It is, to put it mildly, an interesting time in television. With production not starting back yet and the state of TV going forward still very much a mystery, many streamers are picking up previously aired content to add to their coffers. Netflix will now air Cobra Kai, which will move from YouTube Premium. HBO Max has picked up the rights to David Makes Man, the stellar, but little-seen OWN series. Will we see more of this mixing and matching? Even with everything shut down, we still have an entire new streaming platform debuting this month. Welcome to the TV world, Peacock TV!
The TV bubble may be on its way to bursting but it hasn’t popped yet. Only poor Quibi, the New Coke of the Peak TV era, seems to be on the true losing end of all the quarantine viewing that is happening.
The good news is, this summer you don’t have to feel any guilt about staying indoors and watching TV. It’s a great way to social distance! This July we will be covering the long-awaited premiere of Netflix’s The Babysitters Club (July 3), Apple TV+’s Little Voice (July 10), the Muppets triumphant return to Disney+ on July 31 and much more. But, as always, we don’t want you to miss out on any TV. So here are the five new under-the-radar shows you can’t miss this July:
1. Stateless
Executive Producers: Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton
Stars: Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Asher Keddie, Fayssal Bazzi, Dominic West, Cate Blanchett and Soraya Heidari
Premiere Date: July 8 on Netflix
Fresh off her star turn in Mrs. America, Cate Blanchett is the force behind Stateless which explores what happens to four people all involved with the same immigration detention center on the Australian border. Taking a break from The Handmaid’s Tale, Yvonne Strahovski stars as Sofia, an airline stewardess who is a German citizen but a permanent resident of Australia. When she gets caught up in a cult (lead by Blanchett and Dominic West), she is illegally detained and her family has no idea where she is. The series, which premiered in Australia last year, also tells the story of an Afghan family seeking refuge in Australia as well as the guard and government bureaucrat caught up in Australia’s immigration policies. The story is inspired by the real-life story of Cornelia Rau who is 2004 was transported against her will to Australia’s Baxter detention center.
2. Expecting Amy
Executive Producers: Amy Schumer
Stars: Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer
Premiere Date: July 9 on HBO Max
This three-part special follows comedian Amy Schumer from the moment she found out she was pregnant to the moment she gave birth to her son Gene. Schumer suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, rare condition that causes daily nausea and vomiting throughout the pregnancy. Schumer was on tour while pregnant preparing to tape her comedy special in Chicago. The series also gives viewers insight into her marriage to husband Chris Fischer and his autism spectrum diagnosis. In addition to being hilarious, Schumer is extremely honest providing viewers with an intimate look into her life during a time of great change.
3. The Nest
Executive Producers: Susan Hogg, Simon Lewis and Nicole Taylor
Stars: Martin Compston, Sophie Rundle, Mirren Mack, Katie Leung, Shirley Henderson), Kate Dickie and David Hayman
Premiere Date: July 13 on Acorn TV
As new TV continues to dwindle, thank goodness for streamers like Acorn TV which brings some of the best British television stateside. In this BBC series, Dan (Martin Compston) and Emily (Sophie Rundle) star as a married couple desperate to have a child of their own but are plagued with fertility issues. Enter Kaya (Mirren Mack), an 18-year-old who agrees to be a surrogate and carry the couple’s last embryo to term. What could possibly go wrong? As you may imagine, a lot. Oh and if that isn’t enough drama for you there’s also a murder investigation!
4. Intelligence
Executive Producers: Nick Mohammed, Nerys Evans, David Schwimmer, Morwenna Gordon
Stars: David Schwimmer, Nick Mohammed
Premiere Date: July 15 on Peacock
Ah Peacock. Will it be the next Disney+ or the next Quibi? More likely the next HBO Max, a streaming platform with a lot of familiar content and some new series which may or may not connect with audiences. At $4.99 a month the price may be right for those viewers who feel like they’ve already been to the end of Netflix and back. David Schwimmer, last seen on TV as Grace’s boyfriend in the Will & Grace revival, stars as NSA agent Jerry Bernstein who comes to England to head up the Government Communications Headquarters. Series creator Nick Mohammed co-stars as a clueless computer analyst.
5. Maxxx
Executive Producers: O-T Fagbenle
Stars: O-T Fagbenle, Christopher Meloni, Jourdan Dunn
Premiere Date: July 28 on Hulu
Well they had me at “former boy band star.” O-T Fabgenle, the beleaguered Luke on The Handmaid’s Tale, created this comedy about an aging teen star trying desperately to make a comeback and win back his one true love (Jourdan Dunn). Christopher Meloni, who has continued to make such interesting choices since departing Law & Order: SVU reunites with his The Handmaid’s Tale co-star as Maxxx’s former manager Don Wild. Hulu is the exclusive U.S. streamer of this series. Interestingly the show will air in its entirety on Hulu before it completes its run in the UK.
Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal®, is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and the Assistant TV Editor for Paste. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter (@AmyTVGal).
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