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The 2023 Summer TV Preview: 15 Series to Watch

Returning series and new shows dominate a summer that may be better spent indoors.

By Ben Travers

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Image of two men seating next two each other on an airplane, one leaning into the other menacingly; a still from "I Think You Should Leave" with Tim Robinson — The best of summer TV awaits...

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Summer is a time to savor the great outdoors — to emerge from a wearying winter into the rejuvenating sunlight and appreciate the splendor of a world that’s slowly, steadily, catching on fire. But if you’re a TV fan (or you’re simply overwhelmed by the heat, creepy-crawlies, and existential dread inherent to the longest days of the year), summer is also a peculiar time for storytelling. Some new shows feel like they’re trying to match the scope and scale of big-screen blockbusters. Others are incredibly strange experiments, either dumped on or targeted for the time of year when networks aren’t just competing with each other, but barbecues and baseball, fireworks and catching fireflies.

IndieWire’s 2023 Summer TV Preview is here to help. Our TV staff has selected 15 key programs debuting between mid-May and the end of July. About half are returning favorites while the rest are completely new (or, at least, “new” in the sense that remakes and I.P. plays can be considered “new.”) Each one is either an exciting show because of the creatives involved or an important series for the industry to keep an eye on. Some, maybe, are both!

Fans are champing at the bit for “The Bear” Season 2, “The Witcher” Season 3, and “Never Have I Ever” Season 4 — in addition to new episodes of “Minx” (now on Starz) and “I Think You Should Leave” (still on Netflix). But what’s the appetite for a non-superhero, non-“Star Wars” original series on Disney+? AMC still believes a “Walking Dead” spinoff can drive viewership, and the next Marvel TV series better hope reports of superhero fatigue have been greatly exaggerated (even if “Secret Invasion” is more spy thriller than “Avengers” meet-up). And lest you think TV is all continuations and tentpoles, Boots Riley will unveil his unique indie vision with “I’m a Virgo,” comedy remains alive and well on Apple TV+ with Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s “Platonic,” and “The Idol” looks to cast a long shadow after an early summer release.

So take a look at our list below and keep checking IndieWire for updates on all the summer TV you love, you’re about to love, or you just can’t resist reading about. And remember: It’s 2023. Even beaches have cell signal.

Steve Greene, Proma Khosla, and Erin Strecker contributed to this year’s Summer TV Preview.

“Happy Valley” Season 3 (Acorn TV)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Matt Squire / Lookout Point / AMC

Release Date: May 22

Even with today’s fractured streaming environment, it’s rare that an overseas hit finishes out its run in a different location than the place where it hooked stateside viewers. Yet, in a big get for Acorn, the mammoth British TV sensation will stream its concluding season there after growing an American following for years on Netflix. The final season set recent ratings highs when it aired in the UK earlier this year, and it makes sense: The opening two seasons wove a fascinating tale of a police officer pursuing someone she holds responsible for her daughter’s death, all while helping to raise her grandson. For anyone who spent spring and summer of 2021 obsessing over the, uh, similarly themed “Mare of Easttown,” here are three six-episode seasons ready to continue in that same vein. (It’s also a chance to see a completely different side of Sarah Lancashire’s acting abilities if you loved her as Julia Child in last year’s “Julia.”) —SG
“American Born Chinese” (Disney+)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Disney / Carlos Lopez-Calleja

Release Date: May 24

Based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang — with Destin Daniel Cretton directing and “Bob’s Burgers” writer Kelvin Yu on board as showrunner — “American Born Chinese” has all the makings of a winning Disney+ original series, and that’s before we get to the starry ensemble cast. The action-comedy follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager who meets a new student and becomes enmeshed in a battle of mythological Chinese gods. So here comes the guest stars: Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu as Shiji Niangniang, the Goddess of Stones; Ronny Chieng as Ji Gong, an “unconventional” monk; Jimmy O. Yang as Ao Guang, Dragon King; James Hong as Jade Emperor; and Poppy Liu as Princess Iron Fan. Add to that exciting group series regulars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan — both Oscar winners for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — and “American Born Chinese” has more star power than your average MCU joint. Does that add up to similar eyeballs on a service that’s yet to draw major buzz for non-franchise extensions? We’ll find out this summer! —BT
“Platonic” (Apple TV+)

Image Credit: Paul Sarkis

Release Date: May 24

This is one of those star-driven premises that kind of sells itself: Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen play very good friends who reconnect after time spent apart. Once they’re back together again, their reunion threatens to crowd out a bunch of the other relationships in their life. Take a story about friend-life balance, add a side of comedy, build it around former co-stars and director Nick Stoller (all of which were part of the “Neighbors” team), and that’s the makings of a pretty solid addition to the Apple TV+ lineup. It’s another in the latest line of shows on the platform (including “Acapulco,” “Schmigadoon!” “Trying,” and the upcoming second season of “The Afterparty”) that prove Apple comedy is more than just mustachioed guys in charge of soccer teams. —SG
“I Think You Should Leave” Season 3 (Netflix)

Image Credit: Terence Patrick / Netflix

Release Date: May 30

A new season of “I Think You Should Leave” arriving right as Twitter is in its death throes seems like an odd bit of timing. Will Bluesky be teeming with “Triples is best” memes this time next month? Will fans have to stand outside random In-n-Out locations shouting “Gimme that!” at random passersby? Will Chunky become the secret mascot of the WGA strike? If you’ve never seen an episode of this show fueled by id and kept alive by the mysterious engines of the viral internet, none of that will make sense to you. But admit it. You’re kinda curious, aren’t you? (If you have seen an episode of this show, join me in my crusade that the Motorcycle Alien sketch is criminally underrated.) —SG
“The Idol” (HBO)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Eddy Chen / HBO

Release Date: June 4

At its most basic, “The Idol” is (we assume, still) about a struggling pop star (Lily Rose-Depp) who finds a strange kind of solace in a new relationship with the leader (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) of a self-improvement cult. Yet, just weeks out from its Cannes premiere and HBO release, there are still plenty of question marks about what this project ended up being after a tumultuous production process. Shifting creative forces behind the camera, a cast list in flux, and even uncertainty around the show’s length and scope have largely overshadowed the narrative itself in the run-up to its launch. Given the network’s investment, ramifications for any potential “Euphoria” Season 3 (director Sam Levinson is nominally in charge of both at this point), and the inherent pull of a Hollywood-centered story peppered with real-life stars, this is one to track even for those who might not actually tune in. —SG
“Never Have I Ever” Season 4 (Netflix)

Image Credit: Lara Solanki / Netflix

Release Date: June 8

Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her friends are officially seniors, ready to enjoy the heck out of their final year at Sherman Oaks High while planning uncertain futures. Even though Season 3 appeared to wrap up the series’ central love triangle by sending Paxton (Darren Barnet) off to college, he will return — and things are certainly not over with Ben (Jaren Lewison), who Devi visited in the finale to cash in on “one free boink” (swoon!). Love and lust will obviously feature into Season 4 (Michael Cimino joins the cast as a mysterious and handsome bad boy), but the new episodes are most importantly fans’ goodbye to Devi, mother Nalini (Poorna Jagganathan), cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani), and all the other endearing weirdos (Trent!) in Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s delightful comedy. (That’s right: It’s the final season!) Will Devi self actualize, find love, and get into the college of her dreams? Even if she doesn’t, her future is a bright one. —PK
“The Full Monty” (Hulu)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Ben Blackall / FX

Release Date: June 14

A quarter century after an underdog British comedy became a global sensation (and spawned a pretty solid musical — check out the original “Let It Go” earworm), the gang is back for an eight-episode series that catches up on each of its main characters. The main cast (Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Huison, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer, Wim Snape, and Lesley Sharp) and writer Simon Beaufoy are all returning, shifting the attention partly away from the male strip show that gave the original film its hook and looking at the current state of blue-collar towns like Sheffield that formed its backdrop. But the “Full Monty” spirit is still simmering under the surface, with the guys teaching their self-taught stage confidence to a new generation of Sheffielders looking for a little something more in their lives. —SG
“The Walking Dead: Dead City” (AMC)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Peter Kramer / AMC

Release Date: June 18

To date, AMC’s zombie thriller “The Walking Dead” has produced four separate spin-offs, but “Dead City” is its first official sequel. Fan-favorite Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and infamous heel Negan (Jeffrey Dead Morgan) return for the new series, as the traveling survivalists find their way to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan in search of Maggie’s kidnapped son, Hershel (Logan Kim). To stay unbitten in the Big Apple, they’ll have to avoid the dead walkers and barely living alike, both of which have taken over a crumbling city that’s been cut off from the mainland for years. Eli Jorné, who produced a few seasons of the original series (as well as “Blunt Talk,” “Wilfred,” and “Son of Zorn”), serves as creator and showrunner, while “Walking Dead” and “Walking Dead: Beyond” helmer Loren Yaconelli will direct the pilot. The six-episode first season will be released weekly starting June 18 and should give Hollywood an idea of just how hungry fans remain for more “Walking Dead” (like future spinoffs focused on Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes). —BT
“Secret Invasion” (Disney+)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Disney+

Release Date: June 21

If you’re a Marvel fan — or a cinephile furious that Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury hasn’t had his own movie — “Secret Invasion” is coming to the rescue. The six-episode limited series catches up with former director Fury in the aftermath of the Avengers defeating Thanos in “Endgame.” In “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” it turned out that the Fury communicating with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) on Earth was in fact the alien skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) from “Captain Marvel” in disguise. In “Secret Invasion,” the Skrulls intend to take over — but not without this old spy gearing up for another fight to save his planet. Writer Kyle Bradstreet and director Ali Selim helm the series, which includes guest appearances from across the MCU as well as new cast members Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, and more. —PK
“The Bear” Season 2 (Hulu)

Image Credit: Courtesy of FX

Release Date: June 22

Hulu has been keeping Season 2 details for its much-anticipated follow-up to “The Bear” close to the vest — including a specific release date. As of writing, all we know is the release month (June), the core returning cast, and a few hints as to what Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) new restaurant may become. For those who need a refresher, the first season ended with the still-grieving chef and his overworked partner Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) agreeing to transform their blue collar Chicago sandwich joint into a slightly elevated dining experience. What was known as “The Original Beef” will soon reopen as “The Bear,” once our chef and manager — along with everyone’s best bud, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — strip the space down to its bones, sort the necessary permits, and set the new menu. Personal journeys and professional ambitions are sure to clash, as well, as Christopher Storer’s intense half-hour pseudo-comedy continues. Bring on the beef! —BT
“I’m A Virgo” (Prime Video)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video

Release Date: June 23 (all episodes)

Thanks to its March premiere at the SXSW Festival, we already know “I’m a Virgo” is one of the summer’s best shows. Writer-director Boots Riley follows up “Sorry To Bother You” with another fantastical dark comedy, this one following Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot-tall Black teen living in Oakland, CA with his Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Matisse (Mike Epps). Worried what the world will think of their giant lad, Lafrancine and Matisse keep Cootie out of the limelight — out of nearly any light, really, as they instruct him to stay inside until they figure out a plan for the future. But as any teen parent knows, rules are made to be broken, and Cootie soon embarks on a local odyssey with a few new friends from the neighborhood. Dealing with weighty themes like police brutality and capitalistic overreach, “I’m a Virgo” balances its dramatic moments with visual ingenuity and consistent humor. Saying you’ve never seen anything like it is too clichéd to carry much meaning these days, but simply watching the series is a delight. Don’t miss out. —BT
“The Witcher” Season 3 (Netflix)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Release Date: June 29

Toss one last coin to Henry Cavill’s Witcher this summer, when the Netflix fantasy blockbuster bids adieu to its hulking star via a two-part third season. Per the official synopsis, “The Witcher” Season 3 starts with Geralt (Cavill) taking Ciri (Freya Allan) into hiding, as “monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent” hunt her down. Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) is entrusted with Ciri’s magical training and leads the trio to the protected fortress of Areluza… which may not be that protected after all. Political corruption, dark magic, interpersonal treachery — it’s all ahead in “The Witcher,” before Cavill signs off and Liam Hemsworth steps into Geralt’s likely large boots for Season 4. Season 3 Vol. 1 premieres June 29, with Vol. 2 less than a month later on July 27. —BT
“The Horror of Dolores Roach” (Prime Video)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video

Release Date: July 7

Hailing from Blumhouse Television and based on the Spotify podcast of the same name, “The Horror of Dolores Roach” stars Justina Machado as Dolores, an ex-con returning to her Washington Heights neighborhood after 16 years away, only to find it’s become severely gentrified. Her family is gone, her boyfriend missing, and the $200 left to her name won’t get very far in Manhattan circa 2023. While she finds a place to crash with an old friend named Luis (Alejandro Hernandez), while providing massages under his dilapidated empanadas shop for much-needed cash, soon Dolores (nicknamed “Magic Hands”) finds herself wrapped up in a possible murder — and her safe return to citizen life is suddenly in jeopardy. Podcast creator Aaron Mark wrote the pilot and serves as co-showrunner with Dara Resnik (“Home Before Dark”). Plus, in a mini “One Day at a Time” reunion with Machado (under very different genre confines), Gloria Calderón Kellett is on board as an executive producer. —BT
“Twisted Metal” (Peacock)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Peacock

Release Date: July 27

Remember “Twisted Metal”? The Playstation video game series about a demolition derby involving machine guns, mines, and various other extreme weaponry? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t, but Peacock is betting the combination of vehicular combat and Anthony Mackie — in a half-hour comedy — is too absurd to resist. From a fresh concept by “Deadpool” and “Zombieland” producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, “Twisted Metal” follows John Doe (Mackie), a motor-mouthed outsider tasked with delivering a mystery package across the Divided States of America. Yes, this is another post-apocalyptic TV show, but the live-action adaptation is still aiming for laughs. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s” Stephanie Beatriz shows up as an enigmatic driver named Quiet. Thomas Haden Church plays a “psychotic highway patrolman” called Agent Stone. Will Arnett voices Sweet Tooth, the “deranged, murderous clown” that graced so many video game covers. So it doesn’t sound like “Twisted Metal” is trying to be television’s next great drama as much as a wild diversion ideal for summer fun. I’m game for a trial run. —BT
“Minx” Season 2 (Starz)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Starz

Release Date: July 21

Starz saves the day! After a sharp and funny first season on HBO Max, this 1970s-set comedy about a writer, Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond), who starts an erotic magazine for women — with help from a seedy but sweet publisher (Jake Johnson) — was a casualty of WBD cost cutting. Luckily, Starz stepped in at the last minute to give this charmer a new home. Named one of IndieWire’s Best New Shows of 2022, this gem boasts standout performances from Johnson, Lennon Parham, Jessica Lowe, and more. Think workplace comedy, but with lots more nudity shoots. —ES

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