18 TV Shows You Absolutely Can't Miss This Summer
There's a lot to watch this summer, both on the big and small screen. If the latter is more up your alley, you just might find your next watch among our recommended titles below. And if you're still catching up on this year's TV offerings, check out our picks for the best TV shows of 2025 so far.
And Just Like That...'s third season picked up after the emotional season 2 finale, where Carrie hosted a farewell party for her apartment and Aidan announced he wanted to take a five-year break, for family reasons. Showrunner Michael Patrick King promised in Entertainment Weekly to deliver 'new loves, fresh challenges, and surprising reunions,' plus an exciting twist: the return of Carrie's iconic voiceover as she writes a new book. Follow along as she works on her draft—and her romance with Aidan.
New episodes arrive weekly on Thursdays on HBO Max through August 14.
Watch Now on HBO Max
Based on Edith Wharton's (unfinished) novel of the same name, The Buccaneers follows five young American women in the 1870s who set off across the pond to marry into high society Britain. Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Aubri Ibrag, Josie Totah, Imogen Waterhouse, Mia Threapleton, and Christina Hendricks star. This season, they are joined by Leighton Meester, in a guest role. Another bonus: Season 2's soundtrack includes Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and more.
New episodes arrive weekly on Wednesdays on Apple TV+ through August 6.
Watch Now on Apple TV+
Sometimes, a teen drama summer drama just does the trick. We Were Liars, based on E. Lockhart's 2014 bestseller, follows a group of elite teenagers who call themselves 'the Liars.' They're the kind of kids who vacation on a friend's private island in New England every summer. But when their ringleader, Cadence Sinclair Eastman, experiences a mysterious accident, everyone's secrets come to the surface.
Watch Now on Prime Video
After the first season made a splash on Netflix, season 2 of America's Sweethearts once again takes us behind the curtain of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders franchise, this time focused on tryouts for the 2024-25 season. Meet new stars as they vie for a spot on the iconic squad, dive into the members' personal lives, and follow along as they negotiate for equitable pay.
Watch Now on Netflix
HBO's The Gilded Age returns for a third season full of even more drama and social intrigue among the elites in 1880s New York. Deadline reports Manhattan's 'society will change drastically' in this installment, and there will be new cast members, including Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Victoria Clark, Dylan Baker, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cumpsty, John Ellison Conlee, Bobby Steggert, and Hannah Shealy.
On HBO June 22.
After making her debut as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne returns in Ironheart as the young tech genius, who engineers a super suit that could rival Iron Man's. The series is set in Chicago following the events of the film, and finds Riri and her inventions clashing with Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood (Anthony Ramos).
On Disney+ June 24.
Attention, chefs! Season 4 of FX's The Bear is set to return this year. It will likely tie up loose ends from the season 3 finale, including Sydney's major career decision, and the restaurant's struggle to earn a Michelin star while balancing Carmy's exacting standards. Fans are also expecting to see the outcome of Carmy's unresolved tension with his staff members, the results of The Chicago Tribune's review, and more on Richie's personal growth, Marcus's dessert innovations, and the future of the partnership with Cicero.
On FX and Hulu June 25.
The final season of Squid Game promises a face-off between Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the enigmatic Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), concluding the high-stakes cliffhangers introduced in season 2. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed the news in a letter per Netflix's Tudum, stating, 'The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale.'
On Netflix June 27.
What if you had to choose your bandmates without ever seeing them? That's the premise of Building the Band, Netflix's new reality competition where connection and chemistry are judged purely by sound—until the big reveal. Hosted by AJ McLean, with Nicole Scherzinger mentoring, and Kelly Rowland and the late Liam Payne joining as guest judges, the show brings together aspiring artists to form the next great pop group.
On Netflix July 9.
Eight years after the finale of Girls, Lena Dunham is back. Her new series Too Much, stars Meg Stalter (the gem of Hacks) as Jessica, a 30-something New Yorker who just underwent a terrible breakup. She decides to turn the page with a new job in London, where she meets Felix (Will Sharpe), who's equal parts attractive and complicated. The cast also includes Michael Zegan, Janicza Bravo, Richard E. Grant, Adele Exarchopoulos, Rita Wilson, Naomi Watts, Andrew Rannells, Emily Ratajkowski, and more.
On Netflix July 10.
This adaptation of the third book in Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series will see Belly's love triangle with Conrad and Jeremiah finally come to a close as she sorts out her feelings about the brothers and makes her choice. 'I know Jenny is really just strong on staying as true to the books as possible and hitting the main points,' Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah) told People. Kyra Sedgwick, who played Aunt Julia, won't return, but fans can look forward to new twists inspired by Han's novel.
On Prime Video on July 16.
We've been blessed with another Sterling K. Brown show. The Paradise and This Is Us star leads this new Hulu series as the titular protagonist, an enslaved boy on a sugar plantation in Barbados, who also happens to be a scientific genius. When a traumatic event sends him on the run, his escape turns into a series of travels around the world. This decades-spanning saga is based on the 2018 book of the same name by Esi Edugyan.
On Hulu July 23.
Fashion gets competitive again this summer as Project Runway kicks off its 21st season with a fresh cast and some familiar faces. Judges Nina Garcia, Law Roach, and Heidi Klum return to the panel, with Christian Siriano back as a mentor. With sharp critiques, high-stakes challenges, and the kind of runway drama that never goes out of style, this season promises to give us plenty to talk about both on and off the catwalk.
On Freeform, Hulu, and Disney+ July 31.
If you're waiting to see more Seth Rogen on your screen after The Studio, check out his other Apple TV+ comedy, Platonic, co-starring Rose Byrne. The duo play a pair of best friends who 'contend with new mid-life hurdles including work, weddings and partners in crises' in season 2, according to the streamer. Saturday Night Live alums Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Beck Bennett are set to guest-star.
On Apple TV+ August 6.
Season 2 of Wednesday introduces new characters as Jenna Ortega's titular Addams Family character faces darker challenges at Nevermore. The new cast members include Steve Buscemi, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, Noah Taylor, and Billie Piper, according to Netflix's Tudum. Showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar told the site they aimed to 'discover some fresh faces as well as invite some acting legends we've always admired to join Jenna and the gang at Nevermore.' And they did exactly that: 'Mission accomplished,' the duo added.
Part 1 on Netflix August 6; part 2 on Netflix September 3.
Outlander might be nearing its eighth and final season, but Jamie and Claire's universe only continues to grow. This prequel series dives into the equally romantic love stories of their parents, set in the Scottish Highlands in the 18th century and Britain amid World War I. Prepare to see new faces behind familiar names—hello, young Dougal MacKenzie and Murtagh Fraser.
On Starz August 8.
Noah Hawley, creator of the Fargo series and Legion, is behind this new chapter of the Alien franchise. It's set in the future—the year 2120, to be exact—when a space research vessel crash-lands onto Earth. Wendy, a 'humanoid robot infused with human consciousness,' according to FX, encounters the crash and finds a grave threat to the planet.
On FX and Hulu August 12.
Grace Van Patten steps into the role of Amanda Knox in this limited series based on Knox's years-long fight to clear her name. Created by This Is Us writer KJ Steinberg and executive produced in part by Monica Lewinsky and Knox herself, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox dramatizes the infamous case that began with a study-abroad semester in Italy and spiraled into a global media storm. The result is a psychological drama about protecting one's identity, the search for justice, and who gets to control the narrative.
On Hulu August 20.
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