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The upcoming summer of 2024 promises a plethora of exciting television shows for enthusiasts to enjoy. Heavy-hitters like House of the Dragon, The Bear, Bridgerton, and The Boys are set to make a return, while new series like The Acolyte, The Umbrella Academy, and Interview with the Vampire offer fresh narratives for viewers to delve into.
Shardlake
One of the anticipated shows is Shardlake, a historical murder mystery set in Tudor England. Featuring Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell, this four-part series follows lawyer Matthew Shardlake as he investigates a murder during a time of political turmoil. Premiering on May 1 on Hulu, viewers can expect a gripping narrative set against the backdrop of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I’s reign.
Hacks Season 3
Hacks Season 3 continues the story of comedians Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels as they navigate the challenges of the comedy world. With a dynamic duo at its core, the series promises to deliver humor and intrigue as the characters reunite to pursue their ambitions. Premiering on May 2 on Max, fans can look forward to the chemistry between Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.
A Man in Full
Adapted from Tom Wolfe’s novel, A Man in Full features Jeff Daniels as Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker. Directed by Regina King and Thomas Schlamme, this Netflix series explores themes of bankruptcy and rivalry in a sharp and intelligent manner. Premiering on May 2, the show is expected to offer a compelling narrative supported by a talented cast.
Black Twitter: A People’s History
In 2021, Wired‘s Jason Parham published the essential three-part article series “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” chronicling the rise of the mighty online community that defined the platform now known as X. Hulu has developed Parham’s piece into a three-part series, directed by Prentice Penny (Insecure) and produced by Onyx Collective. The series looks to delve further into the rise of Black Twitter through the memes, moments, and influencers who defined one of the most influential, important spaces on the internet.
“Black Twitter is the beating heart of Twitter overall,” wrote Mashable’s Chance Townsend and Tim Marcin. “If you have a favorite meme, joke, or even way to use Twitter, it most likely started on Black Twitter. There is no Twitter — at least not the version we know — without Black Twitter.” The response to Hulu’s trailer, however, was mixed — especially on Black Twitter. — S.C.
Bodkin
From true crime docu-series to troubling dramas and outright parodies, Netflix loves a good murder mystery. Created by Jez Scharf, Bodkin offers a curious new series to obsess over, one that combines a small-town mystery, a tenacious journalist, and a big-hearted podcaster (played by comedian Will Forte).
But don’t expect this one to be a laugh riot. Set in an Irish community untrusting of outsiders, Bodkin begins with the unsolved case of three missing persons who vanished 21 years ago during Samhain — or as Gilbert (Forte) puts it, “the Irish Night of the Dead.” From there, surly locals, strange revelations, and a battle between ambition and empathy stoke tension. Also, there are nuns who promote yoga. This is an odd Bodkin to be sure. — K.P.
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
2022’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin gets a new title, just in time for summer! Appropriately titled Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, the series sees our crew of liars catching up on classes while everyone else is on vacation. Summer jobs and flings are in the cards, but so is a disturbing development: A new villain who may be linked to “A” has surfaced, and they’ve got bloody vengeance on their mind. — B.E.
Blood of Zeus Season 2
Several TV shows got us through the dark times of October 2020. One was Blood of Zeus, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides’ brutal animated Greek mythology series about the son of the god of thunder, a demigod known as Heron. As is tradition, Hera wasn’t stoked at another of Zeus’ mortal dalliances resulting in a kid, so she went down the path of vengeance. At the end of Season 2, Heron found out some real Greek myth-level truths about his family, and fratricide went down. But when has death stopped the gods, especially when Hades is around? — S.C.
Starring: Derek Phillips, Elias Toufexis, Jason O’Mara, Fred Tatasciore, Claudia Christian, and Jessica Henwick
How to watch: Blood of Zeus Season 2 premieres May 9 on Netflix.
Bridgerton Season 3
Dearest gentle readers, it’s high time we reunite with the Bridgerton family, wouldn’t you agree? After the swoon-worthy story of Queen Charlotte and King George, Netflix’s juggernaut Bridgerton returns to its roots for a third season, this time focusing on the romance between Penelope Featherington (who is secretly gossip maven Lady Whistledown) and Colin Bridgerton.
Based on the trailer for the new season, this latest trip to the Ton will see Penelope seeking out a suitor with Colin’s friendly help. (Emphasis on friend.) But as possible matches for Penelope arise, Colin finds that his feelings for Penelope may be stronger than he originally thought. Cue the angst! Oh, and remember that for the first time in Bridgerton history, Netflix will be releasing the season in two parts — so be sure to time your binge viewing accordingly!* — B.E.
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Lorraine Ashbourne, Hannah Dodd, Simone Ashley, Jonathan Bailey, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Jessica Madsen, Florence Hunt, Martins Imhangbe, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, and Julie Andrews
How to watch: The first four episodes of Bridgerton Season 3 premiere May 16 on Netflix, and the last four on June 13.
The Big Cigar
An elaborate escape plan involving a fake movie production? This is one of the core “stranger than fiction” elements of The Big Cigar, Apple TV+’s series about Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton and his escape from the U.S. to Cuba, which he managed with the help of Hollywood producer Bert Schneider. The series is based on a 2012 Playboy article written by journalist Joshuah Bearman, whose 2007 Wired article fueled Ben Affleck’s Argo. Yep, it’s another fake-movie-border-smuggling-affair drawn from real events, if you can believe it. Plus, the first two episodes are directed by Don Cheadle. — S.C.
Starring: André Holland, Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P.J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie, and Glynn Turman
How to watch:The Big Cigar premieres May 17 on Apple TV+.
Suffragette writer Abi Morgan’s Netflix thriller, Eric, promises to plunge us back into ’80s Manhattan with a missing person mystery. Benedict Cumberbatch is in the lead as Vincent, a famous puppeteer and kids’ TV show creator. When his nine-year-old son Edgar goes missing, a distressed Vincent descends into destructive actions, fixated on the character Edgar created in his drawings: a monster called Eric. Seeing Eric as the one real chance to bring his son home through his TV show, Good Day Sunshine, Vincent starts to become more and more isolated from those around him. — S.C.
Starring:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler, Clarke Peters, Ivan Howe, Phoebe Nicholls, David Denman, Bamar Kane, Adepero Oduye, Alexis Molnar, and Roberta Colindrez
How to watch: Eric premieres May 30 on Netflix.
We Are Lady Parts Season 2
It’s been a while since Nida Manzoor’s comedy about an all-female Muslim punk band made a splash with its first season, but fans will be pleased to hear that it won’t be long before Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), Bisma (Faith Omole), Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse), and Amina (Anjana Vasan) are back on our screens.
“The main critique for We Are Lady Parts remains that it is too short,” wrote Mashable’s Proma Khosla about Season 1. “I want eight episodes, or 10, or 50. Finishing the first season feels a lot like performing a stage gig; you won’t remember every detail but you’ll remember the feeling, a rush of joy and adrenaline that you were grateful to share with this motley, magnificent crew.” — S.H.
Starring:
Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, and Anjana Vasan
How to watch: We Are Lady Parts Season 2 premieres May 30 on Peacock.
The Outlaws Season 3
Stephen Merchant and Elgin James’ lauded comedy series is back for a third round. Described as “a criminally fun watch” by Nicole Gallucci for Mashable, The Outlaws follows a group of random miscreants in Bristol charged with community service. In previous seasons, this now-tight crew has dealt with crime boss and drug lord The Dean (Claes Bang), but they’re not free of the threat yet. No word yet on whether Christopher Walken will return, but the rest of the beloved cast is back for more. — S.C.
Starring: Stephen Merchant, Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jessica Gunning, Charles Babalola, Tom Hanson, and Claes Bang
How to watch: The Outlaws Season 3 premieres May 31 on Prime Video.
Candice Carty-Williams has already had a big 2023 with her awesome BBC series Champion, but this year has even more on the horizon. The author has adapted her popular 2020 debut novel, Queenie, as a buzzy series with Onyx Collective and Channel 4, with Dionne Brown in the lead as the eponymous protagonist. With Carty-Williams at the helm as showrunner and executive producer, the series revolves around Queenie, a 25-year-old Jamaican British journalist who’s going through a break-up, navigating the mess of modern dating, and figuring out how to keep her job together, all while connecting with her family and incredibly tight group of friends.* — S.H.
Starring: Dionne Brown, Jon Pointing, Samuel Adewunmi, Bellah, Sally Phillips, Tilly Keeper, Elisha Applebaum, Mim Shaikh, Llewella Gideon, Michelle Greenidge, Cristale De’Abreu, Joseph Marcell, Joseph Ollman, Melissa Johns, and Laura Whitmore
How to watch: Queenie premieres June 7 on Hulu.
The Boys Season 4
In 2023, The Boys universe took a college detour with the deeply fun (and deeply bloody) spin-off Gen V. In 2024, the flagship series will return for an explosive fourth season. America is more polarized than ever (sound familiar?), with the MAGA-esque cult of Homelander facing off against Starlight’s supporters. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Victoria Neuman grows ever closer to the Oval Office, the Boys are at odds with former leader Billy Butcher, and new supes Sister Sage and Firecracker are joining the Seven. With so much at stake, how will The Boys be able to top themselves in terms of outrageous gore?* — B.E.
Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, Cameron Crovetti, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan
How to watch: The Boys Season 4 premieres June 13 on Prime Video.
Presumed Innocent
Already adapted into a Harrison Ford-led film in the ’90s, Scott Turow’s legal thriller novel Presumed Innocent has been snapped up by David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams for Apple TV+. Jake Gyllenhaal (who is also on board as an executive producer) takes over Ford’s role of Rusty Sabich, the chief deputy prosecutor for the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Here, a murder charge within the building sees power and politics thrown into the air, and over eight episodes, it’s a race to the truth. — S.C.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, and Renate Reinsve
How to watch:Presumed Innocent premieres June 12 on Apple TV+.
House of the Dragon Season 2
Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragonreturns for its highly anticipated second season this summer, bringing more Targaryen fire and blood to our TV screens. And I mean a ton more fire and blood. Think of it this way: If Season 1 was all about the build-up to the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, Season 2 is where the war begins in earnest. Following the death of her son Lucerys, Rhaenyra Targaryen is prepared to go scorched earth on Alicent Hightower and her son Aegon II — and who can blame her? Brutal battles, dastardly assassinations, and political machinations await, along with more dragons.* — B.E.
Starring: Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Gayle Rankin, Simon Russell Beale, Freddie Fox, Abubakar Salim, Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, and Vincent Regan
How to watch: House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 on HBO and Max.
Eva Longoria leads Apple TV+’s Land of Women as Gala, a New Yorker accustomed to a life of luxury. Unfortunately, Gala’s husband has been engaging in illicit activities, implicating their family in financial misconduct and then disappearing, leaving her to grapple with his debts. Pursued by dangerous individuals, Gala flees the country with her mother and adult daughter, eventually arriving in a small wine town in Northern Spain, where Gala’s own mother had departed from many years prior. Despite their efforts to conceal their identities, as rumors spread among the townspeople and criminals track Gala down, she and her family will uncover profound and unexpected family secrets.
Starring: Eva Longoria, Santiago Cabrera, Victoria Bazúa, and Carmen Maura
How to watch: Land of Women premieres on Apple TV+ on June 26.
The Bear Season 3
Are you prepared for Carmy and company to return? The first season of The Bear gripped us with the tension of a real-time lunch rush in “Review,” while the second season delighted us with the adventures of rising star chef Sydney, beloved baker Marcus, and Cousin Richie finding himself. However, this “comedy” series also expertly delivers intense family conflicts in a star-studded holiday episode. Whether you prefer the “Forks” or “Fishes” episodes, The Bear is undoubtedly one of the best TV shows of recent years. While details about Season 3 remain scarce, its return in 2024 is highly anticipated.
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, and Liza Colón-Zayas
How to watch: The Bear premieres on Hulu on June 27.
Fantasmas
Julio Torres captivated audiences with his whimsical directorial debut, Problemista, earlier this year. Up next is Fantasmas, a new HBO television show and Torres’ second collaboration with the network after Los Espookys. In Fantasmas, Torres recounts his search for a golden oyster, a quest that introduces him to intriguing new characters portrayed by the likes of Julia Fox and Steve Buscemi in a series of introspective and undoubtedly charming vignettes.
Starring: Julio Torres, Martine, Joe Rumrill, Julia Fox, Ziwe, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Demie, and Kim Petras
How to watch: Fantasmas premieres on HBO and HBO Max in June.
Sunny
Featuring a mystery with a sci-fi twist, Apple TV+’s Sunny stars Rashida Jones as a woman who partners with a robot named Sunny to unravel the disappearance of her family members. Suzie, portrayed by Jones, is an American residing in Kyoto. Following the disappearance of her husband and son in a plane crash, Suzie receives Sunny, a domestic robot created by her husband’s electronics company. As their friendship blossoms, Suzie and Sunny delve into the truth behind her family’s vanishing, uncovering dark secrets and engaging in robot-assisted detective work.
Starring: Rashida Jones, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, You, annie the clumsy, and Jun Kunimura
How to watch: Sunny premieres on Apple TV+ on July 10.
Hit-Monkey Season 2
The unexpected yet emotionally compelling duo of Monkey and Bryce returns in Hit-Monkey Season 2, transitioning the action from Tokyo to New York City. Monkey, a Japanese snow monkey with a deadly skill set, and Bryce, an American ghost assassin, face new challenges as Monkey strives to abandon his violent ways. However, with former ally Akiko seeking vengeance for her uncle’s death, the pursuit of a peaceful life may have to wait for Monkey.
Starring: Fred Tatasciore, Jason Sudeikis, Olivia Munn, Ally Maki, and Leslie Jones
How to watch: Hit-Monkey Season 2 premieres on Hulu on July 15.
Those About to Die
Anthony Hopkins! Roland Emmerich! Gladiators! Those About to Die has it all.
The television premiere of Roland Emmerich, the director of “Independence Day,” delves into a gladiatorial competition in ancient Rome, showcasing the gritty details of the bloodiest entertainment industry imaginable and intense fights. The legendary Anthony Hopkins stars as Emperor Vespasian, overseeing the spectacle. Get ready for the games to begin.
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim
How to watch: “Those About to Die” premieres on July 18 on Peacock.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4
In 2024, viewers can expect one final adventure with the Hargreeves siblings in “The Umbrella Academy,” navigating through time travel and its consequences. In the new timeline of Season 3, the siblings face a world without powers and a formidable adoptive father. While the future of the Hargreeves remains uncertain, audiences can anticipate another season filled with thrilling fight scenes set to captivating music.
Starring: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya, Colm Feore, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and David Cross
How to watch: “The Umbrella Academy” Season 4 premieres on August 8 on Netflix.
Emily in Paris Season 4
The drama unfolds in Season 4 of “Emily in Paris,” as Emily navigates through complicated relationships and challenges following a chaotic wedding. Amidst emotional turmoil and professional shakeups, the characters face personal dilemmas and unexpected twists. Viewers can expect escalating tension and surprises in this season of the series.
Starring: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Camille Razat, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, and Lucien Laviscount
How to watch: The first five episodes of “Emily in Paris” premiere on August 15 on Netflix, with the last five episodes premiering on September 12.
Only Murders in the Building Season 4
After the conclusion of a Broadway murder mystery, Mabel Mora, Oliver Putnam, and Charles-Haden Savage return for a new investigation in Season 4 of “Only Murders in the Building.” This season focuses on solving the murder of Charles’ longtime body double, with intriguing questions about the intended target. The addition of Meryl Streep and other comedic talents to the cast promises another successful season of the series.
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep, Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Zach Galifianakis
How to watch: “Only Murders in the Building” Season 4 will be available on Hulu this summer.
(*) indicates a reference from a previous story.
