We're in the dog days of summer and the heatwave is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. But if, like me, you've already had it up to here with underboob sweat, sunburn and sickly sweet rose wine, you can always stay inside and enjoy some of the amazing TV that's on over the hot months.
While good TV used to go into hibernation the moment temperatures rose above the 20s, that is no longer the case. With bingeing and streaming more popular than ever, the television gods have risen to the occasion to supply us with can't-stop-watching TV throughout the summer. So, everything from Sky Atlantic to Netflix will now offer very addictive shows to see you through until September.
That means we're in for quite a few notable television debuts in the coming weeks. To help you figure out what is worth adding to your queue or downloading, we've put together a handy guide of every series you're going to want to check out this summer, complete with its premiere date. These are the shows everyone is going to be talking about.
Picnic At Hanging Rock(BBC Two)
Airs Wednesdays: The third episode airs 25th July at 9.00pm.
Margaery Tyrell has a brand new gig, everyone. Game Of Thrones alum Natalie Dormer leads this brand-new six part miniseries about what happens when three young women disappear from their Australian boarding school. It's already inspiring our summer style looks.
The Tale (NOW TV)
While we all wait for another powerhouse performance from Laura Dern on Big Little Lies season 2, she will grace us all with HBO film The Tale. The movie, which is inspired by the real-life events of its writer-director, follows Dern's for-TV version of filmmaker Jennifer Fox as she attempts to unravel the mystery of a possible childhood trauma.
As usual, it looks like Dern's sheer talent will make us all sob like babies.
The Break With Michelle Wolf (Netflix)
After Michelle Wolf's now iconic White House Correspondent' Dinner performance — where she did not attack Sarah Huckabee Sanders' physical appearance — we should all send Netflix thank-you notes for giving the prolific stand-up comedian and late night veteran her own weekly talk show.
Arrested Development (Netflix)
The Bluths are back for another round. Let's all pray to Gob their fifth year together is better than that infamously disjointed, cringeworthy season 4.
Animal Kingdom(Amazon Prime)
The Amazon show based on the Oscar-nominated 2010 film returns.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt(Netflix)
Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is back and ready to conceal one of the darkest stories on television with her sunny disposition and smile.
Pose
Aired in the US on 3rd June. UK air date TBC
After countless horror stories and true crimes, Ryan Murphy and Gwyneth Paltrow's fiancé Brad Falchuck are ready to dive into the relentlessly glamorous world of 1980s ball culture, which is where voguing was born. While that already sounds amazing, there is one major detail that really makes Pose stand out: the drama cast the largest number of transgender series regulars on a single show in history.
Hopefully, that kind of news will be so run-of-the-mill one day it won't be headline-worthy. But for now, Pose towers as a trailblazer.
Succession (Sky Atlantic)
2nd August 2018 at 9:00 pm
Have you ever watched Billions and thought, "Wow, I wish this also had all the succession drama of Empire season 1, but the visual stylings of Trust?" Well, boy, oh boy, did HBO hear you.
Succession, which counts the sometimes-serious pair of Will Ferrell — yes, that Will Ferrell — and Adam McKay ( The Big Short) as executive producers, will explore what happens when an ageing business tycoon (Brian Cox) begins to step away from his company.
Spoiler alert: The answer is all-out war with his three adult children. You didn't think it was a normal, healthy, transfer of power did you?
Dietland (Amazon Prime)
Marti Noxon's new black comedy is both a critique of diet culture and systemic misogyny and a #MeToo revenge fantasy-slash-conspiracy thriller. Dietland has a lot going on, but its third episode shows real promise.
Cloak And Dagger (Amazon Prime)
Teens are probably going to save the world, so why not watch a pair of them do just that while working through both superpowers and complicated romantic feelings?
And, after speaking with the Amazon Prime adventure's cast, it sounds like Cloak And Dagger will find time between all of its sci-fi young adult intrigue to tackle tough topics like sexual assault and America's current racial tensions.
Sense8 (Netflix)
Premiered 8th June
Don't say Netflix never did anything for you. After abruptly cancelling beloved sci-fi epic Sense8, the streaming giant has decided to give viewers a true finale to wrap up the story of everyone's favourite cluster.
The Bold Type (Amazon Prime)
13th June 2018
While the trailers for The Bold Type season 2 are really leaning into the millennial dramedy's sexier aspects, the cast assures us the upcoming batch of episodes isn't holding back anywhere. That means you should expect to see some unvarnished opinions on politics, friendship, failure, and, yes, sex, when we return to the Scarlet offices.
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Netflix's shockingly heartwarming makeover series premiered its second season mere months after its breakout winter debut. Can you believe?
The Affair(Sky Atlantic)
Shown Thursdays. Next air date is 26th June 2018 at 9:00 pm
For when you wish Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness" was a television show you could spend weeks with, there is the very sad and very sexy The Affair.
Marvel's Luke Cage(Netflix)
Premiered 22nd June
Like Jessica Jones before it, the second season of Luke Cage asks, "What happens when a superhero comes face-to-face with the person who proves they're not nearly as invincible as they thought?"
Whatever the answer, you can rest assured that it'll come equipped with a killer soundtrack.
Glow (Netflix)
Available to stream now.
Glow was one of the best shows of the summer last year. Season 2 offers more of the same, as the Netflix favourite digs deep into what it means to be a woman in the work place — even if that work place is the wrestling ring.
Nailed It(Netflix)
Premiered 29th June
Nicole Byer is back and better than ever for the second season of Netflix's cooking fail competition series. That is a promise.
Sharp Objects (Sky Atlantic)
Premiered 9th July 2018 at 9:00 pm. Episodes shown weekly on Mondays.
Amy Adams stars in this adaptation of Gillian Flynn's ( Gone Girl) addictive novel. It's directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who helmed Big Little Lies, with scripts by Flynn and Marti Noxon. We're literally glued to the screen.
Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)
Friday 27th July
It's summertime, so we all know it's time for another trip to Litchfield Penitentiary. If you've fallen a little bit out of love with OITNB over the years, don't worry, the team behind the former Netflix darling promises season 6 will return the drama to its former glory.
Ballers(Sky Atlantic)
16th August 2018 at 10:10 pm
The Rock makes literally everything better, including his glitzy sports drama.
Insecure(Sky Atlantic)
16th August 2018 at 10:45 pm
Everyone needs some more Issa Rae in their lives. Thankfully, we'll get just that when the comedy superstar's HBO sitcom returns for its third season.
The Innocents (Netflix)
Friday 24th August
What if The End Of The F***ing World had less black humour, but more interracial relationships, apparent mutant abilities, and Guy Pierce? Well, it would be The Innocents, that's what.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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