Each week, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans writes about what he's watching. Read his last TV column about the Spring TV season here.
One of the coolest elements of working as a TV critic is the excitement and anticipation that comes from hearing about a great new series idea or fresh episodes from a beloved returning program.
Long before I saw Noah Wyle's career-best work on The Pitt, I was energized by hearing that he and ER executive producer John Wells were working on a new medical drama. Ages before I watched Vincent D'Onofrio own the screen in his work on Daredevil: Born Again, I was elated to learn he and co-star Charlie Cox would get a chance to revive the gritty, compelling world they created in the original Daredevil series run on Netflix.
Now we're on the precipice of summer, when all things seem possible – from Marvel reviving its TV fortunes with a new armored hero, to Girls creator Lena Dunham telling a new story about an awkward young woman, and TV's most compelling serial killer returning for a bite of the Big Apple.
For your planning and TV geek purposes, here's a list of the shows I'm most looking forward to seeing over the next two months – the Best of Summer TV.
The Waterfront, debuts Thursday on Netflix.
Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson returns to TV with another drama – this time centered on a family struggling to maintain its status and control of a fishing empire in North Carolina. With the always-watchable Holt McCallany (Mission: Impossible) playing the patriarch and Maria Bello as his business partner and wife, there's an ace cast on hand for whatever hijinks ensue.
Noah's Arc: The Movie, premieres Friday on Paramount+ with Showtime.
Nearly 20 years ago, the gay-centered cable channel Logo TV premiered Noah's Arc, a groundbreaking dramedy about four Black gay friends in Los Angeles – featuring characters often marginalized in other stories. In this revival film commemorating the show's anniversary, original stars like Wilson Cruz return with new guests such as Jasmine Guy to continue the show's celebration of Black queer joy.
Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything, debuts June 23 on Hulu.
I've always said Barbara Walters was the true mother of modern TV journalism, pioneering the celebrity-drenched, pop culture-infused coverage we now see all over morning shows like NBC's Today, where she became the program's first female co-host and The View, which she created. Featuring interviews with sources like Katie Couric and Oprah Winfrey, Hulu's documentary promises an intimate and raw look at a broadcaster whose pioneering style broke barriers, especially for women, but also brought criticism.
Ironheart, premieres June 24 on Disney+.
Set after the adventures depicted in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this miniseries focuses on Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams, a tech genius who creates her own superhero-style armor. Expect some wailing from typical nerd bros complaining about a Black woman wearing armor instead of the white guy hero Tony Stark. But given Marvel Television's struggle to match the success of earlier series like WandaVision, Loki and Agatha All Along, Blerds like me – yes, Black nerds -- will be watching closely to see if the show can overcome modern audiences' superhero skepticism to chart a new path.
The Bear, returns June 25 on Hulu.
Once considered a darling of the TV industry, this show has faced criticism for a third season, which disappointed some, and growing pushback over whether it should even be defined as a comedy at all. The entire 10-episode fourth season will drop, binge-style, at 8 p.m. Eastern, featuring Jeremy Allen White's tortured perfectionist chef Carmy Berzatto as he struggles to keep his new fine dining establishment open while pushing to raise its game.
Squid Game, returns June 27 on Netflix.
As the show presents its third and final season, the challenge remains to prove that its massive first-season success wasn't a fluke – fueled by the lingering COVID pandemic and fascination with South Korean media. The show's second season introduced new players and gave more details about those who control the bizarre contest where poor people are compelled to compete in deadly versions of children's games. The new season promises new games and deepening commentary on the brutal realities of capitalism.
Smoke, debuts June 27 on Apple TV+.
Crime novelist and TV writer Dennis Lehane has created a series exploring the world of arson, featuring Taron Egerton as a cocky investigator who reluctantly teams up with a police detective – played by Jurnee Smollett – to try catching two deadly criminals. Lehane and Egerton worked together in 2022 on the amazing serial killer drama Black Bird, reteaming here for a story based on actual events chronicled in the 2021 podcast, Firebug.
Ballard, premieres July 9 on Prime Video.
Developed as a continuation of the universe created in the series Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, this series features Maggie Q as Det. Renee Ballard, a cop with a controversial past assigned to lead a new, underfunded cold case division at the Los Angeles Police Department. Like Bosch, this show is also based on characters from crime novels by Michael Connelly, who also serves as an executive producer; expect callbacks to stories from the mothership series. All 10 episodes drop, binge-style, on July 9.
Too Much, debuts July 10 on Netflix.
For those who fell in love with Megan Stalter's turn as bizarre nepo baby assistant-turned co-manager Kayla on Hacks, now you get a series that unleashes Stalter as a leading lady. Here, Stalter plays Jessica, a workaholic thirtysomething New Yorker feeling adrift, who flees to London hoping to start over. In a story co-created by Girls mastermind Lena Dunham – who also has a supporting role – Jessica's attempt to escape disappointing romantic entanglements falters when she stumbles into another possible connection which may be tough to resist.
Dexter: Resurrection, premieres July 13 on Showtime.
This will be the third series centered on serial killer Dexter Morgan since the original Dexter series wrapped up in 2013. This show picks up after the events of Dexter: New Blood in 2022, when Michael C. Hall's Dexter, who only kills other killers, was shot by his estranged adult son, Harrison. It turns out, Dexter didn't die from that wound; instead, he is drawn to New York City, where Harrison now lives, along with an exciting slate of new characters played by Uma Thurman, Neil Patrick Harris, Krysten Ritter and Peter Dinklage.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, returns July 17 on Paramount+.
Among all the series developed by Paramount to revive Star Trek for modern audiences, this comes closest to the original program's spirit from nearly 60 years ago – focused on the continuing adventures of folks who ran the Starship Enterprise before Captain Kirk's tenure, including Ethan Peck's younger Mr. Spock and Anson Mount as Capt. Christopher Pike. Last season, they offered a musical episode and a crossover with the animated series Lower Decks. The new third season kicks off by resolving a cliffhanger from last year when the crew took on a fearsome alien warrior race, the Gorn.
King of the Hill, debuts Aug. 4 on Hulu.
This reboot surfaces 15 years after the animated comedy's last new episodes aired in first-run syndication. Here, Hank and Peggy Hill return to the U.S. after years of working in Saudi Arabia, to find their old home of Arlen, Texas, has changed quite a bit. The world might be different, but original stars Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Root and many others have returned to bring their old magic.
Alien: Earth, debuts Aug. 12 on Hulu.
Many fans of the Alien franchise have always wondered: What would happen if a Xenomorph – the deadly creature from the films – actually landed on Earth? This new series, created by Fargo and Legion showrunner Noah Hawley, may answer that question. Set in 2120, the show depicts an Earth run by five corporations, threatened when a deep space research vessel crash-lands on the planet, releasing dangerous cargo. The cast includes Justified alum Timothy Olyphant, presaging an unmissable TV event.
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