Oprah on HBO! And four more new TV shows we're excited to watch in April

Oprah Winfrey (right) and Rose Byrne in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. (HBO)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Oprah Winfrey stars…and you probably don’t need hear any more about this HBO movie adaptation of the book, but we’ll tell you anyway. The former Queen of Talk flexes her dramatic chops playing Deborah Lacks, the adult daughter of the woman (Henrietta) who unwittingly became the source of the first immortal cell line in the 1950s. Told through a mixture of present day and flashbacks, it also stars the amazing Rose Byrne (of Damages fame). When: Premieres Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO Canada.

The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood’s high school reading list staple is getting the prestige TV treatment, appropriately starring small screen femin-icons Elisabeth Moss (Peggy from Mad Men, who plays the title handmaid, Offred) and Alexis Bledel (Rory from Gilmore Girls, who plays the rebel Ofglen). The story about the dystopian society of Gilead — where a totalitarian regime controls reproductive rights — feels eerily on point When: Premieres Sunday, April 20 at 9 PM ET on Bravo.

The Kennedys: After Camelot Yes, yet another Kennedy-inspired drama (that’s easy to confuse with Natalie Portman’s Oscar-nominated turn as Jackie in the week after JFK’s death). Still, this particular Kennedy saga miniseries shows promise because it focuses on all the drama that came after the president, including the romance between Jackie (played by Katie Holmes) and Aristotle Onassis. Plus, Matthew Perry plays Ted Kennedy, which is a treat for those of us stuck in perpetual state of Friends withdrawal (so, all of us). When: Premieres Sunday, April 16 at 9 PM ET on Bravo.

Dear White People Based on the cultishly loved 2014 movie, the series is an insightful, uncomfortable and (see trailer) hysterical satire about a group of students of colour at a fictional American university. (Click here to read creator Justin Simien’s explanation of his title.) When: Friday April 28th on Netflix.

13 Reasons Why Further proof that some of the most impressive, intriguing entertainment is coming out of the “young adult” genre, this high school series is based on the best-selling 2007 novel. Selena Gomez executive produces and newcomer Katherine Langford plays Hannah, a 16-year-old who appears to have a pretty great life until she kills herself and leaves behind a cassette tape mystery for her friends to unravel. When: Friday March 31 on Netflix.

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