Summer 2023 TV
13 shows to check out this summer
I keep a running list of shows that I want to watch on my iPhone, and it's gotten to the point where it's overwhelming: there's nearly 60 (!) shows on there, ranging from things that have been out for a while to ones that that are coming up.
I've been working my way through Better Call Saul's 6th season, and while checking it off the list, I realized that there are a ton of new seasons and shows coming out this summer. So, I've jotted down a schedule for what's coming up, because some of these are coming up fast.
Black Mirror Season 6, Netflix, June 15th
Black Mirror is one of those shows that I have to be in the right mood to dig into; I still haven't watched Season 5, which dropped in 2019. After something of a hiatus, the show's back for a sixth season. Judging from the trailer, it looks like there'll be a real selection of mind-blenders:
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Paramount+, June 15th
I've never been much of a Star Trek fan, but the recent iterations of the franchise have drawn me in, especially Strange New Worlds. The first season came out last year, and I've been eager to return to the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Secret Invasion, Disney+, June 21st
One of Marvel's strongest suits is that it's able to tell any number of stories in any number of genres, from zany space opera (Guardians of the Galaxy), to techno-thriller (Iron Man 3) to political thriller (Captain America: Civil War). One of the latest iterations in that last category is Secret Invasion, which finds Nick Fury fighting against some shapeshifting Skrulls. This is the first Marvel show that I've been jazzed to see for a while, and it's continuing some storylines that I've been eager to catch up on.
The Witcher, Season 3, Netflix, June 29th
I started The Witcher when it came out, but didn't quite get around to finishing that season, and haven't seen Season 2. It's on my list, and at some point, I just need to sit down and burn through it. This is the last season with Harry Cavill starring in the lead role, so it'll be interesting to see what they do to set up that as they prepare for Season 4.
Foundation Season 2, Apple TV+, July 14th
I really enjoyed Apple's take on Foundation (you can read recaps here), an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic space opera series as a Galactic Empire begins to collapse.
The series is a bit of a departure from the novels, but I think it's telling an interesting story in and of itself, and I'm eager to see what's to come this year.
Justified: City Primeval, FX, July 18th
Not SF/F, but a series that I'm very much looking forward to returning: Justified! Justified was one of those rare shows that was pretty much pitch-perfect from beginning to end, and I've rewatched it a handful of times. The show's coming back with a sequel series, City Primeval, which picks up Raylan Givens' story a bunch of years after leaving Kentucky: he ended up back in Miami, and finds himself on the trail of a killer known as the The Oklahoma Wildman. This looks fantastic.
Futurama Season 11, Hulu, July 24th
Good news, everybody! Futurama's back after a long hiatus. This has long been one of my favorite shows, and it'll be great to see the Planet Express team back together for some more adventures.
Good Omens Season 2, Prime Video, July 28th
I never ended up reading the original novel by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman, but I did enjoy the Amazon Prime series quite a bit. (A good memory from this: sitting next to Gaiman, David Tennant, John Hamm, and Michael Sheen at a press junket to ask a bunch of questions.) The two authors had talked about a sequel back in the day, but that never materialized – until now. Amazon commissioned a second series, and it'll be interesting to see how Gaiman follows it up.
Star Wars: Ahsoka, Disney+, August 23rd
The next Star Wars series is a big continuation of Star Wars: Rebels, and picks up around the same time as The Mandalorian. Season 2 of that series brought in Ahsoka Tano, one of the lead characters in the animated Clone Wars and Rebels shows, as well as hints of Grand Admiral Thrawn as the big bad. I still haven't finished Rebels, but it's one of the shows that I've been working through as this series approaches.
Wheel of Time Season 2, Prime Video, September 1st
The Wheel of Time was the other big fantasy series from Prime Video (Ahead of Rings of Power), and it tackled the formidable challenge of adapting Robert Jordan's novels for the first time. I wasn't entirely taken with the series when I watched through it, but the reactions to it from fans were pretty good, so I'll be interested to see where they take the series from here.
Other upcoming shows:
- Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Paramount+. Paramount hasn't announced a release date for this upcoming season, just "Summer 2023), which makes me think that it'll come a bit after Strange New Worlds ends. That could put a release sometime toward the end of August.
- Three-Body Problem, Netflix. Netflix has said that its big adaptation of Cixin Liu's novels will come midway through 2023. I'd bet that we'll see some info (trailer, release date, etc.) about this around the big convention season this summer.
- Skeleton Crew, Disney+. The next-next Star Wars series is set in the larger "Mando-verse", following a group of kids as they're lost and trying to make their way home in the galaxy, along with a Jedi protector. This one sounds like a lot of fun: it's slated for a 2023 release, but I haven't heard any concrete dates for it.