Summer 2024 TV Guide: 24 shows on TV and streaming to enjoy during the hottest months of the year
Anyone old enough to remember when summer was a TV wasteland? Hopefully, you’re not as 2024 has plenty to offer viewers!
The 2023 Hollywood strikes wreaked havoc on TV production, putting several shows (especially network ones) off for a while. Thankfully, things are settling down, and summer promises plenty to watch. There’s the slate of reality TV and game shows, but streaming and even networks offer some fantastic shows.
There are some hot shows making returns for new seasons while some very promising new shows may end up becoming hits! There’s so much to watch so here's a guide to the 24 hottest shows to take in this summer and make it sizzle for TV buffs!
The Veil (Tuesdays, Hulu)
Debuting on April 30, this new espionage thriller has Elisabeth Moss taking a break from The Handmaid’s Tale for another gripping story. She plays Imogen Salter, an MI6 undercover agent who’s proven herself able to slip into almost any role with ease.
Her new assignment is to get close to a suspected terrorist and learn about a coming attack. Along the way, she discovers there’s more than one game going on, and she may not even be able to trust her own agency. The six episode series looks to be a great ride and reminds folks why Moss has an Emmy. Watch this terrific spy caper to kick off the summer TV season.
Hacks season 3 (May 2, Max)
At last, HBO’s Emmy-winning comedy is back for season 3. Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) reunite for more hijinks as each tries to get back to the top of the comedy game. Expect more misadventures of the pair with the same great humor fans love, making this a wonderful return of one of TV’s funniest shows.
A Man In Full (Netflix, May 2)
David E. Kelly has a long list of fantastic award-winning TV shows and his new Netflix series looks to be his biggest yet. Adapting the award-winning novel from Thomas Wolfe, Jeff Daniels plays an Atlanta real estate mogul whose success is matched only by his ego and ability to crush all in his path.
So when things turn against him, Charlie Croker is going to have to fight to survive against a bevy of enemies in a sordid satire of high society. With a supporting cast of Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, William Jackson Harper and more, this six episode series is set to fill the gap of Succession in showing the dark side of power.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Peacock, May 2)
Storytelling about the Holocaust has always produced stunningly powerful dramas so this adaptation of the bestselling novel should be no different. An aged Jewish man (Harvey Keitel) shares with a reporter (Melanie Lynskey) the story of how he was imprisoned in the infamous concentration camp and his job of tattooing numbers on the arms of prisoners. His romance with a fellow prisoner gives it more pathos, so it may not be the easiest show to watch, but it is still a good showcase of drama.
Dark Matter (Apple TV, May 8)
Apple TV+ has been doing a fine job with some terrific sci-fi series, so add another to the slate. Based on a novel, Joel Edgerton is a Chicago physicist who suddenly finds himself in a world where he never got married and lives a different life. His counterpart built a device to access other worlds and is now living his life.
Jason Dessen is on a quest to get back home, only to be sent on a trip across other strange realities. The show packs in some mind-bending visuals with a character-driven tale of destiny and choice, with the cast pulling dual role duties to make for another great Apple TV sci-fi entry.
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (Max, May 9)
After reviving the PLL franchise with Original Sin, the show returns with a new title but the same crazy antics. Still recovering from the first season’s finale, the Liars are hoping summer will be a welcome break. But it’s no vacation from terror as once more the girls are targeted by a mysterious figure known as Bloody Rose. Expect more twists, turns, wild relationship hookups and plenty of scares to match this campy gem.
Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)
Netflix loves its crime shows, and this appears to be a fun mix of genres. Will Forte is an American podcaster who comes to a small Irish town to aid a journalist (Siobhán Cullen) unravel the mystery of three vanishings decades before. It looks like a clash of Forte as a fish out of water against Cullen’s serious journalist, as the quirky town has plenty of secrets. For fans of either crime or comedy, this looks like a fun watch.
Doctor Who (Disney+, May 10)
After celebrating its 60th anniversary, the iconic British sci-fi series makes its full debut at its new home on Disney+. Ncuti Gatwa becomes the 15th actor to play the time-traveling alien in the police-box-shaped TARDIS, with Millie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday.
Expect trips to prehistoric times, meeting the Beatles in the 1960s, a Bridgerton send-up and the far future. Along the way, the Doctor clashes with plenty of enemies while exploring the mystery of Ruby’s origins. With a bigger budget, a touch more fantasy and Gatwa’s new Doctor, it’s the biggest trip yet for Who fans.
Bridgerton (Netflix, season 3A May 16 and season 3B June 13)
Shonda Rhimes’ smash hit historical drama is ready to unleash a third season so big that it has to be split in two. Season 3 puts the spotlight on Penelope trying to find a husband and enlisting her friend Colin in her search. This puts pressure on Penelope keeping her secret as Lady Whistledown while other romances abound. Expect more of the lavish balls, lovely costumes and nice turns to continue the run of hit seasons for the series.
The Big Cigar (Apple TV+, May 17)
From the “real life is stranger than fiction” category, Don Cheadle directs this new drama. Hunted by the authorities, Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton (Andre Holland) needs to escape to Cuba. His solution? Get Hollywood producer Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola) to create a fake movie as an excuse to get him out of the U.S.
Expect a mix of Hollywood satire, crime thriller and caper comedy that might succeed thanks to the outlandish story alone. It shows once more how reality outdoes TV in terms of crazy tales.
Evil (Paramount+, May 23)
The fourth and final season of the wild, impossible to describe supernatural series will hit viewers this summer. It’s unknown what the plots will involve but fans can be assured of the same mix of black comedy with plenty of scares. Fans are eager to see how the show can possibly top its previous madness in the final installments but can be assured no one can predict how this crazy horror show finally wraps it all up.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock, May 30)
The critically acclaimed British comedy is returning for a sophomore season. Once more, the titular punk rock band balances their rising music careers with being Muslim teens, handling the pressures of family, faith, and fame together. Malala Yousafzai and Meera Syal will guest star with episodes focusing on the band members and explore their rising success with the same fun humor that made season 1 a standout original.
Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount+, June 2)
Delayed by star Jeremy Renner’s nasty accident, season 3 of the crime drama is finally about to hit. As self-appointed “mayor” Mike McLusky tries to stop a war between local gangs and the Russian mob, a face from his past returns to throw things into chaos. Renner looks to be as lean and mean as ever to make this the best season yet for this underrated crime thriller.
The Acolyte (Disney+, June 4)
The newest Star Wars series takes us to a time even longer ago. It’s set 150 years before Episode I, a time when the Jedi are at the height of their power. Mae (Amandla Stenberg) is a former Jedi Padawan contacted by her old master to investigate some mysterious occurrences. This leads them to discover that the Sith may not be as extinct as the Jedi believed.
The cast includes Carrie-Ann Moss as a Jedi Master, some fantastic new locations and alien species and, yes, a Wookie Jedi. With some fantastic action and highlighting an untold era of Star Wars lore, this may be the hottest Star Wars TV show yet.
Clipped (FX on Hulu, June 4)
What’s better than a powerful sports drama? One based on a scandal so shocking, you’d think it was fiction. This FX on Hulu series details the downfall of Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. As new coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) tries to turn around one of the worst teams in the NBA, Sterling (Ed O’Neill) comes under fire when tapes of his racist remarks become public.
As his wife, his mistress, and the public turn against him, Sterling’s battle to keep control threatens the entire NBA. The series shows not just the scandal but also the ramifications it’s had on the NBA and culture in the last decade for a sports drama that is more thrilling than any playoff game.
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+, June 12)
Scott Turow’s landmark legal thriller was made into a 1990 Harrison Ford movie. This new Apple TV+ adaptation looks to expand on the storyline with David E. Kelly providing the script. Jake Gyllenhaal is a successful Chicago prosecutor who has to handle a delicate murder case where the victim is his own mistress.
It’s not long before suspicion falls on Rusty Sabich and he finds himself in the role of defendant. The eight episode series focuses on the trial and the question if Rusty is actually guilty or not. Kelly is likely to put some spins on the source material for a show where nothing is what viewers presume it truly is.
The Boys season 4 (Prime Video, June 13)
The most insane superhero series of all time is back for season 4. Picking up where season 3 and the Gen V series left off, Homelander’s true nature has been exposed, but shockingly, many are backing this murderous sociopath as a hero. Meanwhile, secret supe Victoria Neuman is making plans for higher political office.
The Boys themselves are divided as Butcher’s obsession with destroying Homelander may drive him to extremes and the rest of the team into disarray. It’s hard to predict what’s coming, but expect it to be the wildest and bloodiest ride yet for this show.
House of the Dragon (HBO, June 16)
After a fantastic first season, the Game of Thrones prequel is returning to amp up the storylines. It will finally showcase the “Dance of the Dragons,” one of the most important parts of the mythos of the franchise. This is the full-on civil war between Aegon II and his half-sister Rhaenyra for the throne that will shape the world for centuries to come.
The sophomore season will double on everything from the full-scale battles to even more dragons as well as some steamy situations. Season 1 set the table while season 2 is the epic fans have waited for to continue the Game of Thrones legacy.
Hotel Cocaine (MGM+, June 16)
MGM+ is doing pretty well with crime shows and this looks like another good one. Danny Pino is a Cuban exile who becomes manager of a luxury Miami hotel in the late 1970s. As the drug trade begins to boom, Roman Compte begins to run a “Casablanca on cocaine” with a case of cops, crooks, federal agents, celebrities, politicians, and more mixing it up. It looks like a fun combination of character anthology and crime drama that works as a period piece for a fantastic time period.
Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC+, BBC America, June 23)
The original Orphan Black is known for Tatiana Maslany’s breakout Emmy-winning performance as multiple clones. The new spinoff is set in the same world with Krysten Ritter as a woman pulled into a strange experiment. The show is being coy on if Ritter likewise plays clones while focusing on the mysteries of the company trying to play God with genetics. Given the series’ passionate fanbase and Ritter’s star power, this could be a surprisingly successful expansion on a cult favorite.
Land of Women (Apple TV+, June 26)
Eva Longoria returns to television in this new dramedy. She plays a woman who loves her rich lifestyle until her husband vanishes and then it turns out he was running a massive scam operation that ripped off the wrong people. Longoria is forced to flee with her daughter (Victoria Bazúa) and mother (Carmen Maura).
The trio head to Maura’s small Spanish town, where family secrets are unraveled. They also have to worry about those crooks tracking them down in what looks like a fun dark comedy right up Longoria’s alley.
Sunny (Apple TV, July 10)
Fans of Severance may enjoy this upcoming Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy. Rashida Jones is a woman rocked when her husband and son vanish in a plane crash. Her husband’s company provides her with a domestic robot to fill the gap. At first wary, Suzie accepts this new friendship as she works to determine what really happened to her family. The show appears to be building in some mysteries with the sci-fi elements for what could be another Apple TV+ sleeper series.
Those About To Die (Peacock, July 18)
A throwback to the “sword and sandals” miniseries of the past, this new Peacock series explores ancient Rome, mostly through the eyes of the gladiators who are the sports stars of their time. Anthony Hopkins adds star power as the Emperor with a terrific international supporting cast providing plenty of action, political drama and sensual pairings to remind viewers why this time period inspired so many epics.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix, August 8)
Netflix’s bizarre comic book adaptation wraps up its unique run. Following the season 3 finale, the Academy siblings find themselves in a half-formed world where none of them have powers. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally play a pair of professors crossing their path as the siblings try to fix the world. The show has never played by the rules so it’s likely it goes out in a wild blaze of glory.
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