By Tim Lowery and Saloni Gajjar. Clockwise from left: Ballard (Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video), Washington Black (Photo: Chris Reardon/Disney), Dexter: Resurrection (Photo: Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with Showtime), Too Much (Photo: Ana Blumenkron/Netflix)
There are plenty of excuses to stay indoors in July thanks to spin-offs of the likes of Bosch and Dexter, MGM+’s take on Stephen King’s The Institute, and a whole lot of Netflix series, with the streamer delivering a Lena Dunham rom-com, a Chuck Lorre sitcom, and a soapy newbie in the vein of Desperate Housewives. Meanwhile, Paradise‘sSterling K. Brown returns to Hulu with a fantasy drama, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphiamarks its twentieth anniversary with more madness (and another crossover episode with Abbott Elementary), a satirical Spanish thriller hits HBO, and The Summer I Turned Pretty ends its run. Here is The A.V. Club’s guide to what to watch on TV next month.
Prime Video just can’t quit Bosch, the police procedural based on Michael Connelly’s novels. After seven seasons and a sequel series, the latest spin-off sees Maggie Q reprise her Legacy role as detective Renée Ballard. The head of the underfunded cold-case division, she navigates a traumatic personal crisis while hunting down a serial killer and uncovering a conspiracy within the LAPD. It’s a good thing she has the help of retired officer Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver). [Saloni Gajjar]
“Shelley, have you been taking ketamine?” Randy, South Park‘s greatest character, asks during a father-daughter moment in the show’s upcoming twenty-seventh season. “Because I think it could really help you.” Yes, Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s indefatigable series is back for more, and it’s mind-boggling and -numbing to think of all the real-world material it has to mine since it last aired. (Expect a lot of mid-air plane collisions and throngs of Canadians attacking the States.) [Tim Lowery]
Too Much (Netflix, July 10)
Eight years after the end of her HBO hit Girls, Lena Dunham presents another messy quarter-life crisis that’s inspired by her life. Too Much follows Jessica (Hacks‘ Meg Stalter), who moves from New York City to London for a fresh start after a devastating breakup. Any desire for a solitary life is upended once she meets a musician who is her polar opposite (played by The White Lotus‘ Will Sharpe). Andrew Rannells, Richard E. Grant, and Emily Ratajkowski co-star. [Saloni Gajjar]
Rage (HBO, July 11)
Spanish filmmaker Félix Sabroso is behind this this eight-episode satirical thriller, in which the lives of five women (played by Carmen Machi, Candela Peña, All About My Mother‘s Cecilia Roth, Nathalie Poza, and Pilar Castro) collide, diverge, and explode with bursts of jealousy and violence, complete with blowtorches, punch-outs, arrests, and a corpse that needs to be buried. If the high-octane trailer is any indication, this one could be quite fun. [Tim Lowery]
Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+, July 11/Showtime, July 13)
He’s back! Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) returns from the dead in Resurrection. After the serial killer was shot in the chest by his own son in New Blood, the prequel series Original Sin revealed he had gone into a coma. Now, after waking up, Dexter sets off to find his offspring, Harrison (Jack Alcott), and make things right while his past catches up to him in the form of a Miami detective (played by David Zayas). The show features appearances by Peter Dinklage, Krysten Ritter, Eric Stonestreet, Uma Thurman, and David Dastmalchian. [Saloni Gajjar]
The Institute (MGM+, July 13)
This adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural novel, which was initially ordered in 2019 with David E. Kelley attached, hails from writer-producer Benjamin Cavell (Justified) and director Jack Bender (Lost). The Institute centers on teen genius Luke (Joe Freeman), who wakes up in a strange place with several other kids who also possess unusual abilities. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, cop Tom Jamieson’s (Ben Barnes) attempts to move on from a tragedy lead him directly to Luke—and put him on a deadly collision course. [Saloni Gajjar]
Untamed (Netflix, July 17)
“People come out here to explore, see maybe 10-percent of the park,” Eric Bana’s Kyle Turner says of Yosemite in Untamed, before his voice takes on a slightly more gruff, weary, and foreboding tone: “Things happen different out here.” Netflix’s in-the-wild murder mystery was written and created by Mark L. Smith (who last brought us the bloody and bleak Western series American Primeval) and his daughter, Elle. And the cast of this miniseries is rounded out by Sam Neill, Wilson Bethel, Lily Santiago, and Rosemarie DeWitt. [Tim Lowery]
The Hunting Wives (Netflix, July 21)
Originally ordered by Starz, The Hunting Wives hits Netflix next month, telling the tale of Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow), who moves to a Texas town with her family and gets drawn into the snobby clique of her wealthy neighbor (played by Malin Akerman). In trying to maintain a friendship with that crew, Sophie falls into a dangerous web of mind games, seduction, and murder. Bank on some Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives vibes. [Saloni Gajjar]
Washington Black (Hulu, July 23)
Esi Edugyan’s acclaimed 2018 fantasy novel gets the Hulu limited-series treatment. In this period drama, 11-year-old genius Washington “Wash” Black (Eddie Karanja) befriends Titch (Tom Ellis), the owner of the Barbados sugar plantation where he lives. When his life is in danger, the pre-teen escapes with Titch to go on an epic globe-trotting adventure that reshapes his worldview. The show also catches up with a grown-up Wash, who has settled in Nova Scotia and shares a close bond with the town’s leader (portrayed by Sterling K. Brown). [Saloni Gajjar]
Leanne (Netflix, July 31)
The Kominsky Method‘sChuck Lorre returns to Netflix with this 16-episode comedy, which is loosely based on the life of stand-up Leanne Morgan (I’m Every Woman). After the titular protagonist’s husband leaves her after three decades of marriage, Leanne has to face the new reality of being a grandmother without her partner. The sitcom’s ensemble also includes Kristen Johnston, Tim Daly, Jayma Mays, and Celia Weston. [Saloni Gajjar]
