School’s out and to celebrate this fine occasion, I’ll be recommending a handful of quality TV shows to keep you busy in front of the boob tube over the long, dog days of summer. The months of June, July, and August play host to many of your favorite returning series including Orange is the New Black, Mr. Robot, and You’re the Worst. Haven’t heard of them? Stop playing neighbors with Patrick Star and get with the programs! Release dates, times, and trailers are posted after the break.
The ladies of Litchfield are back–I love saying this every year at this time–in a brand new season of Orange is the New Black. At the end of last season, busloads of new inmates started to unload at the prison, so you can be sure to expect all kinds of crazy (yes, I’m looking at you, Suzanne) in season four. And if you think this is the beginning of the end for Piper and company, you’d be dead wrong. In the spring, Netflix renewed OITNB for three more seasons; so hold onto your toothbrush and toilet paper, the fun is just ramping up.
Orange is the New Black streams all 13 new episodes Friday, June 17 on Netflix. Here’s the trailer.
Here’s an under-the-radar sitcom you might have missed last summer that’s totally worth your summer TV investment. Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll stars Denis Leary as…
Johnny Rock, lead singer of a legendary early-’90s band that partied so long and so hard that even Keith Richards thought they needed to slow things down. The Heathens were on the brink of becoming famous when they broke up — the same day the album dropped. Because lead guitarist Flash (Corbett) found Johnny in bed with his wife. A quarter-century later, Johnny’s talented daughter Gigi (Elizabeth Gillies) reunites Johnny, Flash, and the rest of their dysfunctional rock and roll family – Ava (Elaine Hendrix), Bam Bam (Robert Kelly) and Rehab (John Ales) – to be her new backup band as they take another shot at rock glory.
In a rare feat for a fresh sitcom, this wildly talented cast meshed extremely well from the get-go and the material is consistently funny and heartfelt. As a bonus, the music is great too, and Gillies-as-Gigi is a breakout star.
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll returns for its second season Thursday, June 30 at 10pm on FX. Watch new promos here.
Now here’s an FX drama that I also feel has gone under-the-radar since its debut in 2014. It’s called Tyrant and it revolves around an unassuming American family drawn into the inner workings of a turbulent fictional Middle Eastern nation. Family values and politics collide in this adrenaline-fueled, thought-provoking drama that pulls inspiration ripped from the headlines. In the season 2 finale, a major character’s death was teased, and fans are surely clamoring to see the fallout from that. In fact, I’m curious to know if the show can continue to succeed without said character still breathing. I’ve been avoiding the marketing for the new season in case clues abound.
Tyrant resumes Wednesday, July 6 at 10pm on FX.
Everyone needs to laugh, too, and I’ve got not one but two comedies to check out for summer. First up is Difficult People on Hulu. Comedians Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner star as loose versions of themselves in this hysterical look at life in your 30s when you’re still looking to make it big in the entertainment industry. If you happen to be a fan of Eichner’s self-loathing material often found in his Billy on the Street bits, you must tune into this Hulu sitcom. It’s light, fun, deliciously cruel, and freaking funny.
Difficult People‘s second season streams in full starting Tuesday, July 12 on Hulu. Here’s the teaser.
Oh, now here’s a cult favorite. Seemingly out of nowhere, Mr. Robot premiered last summer on USA of all networks and became an overnight sensation. Who knew TV audiences would be so drawn to hacker culture? Perhaps its the bit about taking down a greedy corporation hellbent on controlling every aspect of people’s lives that has viewers chomping at the bit. Or perhaps it’s Rami Malek and Christian Slater’s magnificent performances that are enigmatic as they are gripping and emotionally charged. Mr. Robot is quintessential quality television today, with an engaging plot, a fine sense of direction, and a direct link to the real world politics and technology that are transforming society.
Mr. Robot picks up its twisty action Wednesday, July 13 at 10pm on USA. Preview season 2 here.
BoJack is back! Here’s the second sitcom for summer I promised you. This darkly comedic animated series has so many layers now it’s hard to summarize it succinctly but I’ll try. Will Arnett voices BoJack, an anthropomorphic horse who’s going through life figuring out his place in it and the legacy he will leave behind. On the surface it’s a really funny and witty show about talking animals with a fantastic voice cast including Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and Paul F. Tompkins. Peel those layers back, and it doesn’t take long to realize that it’s a fairly deep psychological study on cynicism, heartbreak, and learning to love yourself. I’m totally serious. Don’t believe me? I dare you to check it out!
BoJack Horseman season 3 rolls out Friday, July 22 on Netflix. No trailer, just this cheeky announcement clip.
Surprise! We end with a third laugher that’ll bleed into your fall schedule. Much like BoJack, FXX’s You’re the Worst is a comedy with an unexpectedly emotional core. It’s a modern look at relationships, and it has loads of fun with it. At the same time, however, it isn’t afraid to explore serious bumps along the way. Last season, for example, took a fairly dark turn when the sensitive topic of depression took main stage in the relationship between Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash). A comedy that’s confident enough to break the status quo in attempt to mine its characters and the relationships between them is a real winner in my book. It also helps that the writing is unrelentingly funny and whip smart.
You’re the Worst debuts its third season Wednesday, August 31 at 10pm on FXX.
UPDATE (6/30): AMC tested our patience but finally landed on a season 3 premiere date for Halt and Catch Fire. The drama, starring Lee Pace, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Kerry Bishé, follows the PC Revolution of the ’80s and it may just be the best drama you’re not watching. Though it plays in techy waters, the series at its core paints broader strokes; relationships are examined and tested when a group of extremely smart and talented pioneers push the limits of what’s possible in a technologically infantile world. The direction, acting, storytelling, and score here makeup the best of what our Golden Age of Television has to offer, so my recommendation is strong. Catch up on Netflix–the first two seasons are streaming now.
Halt and Catch Fire boots back up Tuesday, August 23 at 9PM with a two-hour premiere on AMC. The following week it will begin airing in its regular Tuesdays-at-10 slot.