22 Summer 2019 TV Shows That You Will Want to Stream (or DVR)
Your couch is calling. Because let’s be honest: Is there anything sweeter than a delicious and dramatic (we’re talking to you, Big Little Lies) lineup of summer TV shows to binge? The following 22 series are at the top of our must-watch list.
‘When They See Us’ (Netflix)
Premiere Date: May 31
This limited series created by Ava DuVernay documents the Central Park jogger case from 1989 in which a 28-year-old female was attacked and raped in New York City. Five males—four African-American and one Hispanic—were convicted and later exonerated. Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo and Felicity Huffman (yep, hot off the admissions scandal) all star.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Hulu)
Premiere Date: June 5
It’s the third installment of this dystopian series, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name. This time, after shockingly deciding not to flee to Canada with her baby, June (Elisabeth Moss) fights back—and journeys deeper into Gilead.
‘Black Mirror’ (Netflix)
Premiere Date: June 5
There are just three episodes in the fifth season of the hit show, but don’t you worry: The sci-fi anthology series still covers a lot of ground—guns, robots and mobile phones to be exact. (Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie and Topher Grace all star.)
‘Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City’ (Netflix)
Premiere Date: June 7
Laura Linney stars in this show, based on the books by Maupin, about a woman who returns to the queer community—which includes her estranged daughter (Ellen Page) and ex-husband—in San Francisco she left 20 years earlier to pursue her career.
‘Big Little Lies’ (HBO)
Premiere Date: June 9
Cue the moody theme song. The entire OG cast (plus newcomer Meryl Streep) is back in Monterey, this time with a new mystery to solve: What really happened to Nicole Kidman’s husband, Perry Wright?
‘Younger’ (TV Land)
Premiere Date: June 12
Sutton Foster is back—along with Peter Hermann (Charles) and Hilary Duff (Kelsey)—for the sixth season of this hit show that has its characters getting used to the new setup at Empirical Press. (Juicy romance, secrets and scandals all included.)
‘Los Espookys’ (HBO)
Premiere Date: June 14
This deadpan Spanish language comedy produced by Lorne Michaels and Fred Armisen is about a group of friends and horror lovers who find a way to monetize their fandom. (Armisen also has a recurring role.)
‘Euphoria’ (HBO)
Premiere Date: June 16
This coming-of-age series follows a high schooler (Zendaya) who grapples with navigating drugs, sex and social media. (Maude Apatow, Storm Reid and Eric Dane also star.)
‘Grand Hotel’ (ABC)
Premiere Date: June 17
Eva Longoria is the executive producer behind this new show, based on a Spanish telenovela, about a family-owned hotel in Miami Beach.
‘Years and Years’ (HBO)
Premiere Date: June 24
This limited series follows Emma Thompson and her family as they navigate a society—politics, the economy, technology—that’s changing at an ever-increasing pace. How do they show the time warp? Each episode propels the family forward by at least one to two years.
‘The Loudest Voice’ (Showtime)
Premiere Date: June 30
With an all-star cast (Russell Crowe, Naomi Watts and Sienna Miller all included), this limited series—based on the book about Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News—focuses on how Ailes became the Republican party’s de facto leader…and the life experiences (sexual harassment accusations included) that brought his reign to an end.
‘The Rook’ (Starz)
Premiere Date: June 30
This supernatural spy thriller follows Emma Greenwell, who, one day, wakes up with no memory—and zero explanation of why (or how) there are suddenly dead bodies surrounding her. (Olivia Muss and Joely Richardson also star.)
‘Divorce’ (HBO)
Premiere Date: July 1
Sarah Jessica Parker (and Molly Shannon, woot) are both back for the third season of this show about a couple (Thomas Haden Church plays Parker’s ex) navigating life—and angsty teenage kids—post-split.
‘Stranger Things’ (Netflix)
Premiere Date: July 4
They’re baaaa-ck. This time, it’s the summer of 1985 and the crew of best friends—telekinetic tween Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) included—navigates blossoming romances and a whole new assortment of Demogorgons.
‘Suits’ (USA Network)
Premiere Date: July 17
It’s the ninth and final season of the show about a fictional law firm navigating romance—and office politics—in New York City (although filmed in Toronto). Will Meghan Markle, ahem, Rachel Zane, be watching? You bet.
‘Pearson’ (USA Network)
Premiere Date: July 17
Before she was a royal, Suits is the show that put Meghan Markle on the map. Now, it’s her co-star Gina Torres’s turn: This TV spin-off of the hit show follows her character, Jessica Pearson, a powerhouse lawyer turned political fixer.
‘South Side’ (Comedy Central)
Premiere Date: July 26
This comedy—from the writers of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Last O.G.—follows a pair of community college graduates (Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle) in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood trying to make it big.
‘The Boys’ (Amazon)
Premiere Date: July 26
A satire of superhero franchises, this show is about an investigator (Karl Urban) looking into degenerate celebrity heroes.
‘Orange Is the New Black’ (Netflix)
Premiere Date: July 26
It’s the seventh—and final—season of the prison dramedy, and Piper (Taylor Schilling) is out in the real world…while the other inmates are not.
‘Veronica Mars’ (Hulu)
Premiere Date: July 26
Kristen Bell is back for this eight-episode revival of the hit noir-esque show. This time, she’s principal of Mars Investigations with a tall order: Tracking down a serial killer who is killing off spring breakers in Neptune.
‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ (Hulu)
Premiere Date: July 31
Created by Mindy Kaling, this miniseries—based on the 1994 rom-com—tells the story of four American friends who reunite in London for a wedding, encountering love and heartbreak (and a bit of humor) along the way.
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‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ (Fox)
Premiere Date: August 7
The entire cast (minus Dylan, RIP) is back for this reboot, which has everyone—from Jennie Garth to Shannen Doherty—playing heightened versions of themselves as they try to get a revival of the show off the ground.
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