Summer 2020 Preview: 25 Must-Watch TV Shows

“Laurel Canyon” (May 31, EPIX)

EPIX is carving out a niche as the place to get your 1960s/1970s Los Angeles fix. Their first of two L.A.-set documentaries — the other being an upcoming look at the Manson killings — is a languid, beautifully rendered story about the musical scene of Laurel Canyon. This mythic place in the Hollywood Hills fostered all manner of musical talent during a decade known for being revolutionary. Filled with breathtaking archival musical performances, if you need a virtual vacation this will get you there. 

“Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story” (June 2, USA)

Originally premiering on Bravo in 2018, this second season of the adaptation of the popular podcast transitions into becoming an anthology series. In this case, it tells the story of San Diego housewife and murderer Betty Broderick (Amanda Peet).

In her “B+” review, IndieWire’s Ann Donahue says, “It should have been, by all accounts, easy for Betty to walk away from this standard-bearer of toxic masculinity. But thanks to Cunningham’s deft writing and Peet’s remarkable performance, it becomes clear that Betty was walking into a labyrinth of her own making the second Dan sidled up to her in a South Bend, Ind. college bar.” The series airs Tuesdays on USA.

“I May Destroy You” (June 7, HBO)

The latest from “Chewing Gum” creator Michaela Coel is a serious look at rape culture and identity. The official synopsis reads: “Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella (Coel), a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.” 

“90 Day Fiance: The Other Way” (June 9, TLC)

One of the most popular franchises on TLC is their soapy, melodramatic examinations of relationships established over the internet between two people living in different countries. They’ve spun-off the “90 Day” series all manner of different ways and this summer sees the story flipped. “The Other Way” presents the American halves of the couples traveling to live in their prospective fiance’s native country. This season sees a Florida woman traveling to Jordan, a gay couple navigating homophobia in Mexico, and the return of a couple trying to make it work in South Korea. “90 Day Fiance: The Other Way” airs weekly on TLC.

“One Day At a Time” Animated Special (June 16, Pop TV)

Back in March Pop TV aired the fourth season of “One Day at a Time,” the reboot of Norman Lear’s 1970s family drama. Originally housed on Netflix, the series transitioned to Pop TV, making it the first streaming series to transition to a network. Unfortunately, after airing the first half of their season the global pandemic took hold. They attempted to continue filming, sans live audience, but eventually shut down production completely. Now, in the hopes of keeping the show on the road, the series aired a fully animated episode using one of their unfilmed scripts, include guest appearances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melissa Fumero, and Gloria Estefan.

“Love, Victor” (June 17, Hulu)

An adaptation of the 2018 teen drama “Love, Simon,” this new spinoff follows another student at Simon’s high school. Victor (Michael Cimino) is struggling with his sexuality on top of internal issues with his family. The series was originally set to debut on Disney+ but after worries about the show’s content — though not, allegedly, strictly its look at homosexuality — it was moved to Hulu. The 10-episode series launched on Hulu June 19.

“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (June 18, HBO)

HBO’s latest foray into the true-crime documentary world is a six-part series examining the Golden State Killer as documented by the late author Michelle McNamara. Based around McNamara’s book of the same name, the documentary will detail not just the story of the Golden State Killer, but the author’s determination to bring him to justice before her untimely passing. It was a foregone conclusion when the book was released that this would get the documentary treatment and it should be fascinating. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” airs on HBO starting June 28.

“Perry Mason” (June 21, HBO)

Initially in development as a big-screen movie starring Robert Downey, Jr., the long-gestating reboot of “Perry Mason” finally hits the screen, albeit the television screens of HBO subscribers. This take on the eponymous defense attorney fighting for the wrongfully accused sees Mason as a younger man, a private investigator tasked with solving the murder of a child. Tatiana Maslany co-stars as a radio evangelist who, no doubt, has connections to the case. It’s not exactly the Perry Mason your grandparents knew, but looks to conjure up plenty of film noir goodness. “Perry Mason” arrives June 21 on HBO.

“Worst Cooks in America” (June 21, Food)

If you’re enjoying the summer, odds are you’re grilling hot dogs and/or ordering delivery. It is this thought process that makes watching Food Network’s new season of “Worst Cooks in America” so fun because, no matter how bad you may think your cooking is, it’s not nearly as bad as what chefs Ann Burrell and Bobby Flay see. This season brings a new set of self-proclaimed “worst cooks” to the kitchen, where they go through a series of challenges to improve their cooking and hopefully go from worst to best. 

“The Twilight Zone” Season 2 (June 25, CBS All Access)

The second season of the Jordan Peele-hosted and produced adaptation of Rod Serling’s iconic series finally arrives to make our summer a little kookier. The guest star slate is packed this year, with appearances by Billy Porter, Christopher Meloni, and Morena Baccarin, to name a few. We might know next to nothing about the individual episodes’ themselves — or whether they’ll adapt any episodes from the original series — but we’re ready to reenter “The Twilight Zone.” 

“Doom Patrol” Season 2 (June 25, HBO Max)

Originally streaming through the DC Universe’s streaming service, the cult superhero series “Doom Patrol” transitions to its second home on HBO on June 25. (Don’t worry, it will also continue to be available on DC Universe.) This dysfunctional superhero family story follows the eponymous group as they attempt to overcome their tragic backgrounds, bond together as a unit, and save the world. Filled with crass humor and a general lampoon of the superhero story, “Doom Patrol” continues to bring in new fans.

“Unsolved Mysteries” (July 1, Netflix)

Back in the late-1980s there was no mystery show more deliciously entertaining than “Unsolved Mysteries.” And with everything old being new again, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to reboot it. Netflix is debuting a 12-episode reboot of the iconic mystery show, eschewing a host and transitioning the series to hour-long mysteries. Whether fans of the original will like the changes remains to be seen. (No doubt you can already hear that theme song and are ready to solve a mystery.)

“Hamilton” (July 3, Disney+)

From the moment audiences knew Lin-Manuel Miranda and the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton” had recorded their final performance, they were champing at the bit to see it. The Broadway sensation drew massive competition for tickets, both in New York and during its touring company, but there was something added to having the original cast perform it. Disney quickly grabbed the rights to the recording, with plans to release it into theaters next year as part of a contractual agreement with the Broadway theater. But once the pandemic hit Disney decided to take advantage of the lack of programming — and the shut-down of Broadway — to move up the release. Now, audiences can sing all their Hamilton favorites on the streaming service starting on July 3.

“The Baby-Sitters Club” (July 3, Netflix)

“The Baby-Sitters Club” inspired a generation of girls to become entrepreneurs and there’s no doubt Netflix’s new adaptation of the series will do the same. The show follows a group of 13-year-olds, led by tomboy Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace) as they start the titular baby-sitters club and navigate everything from new relationships to the travails of school and making new friends. Each episode will be an adaptation of a specific book in Ann M. Martin’s popular YA series.

“Hanna” Season 2 (July 3, Amazon Prime Video)

In 2019, Amazon Prime Video premiered the first season of “Hanna,” an adaptation of the 2011 action film of the same name starring Saorise Ronan. Like the movie, the series follows the titular Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles), whose DNA is enhanced as part of a government experiment. Now a teenager, Hanna seeks independence but has to stay one step ahead of the government agent hunting her down. The first season was well-received, and with Amazon Prime focused more on movies this summer, this should be a good return for them.

“Ju-On: Origins” (July 3, Netflix)

In the wake of another American interpretation of “The Grudge,” released earlier in the year, Netflix is letting the Japanese horror franchise return to its roots. According to Netflix, “Ju-On: Origins” questions what would happen if the series was actually based on real events that occurred over four decades — and the truth is even more terrifying. Can the people haunted by this house escape from its curse? And what kind of grim incident occurred in this cursed house in the past? The first trailer for the spin-off certainly presents a world as terrifying as the source material. 

“P-Valley” (July 12, STARZ)

This adaptation of Katori Hall’s play, entitled “Pussy Valley,” follows a group of strippers living in the Delta and trying to make ends meet. This is one of several Black-led series Starz initially greenlit earlier in the year, including another volume of their popular “Power” series and a show looking at the mafia through a Black lens (also produced by 50 Cent). Neither of those shows looks to be debuting this summer, but “P-Valley” looks to blend the grit and drama of those series with a predominantly female cast. If you were a fan of “Hustlers,” this should be a great follow-up. “P-Valley” premieres on Starz July 12.

“Brave New World” (July 15, Peacock)

“Brave New World” has had a lengthy process getting to the screen. The adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s iconic novel originally started life as a SyFy series before moving to the USA network. It’s unclear what happened to make it one of the first series to premiere on Peacock, the NBC-owned and operated streaming service, but it is. “Solo” star Alden Ehrenreich plays a man trying to break into a world of perfection in a dystopian future where people are genetically created to be pristine. Jessica Brown Findlay plays the woman torn between her position and the man she loves. “Brave New World” is a big gamble for Peacock and here’s hoping it’ll pay off. 

“The Alienist: Angel of Darkness” (July 26, TNT)

In a similar vein to Showtime’s spin-off of “Penny Dreadful” from earlier this year, TNT is presenting a new incarnation of their cult favorite, “The Alienist.” This new season sees the original show’s leads: Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning, returning for a second outing which will focus on the kidnapping of an infant girl. The show blends fact and fiction in 1896 New York where investigators look into gruesome crimes while navigating both the city’s dangerous underbelly and its high-society locales. Considering how much of a hit the first incarnation was with fans this season should see equal popularity. 

“Muppets Now” (July 31, Disney +)

It’s time to start the music, it’s time to light the lights! It’s time to get things started on….”Muppets Now.” Okay, it doesn’t have the same ring to it, but this new take on the Muppets has been a long time coming. The Muppets have struggled to be properly utilized by the Walt Disney Company. Their attempt at a scripted series on ABC crashed and burned due to disagreements between the showrunners and the company as to how Jim Henson’s iconic puppets would be used. And another attempt at a series, also to air on Disney+, co-written by Josh Gad, didn’t make it very far. All we know about “Muppets Now” is that it’ll be a six-episode short-form series, but any chance to spend time with the Muppets is worth it. “Muppets Now” hits Disney+ on July 31.

Sports? (July 31)

The worldwide pandemic literally put the world on hold, and as states slowly start to reopen many are wondering when their favorite sports will be back. The NBA recently announced they have approved a plan to bring basketball back on July 31 with the top nine teams of the Eastern Conference as well as the top 13 teams from the Western Conference. The games would be aired live in a bubble-like environment at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with limited fans. 

“The Go-Go’s” (August 1, SHOWTIME)

The story of the legendary female-fronted band The Go-Go’s comes to life with this documentary from Allison Ellwood. Ellwood’s name is important because she’s already got another documentary on this list, being the helmer of EPIX’s fantastic “Laurel Canyon” docuseries. Her focus here will be to look at the band and their rise to fame. It’s touted as also containing incredibly candid interviews with the bandmembers themselves. If you need more good music to rock out to, this is another must-watch. “The Go-Go’s” airs on Showtime August 1.

“The Good Lord Bird” (August 9, Showtime)

“The Good Lord Bird” is told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of Brown’s motley family of abolitionist soldiers during Bleeding Kansas — a time when the state was a battleground between pro- and anti-slavery forces — and eventually finds himself participating in the famous 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry. Brown’s raid failed to initiate the slave revolt he intended, but it was the event that started the Civil War. The Ethan Hawke-led series is already drawing serious attention from Emmy pundits, and with prestige programming at a premium right now that attention is doubly important. 

“Lovecraft Country” (August, HBO)

One of HBO’s most hotly-anticipated shows is this Jordan Peele-produced, Misha Green-created adaptation of Matt Ruff’s novel. Per HBO, the series tells the story of Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Atticus’ uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) as they travel through the 1950s Jim Crow South in search of both Atticus’ father (Michael Kenneth Williams) and a location known as Lovecraft Country. As the new trailer for the series indicates, there are just the standard racists living in the world — but also possibly something just as monstrous and supernatural. The trailers have been a dazzling mix of supernatural terrors with real-world events.

“Love Fraud” (August 30, Showtime)

Originally set to debut in May and then pushed to the end of August, “Love Fraud” looks to be a heady combination of “Tiger King” and “Catfish.” The series follows a con-man on the run and the dynamic women determined to put him behind bars, taking viewers on a bizarre, engrossing ride through the twisted mind of a criminal and the chaos he leaves in his wake. No doubt if you’re a fan of true-crime stories or the “Dirty John” media empire you’ll want to follow this four-part series.