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 — especially as the temperatures rise — stay on schedule.
'Platonic' (Apple TV Plus, Wednesday)
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are 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 come easily.
'The Idol' (HBO, June 4)
Set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this month, it has reportedly been plagued by problems including the departure of original director Amy Seimetz. So the curiosity about the backstage drama will have to sustain us. At this point, it's not even clear what the series — featuring Lily-Rose Depp as a pop star and co-creator the Weeknd as her culty guru? love interest? tormentor? all of the above? — will be, except talked about, that is.
'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.
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' (Paramount Plus, June 15)
The "Star Trek"-iest of all "Trek" spinoffs — because it features characters from the original series, and characters previously seen only in its pilot — returns for a second season. It pipes Paul Wesley aboard as James T. Kirk and adds Carol Kane as the new chief engineer and promises a crossover episode with the animated "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
'The Walking Dead: Dead City' (AMC, June 18)
In this spinoff, two main characters from the original "Walking Dead" series — Maggie and Negan (Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — form an unlikely pair of protagonists. Somehow, they made it through the last four seasons without killing each other and are now united on a quest to save Maggie's son, Hershel (Logan Kim), who has been kidnapped and spirited away to the Big Apple, or what's left of it. It's up to the former nemeses to work together in a dangerous rescue.
'The Bear' (Hulu, June 22)
Created by Christopher Storer, it centers on a young elite chef (Jeremy Allen White) who returns home and ditches his fine-dining pedigree to run his family's hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop after his older brother dies by suicide. He's joined by the shop's faithful and rough-around-edges kitchen staff. Season 2 sounds like it'll be more filling than an Italian beef sandwich with Bob Odenkirk joining the show's ranks.
'I'm a Virgo' (Prime Video, June 23)
This miniseries is a 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, Calif., the surreal superhero send-up uses practical effects, forced perspective and stop-motion animation, in a departure from today's most popular genre offerings.
