must leave Oakland and finish high school with her father (Sule Rimi) and Dianne in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her life is completely upended as she navigates cultural differences and the awkward social scene at her new, posh private school.
Premiering Thursday, August 22 at 12pm ET on Prime Video
Season 3 of “That 90s Show” (Netflix)
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Just two months after the end of Season 2, “That ’90s Show” returns for a third season. Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) is still at Point Place, in her grandparents’ basement, during the summer of 1996. Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) have returned from Paris to find a giant hole in the wall, but that’s not the biggest crisis Leia faces. As the summer draws to a close, Leia and her friends find new relationships forming, old ones taking on new meanings, and friendships tested. Plus, a blast from the past threatens to blow everything upside down.
Premiering Thursday, August 22 at 3 p.m. ET on Netflix
Season 2 of “Pachinko” (Apple TV Plus)
This beautiful adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel has received critical acclaim, but has failed to generate the buzz it deserves. The second season continues the story of love and survival across four generations in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English. In 1945 Tokyo, with her husband in prison, Sunja (Kim Min-ha) struggles to feed her family. As World War II rages, she decides to seek refuge and find work in the countryside. Hansu (Lee Min-ho) quietly helps his former lover so that her illegitimate son Noa can flourish. In 1989, the elderly Sunja (Youn Yuh-jung) tries to reconnect with her grandson, Solomon (Jin Ha), who is still recovering from his business failure and the death of his friend.
First airing Friday, August 23 at 12pm ET on Apple TV Plus