The 36 Most Anticipated TV Shows of Summer 2023

No matter how hot it gets between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there is plenty of TV to keep you cool. The most anticipated shows of the summer include familiar titles like Black Mirror, The Bear, and I Think You Should Leave, as well as new shows that tackle time loops, true-crime podcasting, and a controversial (fake) pop star. The Marvel and Star Wars universes expand with new shows, while Carrie Bradshaw, Raylan Givens, and the men of The Full Monty return in new spinoffs of old favorites.

Here’s the list of the 36 TV shows you’re going to want to watch this summer.

New Releases

Drag Me To Dinner

May 31 on Hulu

Instead of lipsyncing for their lives, legendary drag queen duos including Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme, Alaska and William, and Raja and Detox are going head-to-head to see who can throw the best themed dinner party. Neil Patrick Harris, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio, and Truth Be Told’s Haneefah Wood are tasked with crowning the hostess with the mostess in this playful and camptastic sendup of reality competition shows.

Searching For Soul Food

June 2 on Hulu

Chef Alisa Reynolds takes viewers on a tour around the globe, making stops in Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Africa, Italy, Peru, Jamaica, and Los Angeles, in hopes of understanding the roots, traditions, and people behind the cuisine that is synonymous with the American South.

The Idol

June 4 on Max

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weekend” Tesfaye’s new series, which looks at the complicated relationship between an aspiring pop star (played by Lily Rose Depp) and her enigmatic manager (Tesafaye), is already one of the most controversial shows of the summer—and it hasn’t even aired yet. Whether you end up loving The Idol or hating it (or loving to hate it), it’s going to be hard to ignore it, which just might be reason enough to tune in.

The Lazarus Project

June 4 on TNT

“Would you end the world to save the woman you love?” It’s the question at the heart of the British time loop thriller starring I May Destroy You‘s Paapa Essiedu as George, a man who wakes up only to find out his girlfriend (played by Charly Clive) is gone and the calendar has been turned back six months. Groundhog Day this is definitely not. Instead, The Lazarus Project has been compared to “Breaking Bad with time travel,” a sign that George may be more anti-hero than hero.

Arnold

June 7 on Netflix

From The Terminator to The Governator and everything in between, Arnold Schwarzenegger opens up about his life and career in this three-part docuseries directed by An Inconvenient Truth’s Lesley Chilcott.

Based on a True Story

June 8 on Peacock

Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina play a married couple who are looking to improve their lot in life by starting a true-crime podcast. It’s all fun and games in this comedy-thriller, executive-produced by Jason Bateman, until the two go viral and become the object of a serial killer’s affection.

The Full Monty

June 14 on Hulu

Twenty-five years after The Full Monty hit theaters, the lovable gang of unconventional male strippers are getting the act back together. But is it a victory lap or a desperate attempt at recapturing their glory days? The film’s original stars—Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Steve Huison, Hugo Speer, Tom Wilkinson, and Paul Barber—return for the sequel series that shows aging gracefully is harder than it looks.

The Walking Dead: Dead City

June 18 on AMC

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) take Manhattan in the new Walking Dead spinoff that has the one-time mortal enemies teaming up to rescue her kidnapped son and fighting a new set of villains and walkers.

The Crowded Room

June 9 on Apple TV+

Danny Sullivan (Tom Holland) is arrested following a shooting in New York City in 1979. He has gaps in his memory, but swears he didn’t do it. Interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) is tasked with figuring out whether Danny is telling the truth, but her conversations with the troubled young man unlock a bigger conspiracy that just might prove his innocence.

Secret Invasion

June 21 on Disney+

Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury stars in the latest Marvel series that has him taking on the Skrulls, a hidden enemy waging a war in the shadows. Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn, and Emilia Clarke also star in the limited series based on the comic book storyline of the same name.

I’m a Virgo

June 23 on Prime Video

If you thought writer/director Boots Riley’s 2018 movie Sorry To Bother You was trippy, prepare yourself for this fantastical tale about Cootie (played by When They See Us’s Jharrel Jerome), a young dude (and proud Virgo) who is 13-feet-tall, but still has a lot of growing up to do.

Survival of the Thickest

July 13 on Netflix

Michelle Buteau plays Mavis Beumont, a plus-sized woman who is trying to reboot her life after a breakup, in this dramedy inspired by her 2020 memoir of the same name.

The Horror of Dolores Roach

July 7 on Prime Video

The eight-episode horror show based on the podcast of the same name stars One Day at a Time’s Justina Machado as the titular ex-convict-turned-masseuse trying to survive in an eat or be eaten world. A word of advice; maybe don’t eat before watching the Blumhouse-produced series inspired by Sweeney Todd.

Full Circle

July 13 on Max

In Steven Soderbergh’s mysterious new limited series, a botched kidnapping of a boy ends up exposing years of dangerous international secrets. The tense six-episode drama stars Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beetz, CCH Pounder, Jim Gaffigan, and Dennis Quaid.

Justified: City Primeval

July 18 on FX

The hat is back. Timothy Olyphant’s Kentucky lawman Raylan Givens heads to Detroit in the Justified spinoff that takes place a decade after the events of the original show’s finale. This time he’s taking on Clement Mansell, a.k.a The Oklahoma Wildman, the violent sociopath that got away, and his rather intimidating lawyer.

Praise Petey

July 21 on Freeform

Petey (voiced by Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy) is a New York City “It” girl, who finds new meaning to her life when she attempts to modernize her dad’s small-town cult. John Cho, Stephen Root, Kiersey Clemens, and Christine Baranski also star in the animated comedy created by SNL head writer Anna Drezen.

Twisted Metal

July 27 on Peacock

Gamers rejoice! Anthony Mackie stars in the action-comedy adaptation of the beloved post apocalyptic demolition derby video game franchise as a driver who hits the road, machine guns blazing, to deliver an important package before he’s hijacked by marauders.

Hijack

June 28 on Apple TV+

When a plane is hijacked on its way to London, Sam Nelson, a skilled negotiator played by Idris Elba, has seven hours—the flight’s estimated arrival time—to save the passengers on board. The Good Wife’s Archie Panjabi also stars in the tense real time thriller.

Ahsoka

Aug. TBA on Disney+

A rebel with a cause. The newest Star Wars series, a spinoff of The Mandalorian, stars Rosario Dawson as the titular former Padawan (and apprentice to Anakin Skywalker) who returns after the fall of the Empire to investigate an emerging threat in the galaxy.

Painkiller

August 10 on Netflix

Director Peter Berg tracks the origins of America’s opioid crisis in the drama starring Uzo Aduba, Taylor Kitsch, and Matthew Broderick. The limited series is based on the 2018 book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic and the New Yorker article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.”

Returning Shows

I Think You Should Leave, Season 3

May 30 on Netflix

Sloppy steaks all around! Comedian Tim Robinson returns with another season of his hilariously deranged sketch comedy series that will keep you rich in memes all summer long.

Black Mirror, Season 6

June TBA on Netflix

Dive back into the digital dystopia that is Black Mirror this summer with new episodes that Netflix promises will be the most unexpected yet. Less unexpected is how many stars have signed up for the latest anxiety-inducing anthology; Aaron Paul, Zazie Beetz, Kate Mara, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Annie Murphy are all set to appear.

Cruel Summer, Season 2

June 5 on Freeform

Pretty Little Liars walked so Cruel Summer could run. Freeform’s most watched series debut returns with an all-new chapter set in the early aughts that focuses on a toxic teenage friendship-turned-love triangle and the mystery that changed all three of their lives forever.

Never Have I Ever, Season 4

June 8 on Netflix

Cue Vitamin C’s “Graduation (Friends Forever)” because Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is ready to say goodbye to high school in the teen dramedy’s fourth and final season. But before she goes, she has to work through her complicated feelings for Ben (Jaren Lewison), Paxton (Darren Barnet), and possible new crush Ethan (Michael Cimino).

The Righteous Gemstones, Season 3

June 18 on Max

Televangelist nepo babies Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin Gemstone (Adam DeVine) finally made it to the top of the family’s megachurch pulpit. But, as they quickly learn, it’s not easy being God’s top dog. White Lotus’s Steve Zahn joins the cast as a gun-toting rival preacher to the Gemstone clan.

The Bear, Season 2

June 22 on FX

Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (played by Jeremy Allen White) is giving his family’s restaurant a makeover that is stressing everyone out. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is struggling to hire a team that respects her. Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), Marcus (L-Boy), and the rest of the kitchen crew are working to graduate culinary school. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is attempting to supervise. But when the chef says “chaos menu,” you say “yes, chef!”

And Just Like That…, Season 2

June 22 on Max

This season of the Sex and the City spinoff should be called: How Carrie Bradshaw got her groove back. After the death of her husband, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is playing the field, having meaningless sex, and possibly rekindling a romance with her old flame Aiden (John Corbett).

The Witcher, Season 3, Vols. 1 and 2

June 29 and July 27 on Netflix

The two-part season marks the end of Henry Cavill’s time playing Geralt, the witcher himself, who will be played by Liam Hemsworth moving forward. This time, Geralt is determined to protect Ciri of Cintra (Freya Allen) from capture and keep his newly reunited family safe. These aggressors who are after them, the magical warrior admits, are the first to frighten him. Knowing his capabilities as a swordsman, that’s really saying something.

What We Do in the Shadows, Season 5

July 13 on FX

Last season, the vampire mockumentary ended with quite a cliffhanger: Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) took a major step towards becoming a vampire himself, something he’d always wanted to do. But in the finale, it’s unclear whether he actually went through with it. Let’s assume that whatever Guillermo decides to do will result in hilarious consequences for Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nandor (Kayvan Novak).

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2

July 14 on Prime Video

Being Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah, might just be the difference between this being a cool or cruel summer. The latest season of the series based on Jenny Han’s bestselling Summer trilogy has Belly (Lola Tung) returning to the beach to choose between the brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). For those who are not well-acquainted with the infamous hot cocoa scene in It’s Not Summer Without You, the source material for season 2, you’re in for a treat. Han confirmed the steamy moment between Belly and one of those two guys will be brought to life. No spoilers here, you’ll have to wait and see.

The Afterparty, Season 2

July 12 on Apple TV+

Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, and Tiffany Haddish return for the new season of the stylish murder mystery comedy in which every character has a chance to tell their side of the story. Last time around, it was a murder at a high school reunion afterparty that needed solving; this time, death befalls a wedding afterparty where every guest becomes a suspect. John Cho, Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Anna Konkle, and Ken Jeong join the cast.

The Real Housewives of New York City, Season 14

July 16 on Bravo

RHONY gets the reboot treatment with a new cast: Sai De Silva, creative director of Scout the City; Ubah Hassan, Somalian model and philanthropist; Erin Dana Lichy, the owner of home renovation and design firm, Homegirl; Jessel Taank, fashion publicist and brand consultant; Brynn Whitfield, brand marketing, communications professional, and “trophy wife in training”; and Jenna Lyons, the former President and Executive Creative Director of J.Crew Group. These might be new housewives, but, don’t worry, it’s got the same old drama that you crave.

Minx, Season 2

July 21 on Starz

After being renewed only to be canceled by HBO Max later that same year, the comedy about the first fictional feminist porn magazine is set to make its Starz debut. Not much is known about the new season, but after being bombarded by lawsuits and angry protestors in the season 1 finale, Joyce (Ophelia Lovebound) and porn publisher Doug (Jake Johnson) will have to find a way to go on in the face of adversity. Let’s guess, hilarity will ensue.

Reservation Dogs, Season 3

August 2 on FX

Creator Sterlin Harjo revealed that “there’s some darkness coming” in the new season of the prestige comedy that tells the story of a group of indigenous kids living on an Oklahoma reservation. But don’t worry, Harjo swears that Reservation Dogs is still a comedy; it’s just one that will make you laugh and (probably) cry, too.

Heartstopper, Season 2

August 3 on Netflix

Friends-turned-boyfriends Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) are navigating the next steps of their new relationship in season 2 of the British teen series, while also preparing for exams, a school trip to Paris, and prom.

Only Murders in the Building, Season 3

August 8 on Hulu

Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd join the cast of the true-crime podcasting comedy led by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. This season, like the past two, promises a murder in the building that will need to be solved. Surely, these new cast members will send this investigation into a whole new direction.

Correction, May 25

The original version of this story misstated the name of Idris Elba’s forthcoming Apple TV+ series. It is Hijack, not Hijacked. The original version of this story also misstated Jason Bateman’s role on Based on a True Story. He is an executive producer, not a creator.

Correction, May 30

The original version of this story misstated the premiere date of the second season of The Afterparty. It is July 12, not July 14.