Two months after our initial preview of this summer’s most anticipated television series, we’re back with a new batch of content to load up your streaming queue. That’s right, folks – if you’ve already binged through Dead To Me, Good Omens, and When They See Us; we’ve got a whole new collection of streaming, basic, and premium cable fare waiting to be devoured by you over the hot summer months.
So buckle up, log in to your Netflix account, make sure your friend hasn’t changed their HBO Go password, and attempt to find what channel Viceland is, as we take another look at even more TV shows we’re excited for this summer.
June 30 – The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Based on the book The Loudest Voice in the Room by Gabriel Sherman, Showtime’s latest miniseries required a major actor to play a major figure within the Republican Party of the past 20+ years. The seven episode limited series stars Russell Crowe as former chairman and CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes. Coming off the critically acclaimed miniseries, Escape at Dannemora, the path to awards season is already laid out for the Showtime series, particularly Sienna Miller’s praised portrayal of wife, Beth Ailes. The show also stars Naomi Watts as Fox News commentator Gretchen Carlson, Seth MacFarlane as Fox News executive Brian Lewis, and Simon McBurney as News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch. Created and executive produced by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight, The Station Agent), The Loudest Voice spans the last 22 years of Ailes’ life, beginning with the launch of Fox News and ending with the election of Donald Trump.
July 4 – Stranger Things (Netflix)
America’s favorite supernatural 80s pastiche is back this 4th of July for a new season. Stranger Things 3 picks back up around mid-1985 in the now infamous, fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana – home to the parallel dimension, the Upside Down. And as seen in the multiple trailers released so far, the whole Party (Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Max, and Eleven) is back. Not to mention a few new and old friends. Same kids, same town, new adventure. With the end of season two wrapping up the series’ initial story arc, Stranger Things 3 has the chance to really take some new risks in broadening the show’s fantastical ‘80s world.
July 12 – Shangri-La (Showtime)
From the Academy Award and Grammy winning documentarian, Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor, 20 Feet From Stardom), comes Showtime’s newest docu-series, Shangri-La. The 4-episode docu-series takes a look inside the musical world of Rick Rubin and the countless creative conversations the sage-like, legendary music producer has around his iconic Malibu (monastery-esque) music studio, Shangri-La Studios. Per Showtime, “Rubin’s mark on the music scene has been indelible since he co-founded Def Jam Records while enrolled at New York University in the ‘80s, helping to launch the careers of Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC, among many others.” Musicians featured throughout the show’s trailer include LL Cool J, SZA, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tyler the Creator, Lil Yachty, and the late Mac Miller. Shangri-La premieres, with all four episodes streaming via VOD and Showtime Anytime, on July 12th.
July 17 – Danny’s House (Viceland)
After episode-stealing appearances on such unconventional, comedic talk shows as The Eric Andre Show, Hot Ones, and The Gorburger Show – Viceland has made the absolutely insane decision to give gregarious Detroit rapper, Danny Brown, his own talk show… on crack. Titled Danny’s House, the surreal chat show is produced by Adult Swim veteran, Derrick Beckles (The Eric Andre Show, Hot Package, Mostly 4 Millennials), and features a laundry list of random guests spotted throughout the trailer including ScHoolboy Q, Insane Clown Posse, Nikki Glaser, Hannibal Buress, A$AP Rocky, Ilana Glazer, and Gilbert Gottfried. Following the renewal of both of Viceland’s Action Bronson-based shows, it looks like the cable channel is making one final effort to regain its viewership following Desus & Mero’s move to Showtime and the complete failure of Vice Live. Either way, it’ll be great to have new episodes of Fuck That’s Delicious; and even if Danny’s House proves to be a poor man’s Eric Andre Show, it’ll still be infinitely better than Vice Live.
July 24 – South Side (Comedy Central)
Following back-to-back unsuccessful pilots at HBO, former Late Night with Jimmy Fallon writers/performers Diallo Riddle (Marlon, Silicon Valley) & Bashir Salahuddin (GLOW, Looking) have finally broken through with a new comedy “set in and around the working class neighborhood of Englewood on the South Side of Chicago.” Aptly titled, South Side – the Comedy Central show follows two recent community college graduates working at a rent-to-own retail store “where the South Side’s vast ensemble of characters come together” in pursuit of their own money-making hijinks. Based off the trailer, South Side evokes similar comedic tones to past Comedy Central series like Reno 911 and Detroiters. And following the critical success of Corporate and The Other Two, it would appear Comedy Central is on a bit of a hot streak.
July 26 – Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
For those not caught up on the sixth season of Orange is the New Black, stop reading now as spoilers are abound. Previously on OITNB, we last saw the show’s protagonist, Piper, finally on the outside of the prison looking in, following her and Sophia’s release. Meanwhile, all of the inmates participate in the kickball championship as Taystee returns to Litchfield following her guilty verdict. So what could the seventh and final season of Orange is the New Black possibly have in store next? It will definitely be interesting to watch Piper navigate civilian life after so many years locked up. Will she thrive on the outside, or return to Litchfield like so many others throughout the show’s 78 episodes and counting. While it will be sad to say goodbye to OITNB’s entire beloved cast of characters – like creator Jenji Kohan’s last series, Weeds… all good things must come to an end.
July 26 – The Boys (Amazon)
From the creators of Supernatural and Superbad comes this summer’s anti-superhero project, The Boys. Based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis, The Boys tells the story of “a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame” to no consequence until “a group of vigilantes known as The Boys set out to take down the corrupt superheroes” known as The Seven. Using “no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty,” these are not your typical Marvel PG-13 family-friendly superheroes. Written by Eric Kripke (Timeless), developed by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Preacher, Future Man), and directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Black Mirror), after several failed attempts at adapting the comic into a film, Cinemax originally put the project together as a television series, with Amazon ultimately giving the production a first season order of eight episodes. Starring Karl Urban (Xena: Warrior Princess), Elisabeth Shue (Adventures in Babysitting), Laz Alonso (Avatar), Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games), Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad), and Tomer Kapon as The Boys; the cast also includes Erin Moriarty (Jessica Jones), Antony Starr (Banshee), Dominique McElligott (House of Cards), Jessie Usher (Shaft), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), and Nathan Mitchell as The Seven.
July 26 – Veronica Mars (Hulu)
In the wake of the boom that was TV show revivals (Will & Grace, The X-Files, Roseanne), we find one gone-too-soon cult classic on our summer viewing list. Even though Veronica Mars was cancelled twelve years ago, the show’s three seasons have become popular on streaming platforms, in addition to its 2014 film. So it wasn’t a huge surprise when Hulu commissioned an eight-episode revival of the Kristen Bell dramedy. Creator Rob Thomas has said that the miniseries will return to the show’s “So-Cal noir roots” as the case involves a serial killer preying on spring breakers in Neptune. And while he doesn’t appear to have a huge role in the limited series, Oscar-winner J. K. Simmons sure pops up a lot in the newly released trailer. It’ll be interesting to see exactly what sort of role he plays in the Hulu-revival.
Aug. 25 – On Becoming A God in Central Florida (Showtime)
The path from page to screen has been a wild ride for the upcoming dark comedy, On Becoming A God in Central Florida. Originally developed at AMC with Oscar-nominated director Yorgos Lanthimos set to helm, a year and a half later the show moved to YouTube Premium (without Lanthimos) with a 10-episode first season order. Finally, a year after moving to YouTube, the series will premiere on Showtime, now as nine episodes. Starring Kirsten Dunst as a minimum-wage water park worker who climbs her way up the pyramid scheme that ruined her family, On Becoming A God in Central Florida also stars Theodore Pellerin (Boy Erased), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth), and Beth Ditto (Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot).
Aug. 25 – Power (Starz)
While the details on the sixth and no-longer-final season of Power have been scarce, it is now officially set to premiere August 25th and run through December 1st, clocking in as the series’ longest season to date at 15 episodes. As one of Starz’s most popular shows, both critically and ratings-wise – fans of Power have been ravenous for answers since last September’s season five finale. However, come the end of summer, questions will finally be answered. Like, what’s next for Ghost and Tommy? Is Angela dead, or just shot? And will 50 Cent be making any appearances from the grave on the show? Now fans of Power only have to wait a little bit longer, however we still don’t even have a trailer for the new/final season. So when it comes to Power, the questions continue to outweigh the answers – which appears to be exactly how Courtney A. Kemp, the show’s creator, likes it.
August – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)
From the comedic minds of Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green – the geniuses behind past HBO series, Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, comes their latest skew on American culture. The Righteous Gemstones tells the story of “the world famous Gemstone televangelist family, which has a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work, all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Starring John Goodman as the elder Gemstone, Danny McBride as his son, and Adam Devine as his grandson – the show’s trailer immediately displays the trio’s incredible comedic chemistry. The remaining cast also includes Edi Patterson (Vice Principals), Cassidy Freeman (Longmire), and Tony Cavalero (Nickelodeon’s School of Rock).
Sept. 20 – Disenchantment (Netflix)
Netflix’s adult cartoon from Matt Groening, the man who gave us The Simpsons and Futurama, returns this September for the second half of its 20-episode first season. Described by voice actor John DiMaggio as “the offspring of The Simpsons and Game of Thrones,” Disenchantment’s first ten episodes introduced us to the medieval fantasy world of Dreamland. Within Dreamland we meet King Zøg (John DiMaggio), his daughter, Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson), and her demon and elf best friends, Luci (Eric Andre) and Elfo (Nat Faxon). After she pulls a runaway bride in order to avoid her father’s arranged marriage to an ally kingdom; Bean, Luci, and Elfo flee the kingdom. The second half of season one is sure to bring forth continued adventures, some answers, and likely even more questions. Netflix has already ordered a twenty-episode season two, with ten episodes to see release in 2020 and 2021.