--- description: From familiar favorites to brand new shows, there is plenty to watch on TV this summer. title: The 36 Most Anticipated TV Shows of Summer 2023 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte0054ef51e26f195/698a3d15096a9473006adc41/summer-tv-preview-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The 36 Most Anticipated TV Shows of Summer 2023 Updated: Jan 22, 2026 8:44 AM CUTPublished: May 25, 2023 2:30 PM CUT  Photo-illustration by TIME; Source Photos: HBO (2), FX, Disney+, Hulu by [Shannon Carlin](/author/shannon-carlin/) ## Shannon Carlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Carlin is a contributor for TIME. Updated: Jan 22, 2026 8:44 AM CUTPublished: May 25, 2023 2:30 PM CUT 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](https://time.com/6241589/most-anticipated-tv-shows-2023/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6276745/best-shows-disney/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6271330/instagram-turns-republican-anti-lgbtq-drag-queen/ "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/collection/reality-tv-most-influential-seasons/6198554/rupauls-drag-race/ "undefined") season 6 winner [Bianca Del Rio](https://time.com/5188791/rupauls-drag-race-history/ "undefined"), 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_](https://time.com/5917975/euphoria-makeup-fashion/ "undefined") creator Sam Levinson and [Abel “The Weekend” Tesfaye](https://time.com/6273529/drake-the-weeknd-ai-song/ "undefined")’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](https://time.com/6259919/the-idol-hbo-sam-levinson-controversy/ "undefined")—and it hasn’t even aired yet. Whether you end up loving _The Idol_ or hating it (or [loving to hate it](https://time.com/6281900/the-idol-review-hbo/ "undefined")), 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_](https://time.com/5924015/sexual-misconduct-movies-tv-me-too/ "undefined")‘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](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/lazarus-project-breaking-bad-newsupdate-exclusive/ "undefined"),” a sign that George may be more anti-hero than hero. ## **_Arnold_** **June 7 on Netflix** From _The Terminator_ to [The Governator](https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2028599,00.html "undefined") 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_](https://entertainment.time.com/2012/06/29/naked-ambition-top-10-memorable-movie-strippers/slide/gaz-the-full-monty/ "undefined") 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_ ](https://time.com/4280235/walking-dead-season-finale/ "undefined")spinoff that has the one-time mortal enemies teaming up to rescue her kidnapped son and fighting a [new set of villains](https://time.com/4194632/walking-dead-villains-ranking/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177793/amanda-seyfried/ "undefined")) 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](https://time.com/6171012/marvel-movies-shows-upcoming/ "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/5341385/boots-riley-sorry-to-bother-you-interview/ "undefined") was trippy, prepare yourself for this fantastical tale about Cootie (played by [_When They See Us_’s Jharrel Jerome](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718785/jharrel-jerome/ "undefined")), 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](https://time.com/5524332/best-podcasts-to-listen-to/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/3820097/walton-goggins-on-the-series-finale-of-justified-and-the-fate-of-boyd-crowder/ "undefined"). 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_](https://time.com/5901362/mandalorian-season-2-plot/ "undefined")_,_ 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](https://time.com/james-nachtwey-opioid-addiction-america/ "undefined") 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_ ](https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Killer-Empire-Americas-Epidemic/dp/0525511105 "undefined")and the[ _New Yorker_ article](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/30/the-family-that-built-an-empire-of-pain "undefined") “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.” ## **Returning Shows** ## **_I Think You Should Leave,_** **Season 3** ## **May 30 on Netflix** [Sloppy steaks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buK45NW%5FikI "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/5600537/black-mirror-season-5-review/ "undefined") 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](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cruel-summer-freeform-most-watched-premiere-4176917/ "undefined") 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)”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz%5FNxOF7RB4 "undefined") because Devi Vishwakumar ([Maitreyi Ramakrishnan](https://time.com/5827768/maitreyi-ramakrishnan-never-have-i-ever/ "undefined")) 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](https://time.com/6265320/sofia-coppola-daughter-tiktok/ "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/6076867/the-white-lotus-review/ "undefined")’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](https://time.com/6144511/and-just-like-that-finale-review/ "undefined") 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](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/henry-cavill-the-witcher-return-not-happening-superman-exit-1235462635/ "undefined") playing [Geralt, _the_ witcher](https://time.com/5753369/the-witcher-history-folklore/ "undefined") himself, who will be [played by Liam Hemsworth](https://www.instagram.com/p/CkTv8jXyj2l/?hl=en "undefined") 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](https://time.com/5558376/fx-what-we-do-in-the-shadows-review/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6187609/jenny-han-the-summer-i-turned-pretty-interview/ "undefined") 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](https://ew.com/tv/jenny-han-the-summer-i-turned-pretty-season-2-script-page-cocoa-scene/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6141804/tiffany-haddish-afterparty-interview/ "undefined") return for the new season of [the stylish murder mystery comedy](https://time.com/6141603/afterparty-review-apple/ "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/5929741/real-housewives-beginners-guide/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6270697/watch-jenna-lyons-on-leaving-j-crew-and-joining-real-housewives-of-new-york/ "undefined"), 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](https://time.com/6240853/hbo-max-shows-leaving/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6235712/best-tv-shows-2022/ "undefined") revealed that [“there’s some darkness coming”](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/reservation-dogs-sterlin-harjo-season-3-1235507213/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6170853/best-tv-shows-april-2022/ "undefined"), 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](https://time.com/6102514/only-murders-in-the-building-true-crime-podcasts/ "undefined") led by Steve Martin, [Martin Short](https://time.com/6191622/martin-short-interview-only-murders/ "undefined"), 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_. 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