TAGGED AS: Binge Guide, streaming, television, TV
Looking for something new to comfort-binge this June? Install that air conditioner, sit back, and relax as we walk you through a dozen returning series that are well worth your time.
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93%
The Boys
What it is: What would happen if superheroes, instead of for good, used their powers for self-serving purposes, power, and greed? That’s the irreverent-but-relevant twist The Boys presents as things kick off with the rise of a vigilante group that decides to put the “heroes” back in their place.
Why you should watch it: You know you’re in good hands with Seth Rogen and oft-creative collaborator Evan Goldberg. Pair them with a co-creator in sci-fi TV veteran Eric Kripke (Supernatural, Timeless), and The Boys was destined for greatness. Its turning of well-worn comic book tropes on their head, all enacted by a stellar cast of veterans and up-and-comers alike, will keep you coming back for more. Season 3 premieres June 3 on Amazon Prime Video.
Where to watch it: Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 16 hours (for the first two seasons)
95%
P-Valley
What it is: From visionary creator Katori Hall, P-Valley charts the lives of strippers in living and working in Mississippi’s “Dirty Delta” at The Pynk, a popular club.
Why you should watch it: A neon-noir ode to the successes and hardships of an oft-misunderstood industry and the women who make it tick, P-Valley is unlike anything else on TV today. Season 2 premieres June 3 on Starz.
Where to watch it: Starz
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours (for the first season)
92%
For All Mankind
What it is: This hour-long drama from creators Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert is framed around one question: What if the USSR beat the United States to the moon in 1969? Setting the series on the path of that alternative timeline, For All Mankind establishes an aspirational world where the space race never stopped, where women and racial minorities are soon invited to join NASA’s efforts, and more.
Why you should watch it: While it may at first feel similar to other space dramas of the past, over the course of two seasons, this Joel Kinnaman–led adventure-drama carves its own, exciting niche in the genre. We’re excited for what’s next. Season 3 premieres June 10 on Apple TV+.
Where to watch it: Apple TV+
Commitment: Approx. 20 hours (for the first two seasons)
93%
Peaky Blinders
What it is: The going’s rough and tough in this BBC and Netflix co-production from creator Steven Knight. Charting the rise of the notorious Peaky Blinders gang in post-WWI England, the long-running drama is led by a never-better Cillian Murphy as the fearless, cold-blooded leader, Tommy Shelby.
Why you should watch it: Between its production design, its larger-than-life performances, and airtight writing and direction, this period series takes some big swings and lands each one. Murphy delivers as the icy Tommy, and Helen McCrory is stellar as the series’ hard-as-nails matriarch. Throw into the mix a strong, talent-heavy ensemble — including turns from the likes of Tom Hardy and Aidan Gillen — and Peaky Blinders earns its reputation as one of the best series that you just might be sleeping on. Season 6 premieres on June 10 on Netflix.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 30 hours (for the first five seasons)
Related: Cillian Murphy on Becoming Peaky Blinders’ Thomas Shelby
96%
Evil
What it is: From renowned creators Michelle and Robert King, Evil stars Katja Herbers as Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist who pairs up with David Acosta (Mike Colter), a former journalist-turned-priest in training, to investigate paranormal activities.
Why you should watch it: This fan-favorite series gets just about everything right: bullet-proof horror scripts and performances come together for two seasons and counting of genuinely eerie scares and thought-provoking queries of the unknown. Season 3 premieres June 12 on Paramount+.
Where to watch it: Paramount+
Commitment: 18 hours (for the first two seasons)
92%
Love, Victor
What it is: As so many teens today are, Victor is a guy who doesn’t quite know himself yet. A high schooler in a new district whose family unit seems to be dissolving while he’s coming to terms with his sexuality, he’s got a lot on his plate! Love, Victor, from creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, is the story of how he perseveres and comes into his own — with some coming-of-age stumbles along the way.
Why you should watch it: What’s not to love about Love, Victor? A welcome expansion — and in some instances, a subtle course-correct — on Greg Berlanti’s boundary-pushing studio feature Love, Simon, the series is a funny, touching, awkward, and at-times sexy ode to modern-day teendom in all its shades, featuring a standout, grounding performance from newcomer Michael Cimino. Season 3, its final outing, premieres June 15 on Hulu.
Where to watch it: Hulu
Commitment: Approx. 10 hours (for the first two seasons)
96%
Rutherford Falls
What it is: From creators Ed Helms (who also stars), Mike Schur, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, Peacock’s Rutherford Falls is the story of two lifelong friends, Nathan Rutherford (Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), whose loyalties in their small town are put to the test when a statue of Rutherford’s storied ancestor is slated to be moved.
Why you should watch it: Heartfelt scripts and a winning ensemble bring this streaming comedy to life in surprising and hilarious ways, particularly through its exploration of contemporary life in America for Indigenous peoples.
Where to watch it: Peacock
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours (for the first season)
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Animal Kingdom
What it is: Based on the 2010 Australian feature film of the same name from writer-director David Michôd, Animal Kingdom reconfigures itself in Southern California and showcases Los Angeles’ grittier side through a crime family led by iron-fisted matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin). Our point of entry is Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole), a 17-year-old who’s swept up into the family business after his mother dies of a heroin overdose.
Why you should watch it: Ellen Barkin, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Barkin. The series’ thrilling writing and direction, led by creator Jonathan Lisco, is well worth the binge, but Tony- and Emmy-winner Barkin’s Machiavellian Smurf must be seen to be believed. Its sixth and final season premieres June 19 on TNT.
Where to watch it: Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 50 hours (for the first five seasons)
What it is: An adaptation of Gerard Way’s Dark Horse Comics series of the same name, The Umbrella Academy follows a “dysfunctional family of superheroes” who, as children, were adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves. Now estranged adults, the family reunites to solve the mystery of Hargreeves’ death.
Why you should watch it: Led by Oscar-nominee Elliot Page and Merlin alumnus Tom Hopper, the ensemble of imperfect superheroes is what makes this series sweet like candy — the looming apocalypse and genuine heart are just the cherries on top. Season 3 premieres June 22 on Netflix.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 20 hours (for the first two seasons)
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The Chi
What it is: Created by Master of None Emmy-winner Lena Waithe, this Showtime series portrays the city’s South Side neighborhood as a tapestry of want and need, violence and love when our central heroes are brought together in unexpected ways after one life- and community-altering event.
Why you should watch it: The Chi is an unflinching and authentic coming-of-age drama boasting stellar actors and writers. In a time when racial violence still devastates minority communities and permeates our headlines, it offers a timely look at some of the social issues being debated today while still being nuanced, character-driven entertainment. Season 5 premieres June 26 on Showtime.
Where to watch it: Showtime
Commitment: Approx. 40 hours (for the first four seasons)
79%
Westworld
What it is: In this hit series, the titular Westworld is a vacation destination for regular men and women to live out their most elaborate — and at times, sickening — fantasies. The Wild West–inspired society is manipulated by behind-the-scenes programmers and otherwise populated by artificially intelligent “hosts” who kick of the series’ main action when they begin to realize they may have more control over their false reality than initially thought.
Why you should watch it: Few blockbuster series from recent years have excited and divided critics and audiences in quite the same way as Westworld. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s HBO debut marks one of the most thought-provoking, epic sci-fi dramas seen on the pay cable channel to date. Matched with its ambition are breathtaking performances from Hollywood heavy-hitters as varied as Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandiwe Newton, James Marsden, Ed Harris, and Aaron Paul. Season 4 premieres June 26 on HBO.
Where to watch it: HBO Max
Commitment: Approx. 30 hours (for the first three seasons)
97%
Only Murders in the Building
What it is: True-crime podcasts are all the rage lately, but the neighbors and heroes of Only Murders in the Building take their passion to all-new heights when their own podcast gets them wrapped up in a real-life murder mystery following a grisly death inside their Upper West Side apartment building.
Why you should watch it: Casts don’t get much buzzier than Only Murders in the Building’s central trio: Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are an unlikely combo of podcasters worth dying for. Thankfully, the material they have to work with lives up to their formidable talents. Season 2 premieres June 28 on Hulu.
Where to watch it: Hulu
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours (for the first season)
