TV

Most anticipated TV shows for summer 2020

Written by:
June 18, 2020
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Most anticipated TV shows for summer 2020

Not so long ago, autumn reigned over all other seasons when it came to new and returning TV shows airing on network channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox to premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime. The rise of streaming services鈥攎ost notably Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime鈥攈as allowed showrunners to debut their shows whenever they choose, whether on a holiday or a random Wednesday in June.

COVID-19 lockdowns are lifting, but the uncertainty of the virus' spread is likely to cause many people to spend more time at home this summer. Yet after months of isolation, audiences might already feel they've simply run out of shows to binge. manually researched and compiled a list of 25 hotly anticipated shows and limited series arriving this summer. The pandemic did affect TV production in some cases, but there is no shortage of old favorites and new series this summer. The , on the other hand, looks a bit bare in terms of new shows, according to IndieWire.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. This summer, viewers can look forward to multiple titles from TV and film legends Jordan Peele ("Get Out," "Us") and J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Star Trek," "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," and "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker"), shows from the DC and Marvel universes, and several docuseries. The final seasons of a few series will also spice up the summer, including German Netflix's last season of the twisted, time-traveling thriller "Dark" and HBO's sometimes darkly funny, sometimes sci-fi anthology series "Room 104."

From brand new series to final seasons and more, read on for a look at 25 of the most anticipated TV shows you'll be watching this summer.

Brave New World

USA Network鈥檚 鈥淏rave New World鈥 is adapted from Aldous Huxley鈥檚 1932 futuristic, dystopian novel of the same name in which the author conceptualizes the scientifically and technologically advanced New London鈥攁 seemingly utopian society driven by instant gratification but void of all meaning. The Jessica Brown Findlay (鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥), Alden Ehrenreich (鈥淪olo: A Star Wars Story鈥), Harry Lloyd (鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥), Kylie Bunbury (鈥淲hen They See Us鈥), and Hollywood veteran Demi Moore. The first season of 鈥淏rave New World鈥 is available to stream on .

Close Enough

From J.G. Quintel, the creator behind the Emmy-award winning 鈥淩egular Show,鈥 鈥淐lose Enough鈥 is a surreal, animated comedy about a group of roommates in Los Angeles: a millennial married couple, their 5-year-old child, and their divorced best friends. Prepare for time-traveling snails, killer mannequins, and stripper clowns alongside more relatable storylines about managing work and family. .

Crossing Swords

鈥淐rossing Swords鈥 is a 鈥擡mmy-award winners for their work on 鈥淩obot Chicken鈥濃攚ho first devised the idea of peg toys (akin to Fisher-Price Little People figures) in grown-up scenarios back in 2011. Reviewers suggest this medieval-themed series, now available to stream on Hulu, is geared toward viewers who appreciate more .

Dark

The third and final 10-episode season of the suspenseful, hits Netflix on June 27. Fans of Netflix鈥檚 first German original, which has been a massive hit with international viewers, can watch with either . Showrunners 鈥渨ill offer answers to the questions that our viewers have been asking and help untangle the story through time."

Doom Patrol

Streaming service DC Universe premiered the first season of "Doom Patrol," led by a mad scientist, back in February 2019. For the second season, the series , with the streaming service releasing the first three episodes of season two and adding remaining episodes weekly.

Expecting Amy

Three-part docuseries 鈥淓xpecting Amy鈥 takes audiences backstage throughout comedian Amy Schumer鈥檚 extremely challenging pregnancy, which coincided with the 42-city tour for her 2019 . The series, , is directed and edited by Alexander Hammer, who previously edited 鈥淗omecoming: A Film by Beyonc茅.鈥

Greatness Code

From Apple TV+, 鈥淕reatness Code鈥 , from Olympic Gold medalist Alex Morgan and the NBA鈥檚 LeBron James to NFL quarterback Tom Brady and track star Usain Bolt, considered the fastest man alive. Learn the stories and defining moments behind the careers of these and other illustrious athletes when the seven-episode docuseries drops .

Hanna

Adapted from the 2011 action-thriller film about a teenage assassin, season two of 鈥淗anna鈥 returns . Newcomers this season, which is after the first season followed it more closely.

Little Voice

Arriving July 10 on Apple TV+, that follows Bess King (Brittany O鈥橤rady), a talented musician in her early 20s living and working toward her dreams in New York City while managing family issues, love, and rejection. , and Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles are at the helm of this new series as executive producers, and Bareilles also contributes original music for this 鈥渓ove letter to the diverse musicality of New York.鈥

Love, Victor

On the heels of the 2018 film "Love, Simon," "Love, Victor" centers on a teenager (Michael Cimino) as he grapples with his sexuality, while also adapting to life in a new city and handling challenging family issues. Originally scheduled for release on June 19, out of respect for Juneteenth, which commemorates the abolishment of slavery in the United States in 1865.

Lovecraft Country

Based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff and produced by horror pro Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, . Young veteran Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) travels to the South with friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to find his father (Michael K. Williams). Showrunner and executive producer Misha Green (creator of the historical drama 鈥淯nderground鈥) said of Ruff鈥檚 novel in 2017, 鈥淚 knew it had the potential to be unlike anything else on television." Audiences will have to wait until August to watch this HBO series.

Outcry

In August 2013, Greg Kelley, an 18-year-old high school football star in Texas with aspirations of playing in college, was arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy and eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison. Showtime鈥檚 鈥淥utcry鈥濃斺攑remieres July 5 with the story of the public outcry surrounding the handling of Kelley鈥檚 case and the events leading to his .

P-Valley

Based on the play by Katori Hall, the new Starz drama 鈥淧-Valley鈥 follows the lives of individuals who work as strippers at a Mississippi Delta club. In a panel at the ATX Television Festival, showrunner Hall explained that the series, which boasts an all-female team of directors, is meant to shine a light on the voices of people who are often marginalized, stigmatized, and dehumanized, according to reporting by Deadline鈥檚 . 鈥淧-Valley,鈥 starring Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, and Elarica Johnson, .

[Pictured: Brandee Evans.]

Perry Mason

Defense lawyer Perry Mason is back again, this time in a Depression-era reboot set in 1932鈥攊ronically, the year before author and lawyer Erle Stanley Gardner created and introduced the Perry Mason character in 鈥淭he Case of the Velvet Claws.鈥 Gardner鈥檚 series of 82 books and four short stories is the of all time, inspiring films and TV series alike. Audiences can catch the first episode of the new 鈥淧erry Mason鈥 on , with Matthew Rhys playing the titular character, alongside Tatiana Maslany and John Lithgow.

Room 104

The fourth and final season of with 12 half-hour episodes. This season of the anthology series, which tells the stories of the various guests of Room 104 at a chain hotel, features an animated episode鈥攁 first for the series. Created by long-time HBO show creators and producers Mark and Jay Duplass, in the first episode of the fourth season.

[Pictured: Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass.]

Search Party

鈥淪earch Party鈥 stars Alia Shawkat as Dory Sief, a woman determined to discover what happened to the missing Chantal Witherbottom, an acquaintance from college, in the show鈥檚 first season. The long-awaited third season of 鈥淪earch Party鈥 on HBO Max, a departure from its original home of TBS. Three years have passed since the second season, so viewers can also head to the streaming service to review previous episodes before the third season begins. HBO Max has already of the series, in case you need convincing to join the party.

Soulmates

From 鈥淪tranger Things鈥 creator William Bridges and 鈥淪uperbob鈥 creator and actor Brett Goldstein, AMC鈥檚 set 15 years from now when the scientific community creates a test that determines each person鈥檚 soulmate. , for which the summer release date is not yet known, 鈥淭he beauty of it being an anthology show meant that we could tell an entirely different relationship story every week from many different angles and even genres.鈥 Malin Akerman, Charlie Heaton, Betsy Brandt, and JJ Feild have joined the cast, so far.

Taste the Nation

贬耻濒耻鈥檚 (鈥淭op Chef鈥) as she travels the U.S. to by highlighting the foods and diverse cultures of immigrant communities across the country. Like 鈥淟ove, Victor,鈥 Hulu changed the release date of 鈥淭aste the Nation鈥 from Juneteenth鈥攖he 10-episode series will .

[Pictured: Padma Lakshmi.]

The Bold Type

The fourth season of Freeform鈥檚 鈥淭he Bold Type鈥 debuted on June 11 after the midseason finale in March during which its three main characters , from infidelity to cancer surgery recovery to job loss. This second half of the fourth season will air eight episodes throughout the summer鈥攖hough only prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, so fans will have to wait on the final two episodes of the season until production resumes.

 

The Chi

The third season of "The Chi" premieres June 21 on Showtime. The series is a that follows members of a community鈥攆rom children to young adults to elders鈥攁s they navigate life on Chicago's South Side. Jason Mitchell, who played character Brandon Johnson, was after the second season following allegations of behavior deemed inappropriate, and the character of Johnson will be killed off this season.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Marvel Studios鈥 鈥淭he Falcon and the Winter Soldier鈥 resumes where 鈥淎vengers: Endgame'' ended, 鈥攑layed by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, respectively鈥攁s they confront both fresh and familiar challenges. While and Marvel has not announced a specific date for the series鈥 return, it is

The Good Lord Bird

Based on the, 鈥淭he Good Lord Bird,鈥 is narrated by Onion, a fictional characterization of a young, enslaved boy who becomes part of real-life abolitionist John Brown鈥檚 motley crew during 鈥攁 time before the Civil War between 1854 and 1861 when the state hosted a guerrilla war between proponents and opponents of slavery. , while Daveed Diggs stars as Frederick Douglass, and Joshua Caleb Johnson is featured as the young Onion. The seven-episode limited series is scheduled to premiere on Aug. 9 on Showtime.

The Nest

Although the British drama series 鈥淭he Nest鈥 has already been released in the U.K. via BBC One, July 13 will mark its through Acorn TV, AMC鈥檚 streaming network. The five-part series follows a wealthy couple with fertility issues living in Scotland who randomly (or so it seems) 鈥攑layed by relative newcomer Mirren Mack鈥攚ho agrees to become their surrogate.

The Twilight Zone

The second season of Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg鈥檚 鈥淭he Twilight Zone鈥 reboot of the Rod Serling original debuts on June 25 on CBS All Access. Binge watchers, rejoice: and features a notable cast, including Peele, Morena Baccarin, Jenna Elfman, Topher Grace, Chris Meloni, Billy Porter, and Damon Wayans Jr.鈥攖o name just a few.

Yellowstone

A modern-day Western featuring Academy Award- and Emmy-award winner Kevin Costner as a billionaire patriarch of a complicated family, . Series co-creator Taylor Sheridan topping even the surprising events of the second season. As the cable series watched by the most number of viewers in the summer of 2019, fans can look forward to catching the show on Paramount Network again this summer.

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