2021 Summer Television Preview: Best Shows to Watch Between Now and Labor Day

“Tuca & Bertie” (June 13, Adult Swim)

After being ignominiously canceled by Netflix, Lisa Hanawalt’s animated series — like a, shall we say, phoenix — will be resurrected on Adult Swim. In his A review of Season 1, IndieWire’s Ben Travers wrote: “The series is just as likely to snag laughs from the absurd thoughts inspired by a panic attack as it is to realistically show their crippling effects. Bertie and Tuca’s anxieties and frustrations are integral to the rest of the narrative, and Hanawalt addresses them with apt seriousness and frivolity.”

“Dave” (June 16, FXX)

“Dave” became an instant hit with FXX viewers when the first season premiered in 2020, and the comedy series is set to return soon. The show stars rapper David Andrew Byrd, AKA Lil Dicky, and follows a fictionalized version of his life as he vyes for stardom in the music industry.

“iCarly” (June 17, Paramount+)

ViacomCBS is rebooting a slew of its well-known older IPs to bulk up its Paramount+ streaming service. The next project slated to hit the streamer is “iCarly,” which will feature Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor, all of whom will reprise their roles from the hit 2007 Nickelodeon teen sitcom.

“Physical” (June 18, Apple TV+)

Apple TV+ is taking subscribers on a nostalgia trip to sunny 1980s San Diego, where Rose Byrne sets off to create an aerobics empire. The dark comedy series also stars Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Sparks, and Ashley Liao.

“Godzilla Singular Point” (June 24, Netflix)

Netflix’s push into anime continues with “Godzilla Singular Point,” one of several upcoming Netflix projects that will center on the King of the Monsters. The hand-drawn series, which premiered internationally earlier in the year, features an original plot that is not related to any of the recent “Godzilla” films.

“Central Park” (June 25, Apple TV+)

“Bob’s Burgers” creator Loren Bouchard’s Apple TV+ animated comedy is slated to return on June 25. IndieWire’s Ben Travers praised the show’s first season as a “amiable, witty, and educational new comedy” in his grade B+ review last year.

“Monsters at Work” (July 2, Disney+)

Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) are back in the latest spinoff of Pixar’s beloved “Monsters Inc.” The new animated series will take place the day after the original film, when Monsters, Incorporated power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis.

“Gossip Girl” (July 8, HBO Max)

Almost 10 years has passed since the original “Gossip Girl” series concluded, but HBO Max is set to introduce a new generation of rich New York teens for the streaming service’s 10 episode reboot. The new series is executive produced by Joshua Safran and Stephanie Savage, who created and ran the original series.

“Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness” (July 8, Netflix)

The acclaimed video game series is getting its first animated television adaptation. “Infinite Darkness” will center on Leon S. Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) and Claire Redfield (Stephanie Panisello), two of the franchise’s most popular characters, as they team up following a zombie attack on the White House. The live-action “Resident Evil” films didn’t fare well with critics but franchise fans won’t have to wait much longer to determine whether Netflix’s animated take on the franchise bodes better.

“The White Lotus” (July 11, HBO)

Mike White is taking HBO viewers (and HBO Max subscribers) to an exclusive tropical resort in Hawaii via “The White Lotus,” his upcoming satircal television series. The show is a social satire that will follow the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week. “The White Lotus” stars Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, and Steve Zahn.

“American Horror Stories” (July 15, FX on Hulu)

One of the busiest men in television is preparing to release a spin-off to the ever-popular “American Horror Story.” Ryan Murphy’s new series, titled “American Horror Stories,” has been described as a weekly anthology series that will center on a different plot every week, as opposed to the season-long arc of “American Horror Story.” Most details about the new series, including a trailer, are under wraps, but Murphy fans won’t have to wait much longer to watch the show for themselves.

(Pictured: Series creator Ryan Murphy)

Tokyo Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony (July 23, NBC Channels and Peacock)

Knock on wood, this thing is still supposed to be happening. The Tokyo Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23 and NBCUniversal will broadcast the event on channels such as NBC Sports and The Olympic Channel. The conglomorate will also stream many of the events on its Peacock streaming service. More details about how to watch the festivities can be found here.

“Ted Lasso” (July 23, Apple TV+)

The breakout Apple TV+ comedy (and one of the few good things to happen in 2020) is returning to the streaming service soon. “Ted Lasso” was a hit with subscribers and critics when it premiered last year; IndieWire’s Ben Travers wrote in his B+ review of the pilot that: “Ted wins you over just like he does everyone else; you can believe his team wants to play better for him because you would, too. Like so many great sports stories before it, ‘Ted Lasso’” thrives on the old adage that it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game. And ‘Ted Lasso’ plays the right way.”

“Reservation Dogs” (August 9, FX on Hulu)

Taika Waititi’s upcoming comedy series will follow four Native American teenagers in rural Oklahoma who spend their days committing crime… and fighting it. The jury is still out on how similar the show will be to the similarly-named Quentin Tarantino film, but given Waititi’s pedigree, there’s ample reason for Hulu subscribers to be excited about the project.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (August 12, NBC)

The eighth and final season of NBC’s hit police comedy will return to the network on August 12. The 10 episode final season’s logline reads: “Jake and the squad must try to balance their personal lives and their professional lives over the course of a very difficult year.” Series star Terry Crews revealed last year that the show’s writing team scrapped several episodes due to the nationwide protests regarding systemic racism and police brutality last year and noted that the team was using the opportunity to create something “truly groundbreaking.”

“Star Trek: Lower Decks” (August 12, Paramount+)

Set phasers/several dollars to Paramount+, as the second season of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” is slated to premiere on the streamer on August 12. The animated show is a comedic spin on the beloved sci-fi franchise and focuses on “the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380.”

“The Walking Dead” (August 22, AMC)

The eleventh and final season of the long-running post-apocalpytic horror series kicks off on AMC on August 22. The final season will center on the protagonists’ meeting with the Commonwealth, a network of communities that have eked out an existence thanks to its advanced tech and large number of survivors.

“Archer” (August 25, FX)

The hit FX comedy will return on August 25. Season 12 will mark the final season to feature Jessica Walter, who voices main character Malory Archer, following her death in March. “Archer” has long been a favorite of television critics; IndieWire lauded the series as the third best animated series of all time in 2020.