The 51 Most Anticipated TV Shows of the Summer

Planning to spend this summer at home? Don’t worry: There’s more than enough TV to keep you busy through Labor Day. In fact, it might be too much TV for one person to keep track of, so we’ve compiled a guide to help you sort through all the new shows, as well as returning favorites, that are slated to drop soon. (Yes, Stranger Things is finally back.)

Whether you’re looking to have elevenses in Middle-earth or go shopping with the newest Housewives in Dubai, it’s safe to say that there’s something here for every television fan. Here, the 51 TV shows we’re most excited to watch this summer.

Stranger Things, Season 4 Vols. 1 & 2

May 27 (vol. 1) and July 1 (vol. 2) on Netflix

The Hawkins kids have won their battle with puberty, but have yet to win the war against Vecna, a terrifying new demon—fittingly named after a Dungeons and Dragons character. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is their only hope of defeating the creature in this two-part season. The only problem is, she’s lost her powers.

Shoresy

May 27 on Hulu

Is Ted Lasso a little too saccharine for you? Check out this foul-mouthed spinoff of the Canadian comedy Letterkenny, in which fan-favorite Shoresy (Jared Keeso) joins a senior AAA hockey team with the goal of never losing again. Good luck, eh?

Obi-Wan Kenobi

May 27 on Disney+

The force is strong with this miniseries that takes place a decade after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Ewan McGregor, who returns as the show’s titular Jedi, is joined by Hayden Christensen, who gets another crack at playing Anakin Skywalker now that he’s gone full Darth Vader.

Pistol

May 31 on Hulu

The six-episode limited series from FX and Trainspotting’s Danny Boyle, which will air only on Hulu, looks at how the Sex Pistols revolutionized punk rock by becoming a band of saboteurs. Toby Wallace, Dylan John Llewellyn, and Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams star in this charmingly chaotic docudrama.

The Real Housewives of Dubai

June 1 on Bravo

The Real Housewives franchise is officially going international. This upcoming season takes place in the ultra-rich United Arab Emirates city known for being a “billionaire’s playground.” Expect glitz, glamor, and all the drama money can buy.

​​This Is Going To Hurt

June 2 on AMC+

The voice of Paddington Bear himself, Ben Whishaw, stars as a stressed-out delivery room doctor in this British medical dramedy. It’s based on creator Dr. Adam Kay’s memoir of the same name, which examines the highs and lows of being an OB-GYN.

P-Valley, Season 2

June 3 on Starz

The COVID-19 lockdown has been lifted in Mississippi, and The Pynk strip club is ready to reopen with a few new girls who are stirring up some drama at the poles. Don’t worry, P-Valley favorites Autumn Night (Elarica Johnson), ​​Miss Mississippi (Shannon Thornton), and Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) are all back to keep these new recruits in line.

Physical, Season 2

June 3 on Apple TV+

Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) is ready to make you sweat. After launching her first workout video in season 1 of this very dark comedy, she’s determined to build her fitness empire, which means she’s more than willing to tear down anyone who gets in her way. That includes rival gym instructor Vincent Green, played by White Lotus’ Murray Bartlett.

The Boys, Season 3

June 3 on Amazon Prime Video

After the horrific events of season 2, during which Homelander (Antony Starr) lost his love and his son, the self-obsessed superhero is looking to rehab his image—but has he just lost his mind? And does it even matter if Butcher (Karl Urban), now cooperating with the government, is looking to blow his brains out?

Irma Vep

June 6 on HBO Max

Alicia Vikander stars in Olivier Assayas’ television adaptation of his 1996 film of the same name, which centers on a disillusioned movie star who travels to Paris to shoot a new film about a female crook. She soon finds herself unsure where that character ends and she begins.

Ms. Marvel

June 8 on Disney+

The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe looks bright thanks to Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. The Pakistani teen from New Jersey—who’s also a Captain Marvel super fan (played by newcomer Iman Vellani)—mysteriously gains shapeshifting powers of her own, which definitely doesn’t make it easier for her to fit in at high school.

Queer As Folk

June 9 on Peacock

Stephen Dunn—who’s the creator, executive producer, writer, and director of Queer as Folk, a reboot of the British drama of the same name—promises it will be unapologetically queer. To do this, he’s set the show in New Orleans, a city known for its unique queer culture, and has written characters that highlight all the colors of the LGBTQ+ rainbow.

Peaky Blinders Season 6

June 10 on Netflix

In the final season of the British crime-drama Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy’s gangster-turned-Parliament member Thomas “Tommy” Shelby seems destined to go out in a blaze of glory. That is, of course, if his many, many enemies don’t kill him first.

Evil, Season 3

June 10 on Paramount+

The supernatural procedural starring Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi is back with another batch of often hilariously unsettling mysteries that include an overflowing blood toilet, creepy red rooms, and forked-tongue kisses. Be afraid, be very afraid.

For All Mankind, Season 3

June 10 on Apple TV+

The moon is so yesterday in the time-jumping new season of the sci-fi series For All Mankind, which imagines an alternate history in which the Russians, not the Americans, landed on the moon first. It’s now the ‘90s and NASA is looking to conquer a new space race: the first mission to Mars. The agency appears more than willing to do so at the expense of their astronauts.

Dark Winds

June 12 on AMC

Two Navajo police officers, Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Deputy Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), investigate a string of strange crimes in the 1970s Southwest that force them to reconsider the spiritual beliefs and traumas of their past.

Becoming Elizabeth

June 12 on Starz

Fans of The Crown can keep up with another Queen Elizabeth in this historical series about how Elizabeth I evolved from the orphaned teenager of Henry VIII to one of England’s greatest monarchs.

30 For 30: Dream On

June 15 on ESPN

This sports documentary takes a look at the USA Women’s Basketball Team, better known as “the Women’s Dream Team,” whose gold medal win at the 1996 Summer Olympics led to the creation of the WNBA.

God’s Favorite Idiot

June 15 on Netflix

Sweet IT guy Clark (Ben Falcone) might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but that doesn’t stop God from choosing him to help him save the world in this silly workplace comedy, which also stars Falcone’s wife and creative partner Melissa McCarthy.

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend

June 15 on Netflix

Hungry for battle? The legendary cooking competition is back with hosts Alton Brown and Top Chef’s Kristen Kish, and it promises to be a culinary fight for the ages led by famous chefs including Curtis Stone, Dominique Crenn, and Marcus Samuelsson.

Love, Victor, Season 3

June 15 on Hulu and Disney+

The third and final season of the Love, Simon spinoff will not only reveal who Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino) picked in last season’s cliffhanger to be his new boyfriend, but what that choice means for him moving forward.

Rutherford Falls, Season 2

June 16 on Peacock

Lifelong besties Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms), a descendent of the white founder of Rutherford Falls, and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), a member of the neighboring Minishonka Nation, are still working to understand their respective ancestries in this heartwarming comedy created by Navajo and American showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas.

The Old Man

June 16 on FX

Jeff Bridges, now 72, is the old man in this revenge thriller about a former CIA agent who, for decades, has been living off the grid so that his past won’t catch up with him. When it finally does, viewers might wonder if he’s the hero or the villain of this series based on the 2017 novel of the same name.

Home, Season 2

June 17 on Apple TV+

Pause your Zillow scrolling for just a minute to watch this elevated design show produced by A24. It offers an inside look at some of the most architecturally unique homes around the world.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

June 17 on Amazon Prime Video

Belly (Lola Tung) is not a girl, but not yet a woman in this adaptation of Jenny Han’s first YA romance trilogy. A blossoming teen is caught in a love triangle between two brothers in a show that’s sure to be as charming as To All the Boys I Loved Before.

The Umbrella Academy, Season 3

June 22 on Netflix

Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min) is back, and his adopted superhero siblings are shocked to see him embracing his powers. This season of The Umbrella Academy takes place in an alternate dimension where Ben is very much alive and training a mysterious group of superbeings known as the Sparrows. It’s safe to say that this season will have a lot of explaining to do.

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club

June 23 on Peacock

The second season of this Real Housewives spinoff stars the “ex-wives”–women who are no longer with the franchise, such as Phaedra Parks, Vicki Gunvalson, and Brandi Glanville. For one week, the eight women vacation together at former RHONY star Dorinda Medley’s Bluestone Manor for the most toxic kind of R&R.

The Bear

June 23 on Hulu

Young chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (​​Jeremy Allen White) is forced to leave the fine dining world behind to run his family’s beloved Chicago sandwich shop after the loss of someone close to him. The restaurant comedy also stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, and Abby Elliott.

Loot

June 24 on Apple TV+

Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph) is an eccentric billionaire who seems to have it all, including a gigayacht. But after learning that her husband of 20 years has been cheating on her, she has a meltdown that forces her to start thinking of someone besides herself. The workplace comedy also stars Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Ron Funches, Nat Faxon, and Joel Kim Booster.

Westworld, Season 4

June 26 on HBO

The stylish and mind-boggling sci-fi series returns with a few familiar characters who appeared to have died last season. That includes fan-favorite OG host Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), now a redhead. What’s become clear is that no one’s ever really dead in Westworld. What’s less clear is who is actually alive in this simulated world.

Only Murders in the Building, Season 2

June 28 on Hulu

After being arrested for the brutal stabbing of their landlord, amateur true-crime podcasters Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are determined to clear their names, find the real murderer in the building, and out-perform a rival podcast (of which they’re the main subject).

The Terminal List

July 1 on Amazon Prime Video

Looking for a new TV show to fill that Jack Ryan–sized hole in your heart? Watch this action thriller starring Chris Pratt as a Navy SEAL who becomes the lone survivor of a covert mission gone wrong. What he soon realizes is that his team wasn’t ambushed: they were set up by the same entity that’s now out to kill him.

The Green Planet

July 6 on PBS

This five-part documentary series narrated by David Attenborough takes a closer look at how the flora and fauna of planet Earth live their lives. It’s a must-see for all the plant moms and dads out there.

Maggie

July 6 on Hulu

What is dating like for a psychic? Well, it’s complicated, as this rom-com–which stars Rebecca Rittenhouse as a woman who can see the future–shows.

The Big D

July 7 on TBS

Twelve recent divorcées head to Costa Rica in hopes of finding love again in this reality show hosted by The Bachelorette’s recently married JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers. The twist is, they have to do it while living with their ex.

Black Bird

July 8 on Apple TV+

On the brink of serving a 10-year prison sentence, Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is offered an unusual deal. If he gets suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) to confess to his crimes, he can walk free. The suspenseful series is based on Keene’s 2011 memoir In With the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption.

Boo, Bitch

July 8 on Netflix

To All The Boys I Loved Before star Lana Condor plays a high school senior who wakes up one morning to find out she’s a ghost in this teen comedy.

Better Call Saul, Season 6

July 11 on AMC

The Breaking Bad spinoff says goodbye with its final batch of episodes, which might make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about its predecessor.

The Bachelorette, Season 19

July 11 on ABC

For the first time, Bachelor Nation is featuring two leads all season long: Gabby Windey, a 31-year-old ICU nurse, and Rachel Recchia, a 26-year-old pilot. Both women, who competed for Clayton Echard’s heart on the very dramatic 26th season of The Bachelor, will choose among the same pool of suitors—who are hopefully there for the right reasons.

What We Do In the Shadows, Season 4

July 12 on FX

The ancient bloodsuckers in this vampire mockumentary series are finally leaving their Staten Island homes for a well-deserved vacation. Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is headed to the Supreme Vampiric Council in London, while Nandor (Kayvan Novak) has embarked on a solo Eat, Pray, Love-like journey to find himself.

Everything’s Trash

July 13 on Freeform

Phoebe Robinson plays a 30-something podcaster trying to clean up her messy life in the small screen adaptation of her hilarious 2018 essay collection Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay.

American Horror Stories, Installment 2

July 21 on Hulu

The FX anthology spin-off of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story is here to fuel your summertime nightmares with more blood, guts, and murder houses.

Uncoupled

July 29 on Netflix

After breaking up with his husband of 17 years, Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) must learn how to be single in New York City. Turns out, it’s more fun than he thought in this queer rom-com co-created by Darren Star (Emily in Paris, Sex and the City).

Reservation Dogs, Season 2

Aug. 3 on Hulu

These enterprising Indigenous teens (played by newcomers Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor) are still plotting a crime spree big enough to bankroll their escape from rural Oklahoma. Expect bigger stakes and even bigger laughs in the new season of this critically acclaimed FX series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi.

This Fool

Aug. 12 on Hulu

Standup comedian Chris Estrada used his own life as inspiration for this comedy in which he also stars as Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old who still lives at home and works for a gang rehabilitation program called Hugs Not Thugs. When his cousin is released from prison, Julio decides to take him in. Safe to say, it’s a real Odd Couple situation.

Never Have I Ever, Season 3

Aug. 12 on Netflix

After getting caught in a love triangle last season, Devi (​​Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) finally chose to date her longtime crush Paxton (Darren Barnet), who is way more experienced than her in the relationship department, which complicates things for the high-achieving teen. Another complication? The fact that Devi’s still crushing on her ex Ben (Jaren Lewison), who is dating her new bestie Aneesa (Megan Suri).

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Aug. 17 on Disney+

Lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is kind of mean, sometimes green, and about to become a fighting machine with a little help from the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in this Marvel sitcom that shows it’s not easy being the She-Hulk.

House of the Dragon

Aug. 21 on HBO

The first Game of Thrones spinoff is focused on the beginning of the end for those dragon-loving blondes known as the Targaryens. Set nearly 170 years prior to GoT, the fantasy series covers the Targaryen civil war, known as the “Dance of the Dragons,” as rival members of the powerful family compete for a seat on the Iron Throne.

The Patient

Aug. 30 on Hulu

Therapist Alan Strauss (Domhnall Gleeson) is held hostage by a serial killer (played by Steve Carell) with a strange request: help him get rid of his homicidal urges.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Sept. 2 on Amazon Prime Video

This fantasy series takes place during a peaceful time in Middle-earth, set thousands of years before the events of Lord of the Rings. It features familiar characters (Oh hello Galadriel!) and soon-to-be favorites looking to confront the evil lurking among them. The most expensive season of television ever produced might encourage you to revisit the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.

A League of Their Own

TBD on Amazon Prime Video

Batter up: the time has come for Abbi Jacobson’s TV adaptation of the iconic 1992 sports film to finally play ball. The actors cast to play the legendary Rockford Peaches include The Good Place’s D’Arcy Carden, comedian Kate Berlant, and Last Man Standing’s Molly Ephraim​​.