TAGGED AS: movies, streaming, television, TV
The summer heat is reaching new heights this month, the coronavirus pandemic continues affecting film and television production around the country, and the selection of returning series to binge is admittedly slim. So we are bringing you something a little different with this month’s guide by including an upcoming streaming film and the star’s previous TV projects you’ll want to catch up on. Find our recommendations below for six series to binge in August.
What it is: This post-apocalyptic Danish thriller from creators Jannik Tai Mosholt, Esben Toft Jacobsen, and Christian Potalivo takes place six years after the modern world has succumbed to a fatal virus that’s transmitted through toxic, infected rain. Siblings Simone and Rasmus survived against all odds while holed up in a bunker, and they reenter the world in search of their scientist father to find the rain has killed nearly all signs of human life in their native Scandinavia. They’re soon joined by another young group of survivors who face the world’s devastation and dangers together.
Why you should watch it: This slow-burning, character-driven drama has enough sci-fi elements and reality-based thrills to keep any fan of the admittedly well-worn dystopian genre entertained for a quick binge. Season 3 premieres August 6 on Netflix.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 10.5 hours (for the first two seasons)
What it is: As the Star Trek universe adds a new series with this month’s Star Trek: Lower Decks, we’re recommending you revisit The Next Generation for a summer binge. TNG sets the stage for this animated comedy series’ fantastical world, which follows four “heroes” from the support crew on Starfleet’s U.S.S. Cerritos, the fleet’s least important ship. The series also borrows its name from TNG episode, “Lower Decks.” If you want more Star Trek options, check out our list of “Star Trek TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer” to find one that’s right for you.
Why you should watch it: While the new series should be accessible to Trekkies, experts, and newbies alike, a binge of TNG will give you the info you need to ID the Lower Decks’ Easter eggs, share in the Trek humor, and more. Season 1 premieres August 6 on CBS All Access.
Where to watch: Amazon, CBS All Access, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 132 hours (for all seven seasons)
What it is: This one is for all the Seth Rogen lovers out there. Today, he is a bankable star thanks to timeless teen and stoner comedy classics like Knocked Up, Superbad, and Pineapple Express — and his latest, An American Pickle, is quite literally timeless due to its time-jumping immigrant premise. But some may forget that he pretty much grew up on our screens at the top of the millennium with Judd Apatow’s short-lived but beloved network comedies, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared.
Why you should watch it: Anyone who’s ever felt like an adrift outsider will likely see themselves in any number of the messy-but-lovable characters across these two series. If you’re looking for a classic binge that’ll remind you just why Rogen is a huge star today, this is a great place to start before An American Pickle premieres on HBO Max on August 6.
Where to watch it: A little twist with these titles: They’re only available to purchase on DVD, so you’re going to have to really commit. Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared are available to order from Amazon.com. (Step 1: Do you even have a DVD player?)
Commitment: Approx. 13 hours for Freaks and Geeks and approx. 6.5 hours for Undeclared.
What it is: As a prequel series to the long-running Inspector Morse, this Russell Lewis–created, Shaun Evans–starring series follows our hero Endeavour Morse through his early career as a detective constable through to his promotion as a detective sergeant with the Oxford City Police.
Why you should watch it: This lush period drama depicting 1960s-era Oxford and the surrounding area is grounded first and foremost from a charismatic Evans, but its twists and turns also help make the series endlessly watchable for lovers of the PBS Masterpiece cloth. Season 7 premieres August 9 on PBS.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 40 hours (for the first six seasons)
What it is: Most people escape their locale to vacation where it’s warm, but where do you vacation when your home is in Hell? Los Angeles, apparently. That’s where our titular antihero Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) sets his sights, at least, after resigning his post as ruler of the underworld to spice up his life. Once in L.A., he opens up a nightclub and stumbles into becoming a civilian consultant for the LAPD.
Why you should watch it: Based on the DC Comics character created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg, Lucifer Morningstar is a protagonist like we haven’t seen before. Ruler of Hell, sure, but also charismatic as hell (charming, witty, and handsome), proving himself to be the perfect right-hand man for homicide detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). (Over the span of the series, their beguiling relationship is one of the reasons to stick around, too.) Lucifer was cancelled by Fox in 2018, but revived by Netflix, which will premiere its fifth season on August 21.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 47 hours (for the first four seasons)
