Thanks in part to streaming services, we’re no longer confined to a bunch of reruns during the summer, and this year is no different, with several new series and new seasons set to air.
If the writers strike does in fact go on through the summer, viewers might not notice much of a disruption in what they can watch, for now anyway, because of the glut of shows produced beforehand. We’re hoping that at least the current roster of shows we’re looking forward to watching stay on schedule.
‘High Desert’
Apple TV+, now streaming
A brilliant Patricia Arquette dives headfirst into a comedy thriller as Peggy, a somewhat recovering drug addict and convicted felon attempting to improve her life in a California desert town. The series also stars Rupert Friend as an anchorman-turned-guru, Brad Garrett as a private eye into whose flailing business Peggy inserts herself, Bernadette Peters as her mother and a goofball Matt Dillon as her ex-con ex-husband. — Robert Lloyd
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‘Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss’
Peacock, now streaming
Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) travels the globe on a quest to learn the secret of happiness in the five-episode series “Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss." While most (but not all) of Wilson’s antics and jokes work, the series really hits home when Wilson opens up about his own depression and anxiety disorder and meets with Icelandic teens who discuss their troubles. — Ed Stockly
‘XO, Kitty’
Netflix, now streaming
“XO, Kitty” is the series spinoff from bestselling author Jenny Han’s other smash-hit romance franchise, “To All the Boys.” This time it’s self-anointed romance expert Kitty (Anna Cathcart) whose time it is to shine when the youngest Song-Covey sister impulsively transfers to a Seoul boarding school for her junior year, anchoring a K-drama-inspired ensemble of new characters all navigating young adulthood. Cathcart carries Kitty’s journey of self-discovery with unsinkable charm, making for a breezy binge-worthy watch. — Jen Yamato
‘The Secrets of Hillsong’
Airing on FX, also streaming on Hulu
“The Secrets of Hillsong” is a docuseries about the megachurch of charismatic young pastor Carl Lentz whose flock included celebrities like Justin Bieber. When he was fired in late 2020 for supposed “moral failures,” it triggered a wave of revelations about other alleged misconduct within the church. This four-part investigation features the first interview with Lentz since his ouster from Hillsong, and details a pattern of troubling behavior that goes well beyond the hipster preacher. — Meredith Blake
‘Platonic’
Apple TV+, May 24
If you are a fan of Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in the “Neighbors” movies, “Platonic” is going to be right up your alley. The pair are teaming up again, this time as best friends who reconnect after a falling out. Sylvia (Byrne) is a former lawyer and stay-at-home mother of three, who reaches out to Will (Rogen) after she learns he recently divorced. Their lives couldn’t be at more different stages, but despite that, they find that their friendship and banter still comes easily. — Maira Garcia
‘The Idol’
HBO, June 4
On occasion, a film or TV series comes down the pike that piques my interest not for the story depicted onscreen, but for the story behind it. And boy, does “The Idol” fit the bill. The series has reportedly been plagued by problems: the departure of original director Amy Seimetz as well as rewrites and reshoots led by co-creator and controversial “Euphoria” auteur Sam Levinson. At this point, it’s not even clear what the series — featuring Lily-Rose Depp as a pop star and co-creator Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye as her culty new ... guru? love interest? tormentor? all of the above? — will be, except talked about, that is. — Matt Brennan
‘Never Have I Ever’
Netflix, June 8
It’s senior year at Sherman Oaks High School and sadly, it means our time with Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her best friends, Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), is coming to a close. Netflix announced last year that the fourth season of the coming-of-age comedy would be its last. The show is wickedly funny, and I am going to relish this last season of John McEnroe’s narration. — Maira Garcia
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’
Paramount+, June 15
The “Star Trek” spinoff returns for a second season with Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike in the captain’s chair, Ethan Peck as a perfect young Spock and Celia Rose Gooding as novel Uhura. The new season pipes Paul Wesley aboard as James T. Kirk, adds Carol Kane as the new chief engineer and promises a crossover episode with the animated “Star Trek: Lower Decks." — Robert Lloyd
‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’
AMC and AMC+, June 18
The franchise’s latest effort to recapture the magic of the 11-season post-zombie-apocalyptic phenomenon “The Walking Dead” features two main characters from the original series — Maggie and Negan (Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — as an unlikely pair of protagonists on a quest to save Maggie’s son, Hershel (the newly cast Logan Kim). Hershel has been kidnapped and spirited away to the Big Apple, or what’s left of it, and it’s up to the former nemeses to work together in a dangerous rescue. — Ed Stockly
‘The Bear’
Hulu, June 22
"The Bear" centers on Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young elite chef who returns home and ditches his fine-dining pedigree to run his family’s Chicago-based hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop, the Original Beef, after his older brother dies by suicide. The first season cooked up a gripping rumination on grief and toxic workplaces in the food industry, and ended with Carmy deciding to close the Original Beef, setting him up for a new food venture in Season 2 that’s sure to be chaotic. And with Bob Odenkirk, a master of comedic and poignant performances, recently added to the show’s ranks, the new season sounds like it’ll be more filling than an Italian beef sandwich. — Yvonne Villarreal
‘I’m a Virgo’
Prime Video, June 23
As a Virgo, I’d be remiss if I didn’t champion Boots Riley’s upcoming “I’m a Virgo” miniseries on Prime Video. But star signs have little to do with this charming coming-of-age story about a 13-foot-tall man (Jharrel Jerome) who, after living a life sheltered by his parents (Mike Epps and Carmen Ejogo), is eager to experience all the world has to offer. Set in Oakland, California, the surreal superhero send-up is a fitting follow-up to Riley’s 2018 black comedy “Sorry to Bother You.” — Sonaiya Kelley
‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’
Prime Video, July 7
Adapted from a hit Gimlet podcast, this eight-part, half-hour series follows Roach (played by Justina Machado) just as she’s released from prison after serving a 16-year sentence. She’s broke and alone when she returns to her old Washington Heights, New York, neighborhood, only to find she’s been priced out by gentrification. Dolores survives by running a massage business out of the basement of an old friend’s dilapidated shop, Empanada Loca. But when she’s pushed to the edge, she resorts to shocking extremes to survive. The series also stars Alejandro Hernandez, Kita Updike, K. Todd Freeman, as well as Cyndi Lauper, Marc Maron, Jean Yoon and Jeffery Self. — Lorraine Ali
‘And Just Like That’
Max, June TBD
Fans of “And Just Like That” have a lot of unanswered questions going into Season 2: Is Carrie really getting back together with Aidan Shaw, her jilted ex, or is the return of John Corbett a massive fake-out? Will Miranda and Che’s relationship survive the move to California? And will Charlotte ever get a storyline anyone cares about? The slapdash first season of this “Sex and the City” reboot got dragged by the critics but also introduced the phrase “Che Diaz comedy concert” to the lexicon and featured one of the most memorable stationary-bike-related fatalities in pop culture history. I am giddily anticipating more of this glorious messiness in Season 2. — Meredith Blake
‘Ahsoka’
Disney+, August TBD
Originally introduced in the animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008), Ahsoka has grown from a spunky young padawan that kept her master Anakin Skywalker on his toes to a formidable and insightful warrior with a strong moral compass over the course of a couple animated series. After making her live-action debut in “The Mandalorian,” Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is set to revisit some loose ends from her days on “Star Wars Rebels” and reunite with other beloved characters from that animated series — including Mandalorian explosives expert Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Rebel Alliance general and ace pilot Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) — in “Ahsoka.” I have been hoping to see the next chapter of their story for years. — Tracy Brown
