Summer TV: Everything you need to know about the hottest new shows
Screw the beach, say “fuck you” to the sun, and the forget all about that blasted bikini bod. We’re here for all the hot new shows hitting the small screen this summer. With so many promising new projects headed our way, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about the best new shows, from Ryan Murphy’s Pose to the latest Stephen King adaptation, Castle Rock. Sunny G’s off, blinds down, and let’s go!
Pose
Available: June 3
Where to watch: FX
Number of episodes: 8
Synopsis: Ryan Murphy’s latest offering – an 80s-set musical drama – focuses on the queer New York City scene and the Trump-era decadence that existed in stark juxtaposition to it. The rise of the luxury universe, the downtown social and literary scene, and the ball culture world is told in a documentary style format, while the show itself is set to break a record for having the largest cast of transgender actors for any scripted series to air on a US network, with five trans actors in lead roles.
Fun fact: Murphy will reportedly donate the profits from the show back to the trans community via college scholarships, youth shelter protection, and healthcare programs with a focus on HIV prevention. Right on!
Stars: Indya Moore, Angel Bismark Curiel, Kate Mara, Jeremy McClain, Evan Peters, and Angelica Ross.
Castle Rock
Available: July 25
Where to watch: Hulu
Number of episodes: 10
Synopsis: Based on the stories of Stephen King, this show will weave narratives, characters, and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock. The anthology series promises to explore worlds uniting from King’s canon and if the trailer’s anything to go by, it will be a spooky, scary, and thrilling ride.
Fun fact: Bad Robot’s TV chief Ben Stephenson told The Hollywood Reporter, “each (season) will look at the town from a different point of view from a different character. In the end, the plan is that this is all one big linked world where characters cross and co-exist in the same world.”
Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Glenn, André Holland, Jane Levy, Terry O'Quinn, and Sissy Spacek.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Available: May 6
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Number of episodes: 6
Synopsis: The new TV adaptation of the Australian cult classic novel retells author Joan Lindsay’s story about a group of female students and a teacher who went missing while on a Valentine’s Day picnic and the impact this has on the community as they try to figure out what happened.
Fun fact: The mini-series is the third telling of this story, having been adapted from Lindsay’s acclaimed 1967 novel of the same name and Peter Weir’s 1975 movie version, which was also well received.
Stars: Natalie Dormer, Lily Sullivan, Lola Bessis, Harrison Gilbertson, Samara Weaving, and Madeleine Madden.
Succession
Available: June 3
Where to watch: HBO
Number of episodes: 10
Synopsis: Creator Jesse Armstrong (Four Lions) and executive producers Will Ferrell & Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) have joined forces to create this dramatic saga of a fictional, American global media family that is not only rich and powerful but also incredibly dysfunctional. Set in New York, the show promises to explore themes of politics, power, wealth, and family.
Fun fact: According to Armstrong, Succession is definitely not about the Murdoch family (although with a synopsis like that, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was).
Stars: Hiam Abbass, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong, and Kelly P. Williams.
Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger
Available: June 7
Where to watch: Freeform
Number of episodes: 10
Synopsis: In another Marvel superhero property, two teenagers – Tandy & Tyrone – both from very different backgrounds form one of comic books’ most unconventional dynamic duos. While trying to start a romantic relationship, the pair find themselves burdened and awakened to newly acquired superpowers – Tandy can emit daggers of light while Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness.
Fun fact: Cloak & Dagger first appeared in 1983 in the Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Marvel comic and by 1985, they had their own comic book series in which they took on the drugs trade.
Stars: Olivia Holt, Aubrey Joseph, Gloria Reuben, Miles Mussenden, Andrea Roth, J.D. Evermore, and James Saito.
