If gas prices have you second-guessing a road trip this summer, this season’s crop of television series can transport you to distant lands, real and imagined, for a much lower price. Visit the American frontier, 1930s New York and the mountains of Europe. And get a glimpse of dragons, superheroes, airbenders and pro athletes while you’re at it. Either way, you’ll have an escape this summer, and that’s something we could all use these days.
Tatiana Maslany in Apple TV’s “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.”
‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’
May 20, Apple TV
Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black," ”She-Hulk”) plays Paula, a soccer mom and magazine fact-checker who, amid an acrimonious divorce from Karl (Jake Johnson), finds comfort from a laptop Lothario. After she witnesses a vicious attack on him mid-session, Paula embarks on an investigation to find him and the perpetrator. As a darkly funny and emotionally authentic thriller, “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” appears quite prepared to deliver on its titular promise. — Mary McNamara
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Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly in Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir.”
‘Spider-Noir’
May 25, MGM+; May 27, Prime Video
In “Spider-Noir,” based on the Marvel comic “Spider-Man Noir,” we’re transported to an alternate universe set in 1930s New York. Our everyman is Ben Reilly — played by the incomparable Nicolas Cage, making his live-action television debut — a private investigator who moonlights as the city’s only superhero, the Spider. After a tragedy, he hangs up his mask, but circumstances change and he has to become the Spider once more. The series is replete with talent, including Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Li Jun Li and Karen Rodriguez. To further immerse you in the noir setting, the series is being released in both black and white and color. You’re going to want to watch it both ways. — Maira Garcia
Tina Fey as Kate, left, and Colman Domingo as Danny in Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Four Seasons.”
‘The Four Seasons’ Season 2
May 28, Netflix
Navigating the loss of a friend can be a long and winding journey. But this group of friends is hiking through their grief — at least temporarily. The comedy that reimagines Alan Alda’s ’80s film of the same name returns for its second season and its tight-knit group of friends — portrayed by Tina Fey (Kate), Will Forte (Jack), Kerri Kenney-Silver (Anne), Colman Domingo (Danny) and Marco Calvani (Claude) — are mourning their longtime pal Nick (Steve Carell). The stress and emotional aftermath they’re each facing is a tightrope walk … with an incline. Things pick up in the spring with Jack, who tries to rally the group through a series of hikes as they look for the perfect spot to scatter Nick’s ashes. It sets them on a path of miscommunication, tension and hilarity. — Yvonne Villarreal
Patrick Wilson, left, and Amy Adams in "Cape Fear."
‘Cape Fear’
June 5, Apple TV
Comparing the chill factor of the two film versions of “Cape Fear” — the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, or the 1991 remake starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte — could spark a lively debate. Both depict the story of an attorney and family being stalked by a violent psychopath. Now, a new version on Apple TV will take on the story in a limited series featuring Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson and Javier Bardem as the revenge-obsessed criminal Max Cady. Be afraid. Be very afraid. — Greg Braxton
Britt Lower in "I Will Find You," streaming June 18.
‘I Will Find You’
June 18, Netflix
Britt Lower portraying a former journalist? Show me the way. This is yet another Harlan Coben adaptation keeping the streamer’s shelves stocked. The thriller stars Sam Worthington as David Burroughs, an imprisoned father wrongfully convicted of murdering his son. But a life sentence won’t stop a desperate father. When his ex-sister-in-law Rachel Mills (Lower) discovers bombshell proof that the child might still be alive, it sets off a harrowing prison break in search of the truth. The series also stars Milo Ventimiglia, Logan Browning, Chi McBride, Erin Richards and Jonathan Tucker. — Y.V.
Emma D’Arcy in "House of the Dragon."
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3
June 21, HBO
It’s been nearly two years since the Season 2 finale of “House of the Dragon,” so no one will blame you if you can’t quite remember where things left off. What I can recall is that Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) are finally on the same page. We also see Rhaenyra reject Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) surrender in exchange for the safety of her family, which can only mean one thing: war is coming. — M.G.
"Avatar: the Last Airbender"
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Season 2
June 25, Netflix
Long ago — more than two years, when the first season of the live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” premiered, that is — a young Air Nomad named Aang (Gordon Cormier) awoke from an inadvertent hibernation to discover his world had massively changed in the 100 years he was frozen in ice. He then embarked on a journey with new friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) to master the rest of the elements and save the world. “ATLA” Season 2 will see Team Avatar seeking out an earthbending teacher for Aang. Those familiar with the original show know this teacher will be Toph Beifong (Miya Cech). On top of adding Toph to their ranks, Aang and his gang also will be working to enlist more allies in the war being waged by the Fire Nation. — Tracy Brown
Larry David, left, and former President Barack Obama in HBO’s “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.”
‘Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness’
June 26, HBO
Subtitled “An Almost History of America” and arriving on the eve of the nation’s semiquincentennial, this seven-episode sketch comedy comes from Larry David, television’s great luckless crank, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions. Actors dressing up in period clothes and personae include Bill Hader and Kathryn Hahn as Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Jon Hamm and Sean Hayes as the Wright brothers, and David reuniting with Jerry Seinfeld as explorers Lewis and Clark, with Jeff Garlin, J.B. Smoove and Susie Essman in from “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” — Robert Lloyd
"Little House on the Prairie"
‘Little House on the Prairie’
July 9, Netflix
Where most of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s "Little House on the Prairie" books were seen through the eyes of a child and written for children, this series, run by executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine, offers a more adult understanding of the late-19th century American West. Laura (Alice Halsey) remains the central character, but the adults are given more complex personalities and backstories. Though far from gritty, and gorgeously shot, this “Little House on the Prairie” may better contextualize the Ingalls’ lives than did the original 1974 hit, but it revolves around a similar celebration of family, community and the importance of hope. — M.M.
Anya Taylor-Joy in "Lucky"
‘Lucky’
July 15, Apple TV
Any project that stars Anya Taylor-Joy is worth checking out. In the past several years, the actor has brought her unique intensity and fierceness to numerous TV and film projects ranging from “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Menu” to “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Gorge.” She is the star and an executive producer of “Lucky,” playing a con artist targeted by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss when a multimillion-dollar heist goes wrong. The cast includes Timothy Olyphant and Annette Bening. — G.B.
From left, Hannah Waddingham, Octavia Spencer, and Ed Skrein in "Ride or Die."
‘Ride or Die’
July 15, Prime Video
Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer in a European-set, action-packed buddy series? Sign me up! The pair play best friends Judith (Waddingham) and Debbie (Spencer), but Judith has been hiding an important fact from her bestie — she’s a deadly assassin. High jinks ensue. The actors are executive producers on the series, created by Tessa Coates with Matt Miller (“Lethal Weapon”) showrunning. Bill Nighy also stars. — M.G.
Molly Shannon, left, and Will Ferrell in "The Hawk."
‘The Hawk’
Summer 2026, Netflix
Will Ferrell is Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a championship golfer looking for a comeback after a 20-year descent from the top, and aiming high: the PGA tour. “Saturday Night Live” castmates Molly Shannon and Chris Parnell are on board as Hawkins’ estranged wife and a PGA board member, respectively. The stacked cast also includes Luke Wilson, Fortune Feimster as Hawkins’ caddie and Jimmy Tatro as his successful golfer son. — R.L.
From left, Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Tanya Reynolds in “Ted Lasso” Season 4, premiering Aug. 5 on Apple TV.
‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4
Aug. 5, Apple TV
Having neatly completed a three-season arc three years ago, the gentle comedy set against a low-performing British soccer team and its imported American coach (Jason Sudeikis) returns for a fourth season. The new arc brings the title character back to Richmond to coach “a second division women’s football team,” which presents new thematic possibilities and opportunities for growth. Returning with Sudeikis are Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, in whatever new roles their characters might now occupy. — R.L.
Aaron Pierre, left, and Kyle Chandler in "Lanterns."
‘Lanterns’
Aug. 16, HBO Max
A superhero crime drama set in the DC Universe, “Lanterns” will follow a pair of intergalactic cops as they investigate a murder somewhere in the Midwest. The show stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, a new recruit to the Green Lantern Corps, and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, a Green Lantern legend who is nearing retirement. “True Detective” and “Slow Horses” have been mentioned as inspirations for the series, which boasts both prestige TV and comic book bona fides in creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. The series also features Kelly Macdonald and Nathan Fillion. — T.B.
