Audio Video News

So much to watch, so little time. HBO has announced its lineup for April, an eclectic mix of TV series with a movie, a couple documentaries, and a newsmagazine series thrown in for good measure. All of the releases are digital downloads except for My Brilliant Friend and Icebox, which are being released on DVD. Guess someone thinks DVD is good enough for those titles — at least for now.

April 1: Crashing, Season 3
Crashing’s third and final season finds Pete reinvigorated — and no longer crashing on people’s couches — as he reenters the NYC stand-up comedy world following his college tour. But even though he’s improved, that doesn’t mean he’s at the head of the pack. As Pete edges closer to success one stand-up set at a time, he continues to navigate his faith, dating and the ever-changing comedy scene. Eight episodes. More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 85%

April 2: My Brilliant Friend (DVD)
When the most important friend in her life seems to have disappeared without a trace, Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman immersed in a house full of books, turns on her computer and starts writing the story of their friendship. Set in a dangerous and fascinating Naples, their story goes on to cover more than 60 years of their lives as she tries to describe the mystery of Lila, Elena’s brilliant friend and — in a way — both her best friend and her worst enemy. Eight episodes. More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

April 8: Student Athlete
From high-school recruiting to post-graduation, the usefulness of athletes is tied to their ability to produce revenue. Once they can no longer do that, their participation in sport ends — often abruptly — with virtually nothing to show for their contributions. Student Athlete unveils the exploitative world of high-revenue college sports through the stories of four young men at different stages of their athletic careers, as well as a coach-turned-advocate and a whistle-blowing shoe rep who exposes the money trail. Documentary. More on HBO.com.

April 15: Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas, Season 2
Covering a wide range of social and cultural issues, this season focuses on education in America, investigating teacher pay, student mental health, the school-to-prison pipeline and other pressing topics. Cenac visits West Virginia, Oregon, California, Minnesota and other areas around the country to learn how communities navigate issues facing public education. While education serves as the season’s primary focus, the show addresses other issues, including the unionization of fast-food workers and the potential dangers of facial recognition software, as well as comedic solutions to lighter topics, such as how to get more steps in at the office or how to teach kids practical skills, like filing taxes. 10 episodes. More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

April 15: High Maintenance, Season 3
This season profiles everyday people whose stories of success, failure, love and loss intersect across New York, while delving deeper into personal life of The Guy, who is spending less time on his iconic bicycle and more time in “Steve RV,” a set of wheels gifted to him last season. Featuring an intricate web of memorable returning characters and unforgettable new faces, the new episodes find New Yorkers exploring their relationship with the city, touching on such themes as death, parenthood, sexuality, fantasy, aging, and more. 9 episodes. More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 83%

April 15: Vice, Season 6
As Trump's America continues to dominate headlines, Vice continues its commitment to covering under-covered global stories with exclusive reports from Iraq, Russia, the Central African Republic, and China. Season six also focuses on the domestic issues dividing the nation, providing in-depth, trusted reporting on the major debates surrounding gun laws, immigration, economics, education, civil rights and America's place in the world. Newsmagazine series. More on HBO.com.

April 16: Icebox (DVD)
Written and directed by Daniel Sawka, Icebox tells the story of Óscar, played by Anthony Gonzalez (“Coco”), a 12-year-old Honduran boy who is forced to flee his home and seek asylum in the United States. As Óscar attempts to reach his uncle, Manuel, in Arizona, he is apprehended by Border Patrol and placed in “the icebox.” Faced with a seemingly impenetrable immigration system, Óscar struggles to navigate a path to freedom, with a journalist and his uncle, himself a recent immigrant, as his only lifelines. Movie (drama). More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 76%

April 29: Leaving Neverland
The two-part documentary Leaving Neverland explores the separate but parallel experiences of two young boys, James “Jimmy” Safechuck, at age ten, and Wade Robson, at age seven, both of whom were befriended by Michael Jackson. They and their families were invited into his wondrous world, entranced by the singer’s fairy-tale existence as his career reached its peak. Through gut-wrenching interviews with Safechuck, now 37, and Robson, now 41, as well as their mothers, wives and siblings, Leaving Neverland crafts a portrait of sustained abuse, exploring the complicated feelings that led both men to confront their experiences after both had a young son of their own. Documentary. More on HBO.com. Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 61%

April 29: Outside the Bubble: On the Road with Alexandra Pelosi
Intent on escaping her coastal bubble, Alexandra Pelosi (HBO’s Emmy-winning Journeys with George) sets out on a cross-country trip to engage in conversations with fellow Americans in an effort to gain an unfiltered understanding of other perspectives. Documentary. In case you’re wondering, yes, Nancy is the daughter of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. More on HBO.com.

April 29: Strike Back, Season 6
When a Russian bomber crashes in the South China Sea, the covert special-ops soldiers of Section 20 — Thomas “Mac” McAllister (Warren Brown), Samuel Wyatt (Daniel MacPherson), and Gracie Novin (Alin Sumarwata) — are sent to investigate. There, they cross paths with Katrina Zarkova (Yasemin Allen), a rogue Russian operative with questionable loyalties. Under orders of the new commanding officer, Col. Alexander Coltrane (Jamie Bamber), Section 20 pursues stolen contents of the Russian jet across Southeast Asia. They work alongside the Malaysian police to shut down a Triad gang in Kuala Lumpur, uncover a corrupt plot by a wealthy Indian businesswoman running for Parliament and plunge into the jungles of the Golden Triangle in Myanmar, facing off against mercenary drug agents and terrifying warlords as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens to push the world to the brink of global conflict. 10 episodes. More on imdb.com and cinemax.com.