Summer always feels so full of things we should be doing, and yet, when there’s so much new television, why should we even bother to leave the house? There’s a bevy of new series about the supernatural, there are some welcome returns, including Mr. Robot. But this summer’s biggest show is the long-awaited Preacher—which better live up to the hype.
May
Penny Dreadful
Showtime’s by turns strange and fabulous supernatural drama returns for a third season. We’ll be following each character in their own special hells this time around, since everyone split up in the season finale. But the best news? Is that Patti Lupone is returning... and playing a brand new character. We’ll be turning in for that.
Where: Showtime
When: May 1
Houdini & Doyle
What more could you ask for than a TV show where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) and Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) solve mysteries while debating whether or not the supernatural is real? It looks like Fox is trying to fill the X-Files void with a show where Houdini is the Scully and Doyle the Mulder. It’s already aired a bunch of episodes in the UK to not-exactly-rapturous reviews, but this premise is absurd enough that we admit to being slightly curious.
Where: Fox
When: May 2
Person of Interest
We’re both excited that one of the best shows on TV is returning and heartbroken that it’s coming to an end. Person of Interest’s fifth and final season is coming back on May 3, but it’s going to air every Monday and Tuesday starting on May 9. Which means the show’s short season is going to be burned through in six weeks.
Where: CBS
When: May 3
Steven Universe
After a long wait (every Steven Universe wait feels too long, to be fair), Steven Universe returns with a four-week event called “In Too Deep.” We’ve got Steven and the Gems going after Malachite and, of course, nothing but our pure joy at seeing this show again.
Where: Cartoon Network
When: May 12
Preacher
Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s comic gets the small-screen treatment and has turned into one of the most anticipated premieres of the year. For those who have never read the comics, here’s the synopsis from the AMC website:
Preacher is the story of Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), a conflicted preacher in a small Texas town who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that allows him to develop a highly unconventional power. Jesse embarks on a journey to, literally, find God, joined by his ex-girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Negga) and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun).
Where: AMC
When: May 22
Wayward Pines
The supernatural mystery show returns for a second season and a revamped cast. Characters who were leads in season one will mostly recur in season two; a whole new cast of characters, lead by Jason Patric as Dr. Theo Yedlin, will take the spotlight. Yedlin wakes from suspended animation to find Wayward Pines in the midst of a rebellion.
Where: Fox
When: May 25
June
Cleverman
Cleverman is an American/Australian/New Zealand set in a dystopian near future. On a macro-scale, the show takes place in a future where creatures thought to be mythological are treated as second-class citizens by humanity. On a micro-scale, the show focuses on two estranged Indigenous brothers struggling to survive.
Where: Sundance
When: June 1
Beauty and the Beast
Our long national nightmare is over as the fourth season will be Beauty and the Beast’s last. The fact that it’s finally ending is literally the only part of this show we care about.
Where: CW
When: June 2
Outcast
Cinemax must really like this show, based on a Robert Kirkman comic, since it’s already renewed it for a second season. The show follows Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit), who is looking for answers about why he’s been the subject of possessions since he was a kid. Unsurprisingly, this search for answers could lead to disaster for all of humanity.
Where: Cinemax
When: June 3
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Netflix is rebooting the classic robot cartoon. As required for reboots, it will be a more serious take and set in its own universe, separate from the old series.
Where: Netflix
When: June 10
The Last Ship
The post-pandemic show managed a neat trick last season by transferring from searching for the cure to dealing with the machinations of those seeking to prevent them from disseminating a cure. Season three sees our cast dealing with a Chinese government that is hoarding the cure and a new strain emerging in Japan. Plus, there’s still the aftermath of the finale cliffhanger to deal with.
Where: TNT
When: June 12
BrainDead
At this point, none of us would really be shocked to discover that alien spawn have eaten the brains of the people working on Capitol Hill. This comedy has a stellar cast (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Pino, Aaron Tveit, Tony Shalhoub, Nikki M. James and Johnny Ray Gill) that makes this worth checking out.
Where: CBS
When: June 13
Zoo
Want to find out what happened after a mob of pissed-off animals took to the streets in the season one finale of this absurd and frustrating show? Then it’s time for Zoo! (Look, it’s a show that’s basically a science fiction-version of When Animals Attack. I don’t really know what else to say.)
Where: CBS
When: June 28
Dead of Summer
This horror series comes courtesy of the team behind Once Upon a Time’s Adam Horowitz (executive producer), Edward Kitsis (executive producer), and Ian Goldberg (writer-producer). A supernatural evil stalks a summer camp and the show balances that with the usual problems faced by the kids and counselors there. Yes, a horror story set in a summer camp, color us shocked
Where: Freeform
When: June 28
July
Mr. Robot
Last summer’s breakout returns again to break our brains as we try to figure out where things could be headed. In addition to Elliot’s mental breakdown continuing to impact everything, we also know that the show is diving into the encryption and privacy debate. We’re all-in on this series.
Where: USA
When: July 13
Stranger Things
Another new Netflix series, this one’s set in the ‘80s and starts with the disappearance of a young girl, and ends with top secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and “one very strange little girl.” That, and a cast led by Winona Ryder, has us slightly curious.
Where: Netflix
When: July 15
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens
We live in a world where Sharknado is a yearly event. Whatever. Watch it or don’t I guess.
Where: Syfy
When: July 31