Ah, summer. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and all your favorite TV shows are off the air for three months.
Since we certainly can’t be expected to just sit outside enjoying the sunshine at all times, FANDOM has curated a list of the best shows premiering this season in an effort to help you fill those long summer nights.
Pose
Premieres June 3 on FX
If you regularly quote RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’re probably repeating phrases that were actually first born during the era that Pose is highlighting. That rich history is just one of many reasons to watch Ryan Murphy’s new FX series. (The fact that the cast is primarily made up of trans women of color is another.) The series is set amid the ’80s New York ball scene, featuring LGBTQ outcasts who form their own families and compete within their community on the dance floor. And it’s not just drag queens who were inspired by ball culture — Madonna’s “Vogue” stems from this era too. Strike a pose!
Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger
Premieres June 7 on Freeform
Attention Marvel fans, there’s yet another entry in the insanely popular comic book universe coming to the small screen this summer. Cloak & Dagger follows two teenagers from different backgrounds who just happen to be burdened with superpowers. The pair team up to become a fearless crimefighting duo as they bond over a common tragedy. We can only hope this leads to a burgeoning superhero romance — a tale as old as time that would surely mirror your own experiences with your high school crush.
Sense 8: The Series Finale
Premieres June 8 on Netflix
When Netflix canceled Sense8 back in June 2017, fans just about lost their minds. After an avalanche of hashtags, emails, calls, and campaigns around reviving the series, the streaming service gave in … a little. Although ratings weren’t high enough to revive it for a third season, Netflix decided to greenlight a finale special that will at least tie up loose ends and deal with the major cliffhanger that Season 2 ended on.
Queer Eye
Premieres June 15 on Netflix
Just four months after the reboot of Queer Eye became a surprise smash success for Netflix, the new fab five are already back for a second season of emotional makeovers. Round two will feature Jonathan, Tan, Antoni, Karamo, and Bobby branching out beyond helping just straight men change their lives — the series will focus on both a woman and a transgender contestant for the first time. But keep your tissues handy. Just like the first iteration, the Season 2 forecast predicts a 100% chance of tears.
Luke Cage
Premieres June 22 on Netflix
Good news, Marvel fans. There’s yet another Marvel entry on this list of summer shows thanks to the return of Luke Cage on Netflix. The second season follows Luke’s transition into a hero of Harlem after clearing his name, but his new status as a public figure comes with complications of its own. Mustafa Shakir also joins the cast as the season’s new villain, Bushmaster, who is slated to be the toughest baddie that Luke has faced yet.
GLOW
Premieres June 29 on Netflix
The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are heading back into the ring for a second season of GLOW, so if you missed out on the fun of the popular Netflix series last year then it is time to catch up! Season 2 will focus on the launch of the real-life late-night GLOW TV show, which used to be taped in Las Vegas’ Riviera Hotel and Casino. The ’80s-set dramedy will also tackle the timely topic of sexism and sexual abuse, with one of the women having trouble breaking into the boys’ club of the production world and another becoming a victim of sexual harassment.
The Innocents
Premieres August 24 on Netflix
If you can’t get enough of supernatural love stories, then Cloak & Dagger isn’t the only show that needs to go on your watchlist. Netflix is also taking a stab at the genre with its upcoming drama The Innocents. The teens at the center of the series run away from home in order to be together, but the supernatural gift that one possesses ends up unleashing a force that could divide them forever. Nobody said love was easy.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Premieres August 31 on Amazon
Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine have all played Jack Ryan on the big screen in the past, but this time it’s John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) who will be portraying the superspy in an Amazon adaptation of the Tom Clancy tale. The 10-episode series follows Ryan’s journey from his CIA desk job to helping prevent a terrorist attack. Amazon must have faith in its new series because it already greenlit a second season back in April — four months ahead of the series premiere.
