If the dog days of summer are too much to handle, then July TV has enough excuses to stay indoors, starting with the return of Disney+’s X-Men ’97 and ending with Hulu’s Emmy Rossum-led action-thriller Furious. This month, The Simpsons and King Of The Hill deliver new episodes, a pink-toned Legally Blonde prequel arrives, there’s a new adaptation of Little House On The Prairie, and a third season of Silo. Meanwhile, Will Ferrell throws it back to the days of Talladega Nights and Blades Of Glory (and, uh, Kicking And Screaming) with a new sports comedy, The Hawk. You’ll find those shows and many more in The A.V. Club‘s full guide of what to watch on TV in July.
Elle (Prime Video, July 1)
In the latest expansion of its YA slate, Prime Video turns to—what else—a popular film franchise. What, like it’s hard? Executive produced by Reese Witherspoon, Elle centers on the teenage version of Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde character (played here by Lexi Minetree), who, six years before becoming a Harvard law student, trades in her lavish lifestyle for a Seattle high school in the ’90s. Of course, this forces her to reexamine her priorities. June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott co-star as Elle’s parents. The show also marks the late James Van Der Beek’s final TV role.
X-Men ’97 season two (Disney+, July 1)
It’s been a long, somewhat complicated wait for more X-Men ’97, which we dubbed the greatest X-Men adaptation of all time upon its 2024 debut. Two years later, the animated TV show is back to follow up on the big cliffhanger from season one. Most of the mutants, who are scattered across various eras, struggle to return to their original timeline. Expect the series to dig deeper into Apocalypse, considering Professor X, Magneto, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast are stuck in ancient Egypt with a young En Sabah Nur. The trailer also offers a glimpse at Magneto’s daughter and, somehow, more Gambit.
The Five Star Weekend (Peacock, July 9)
TV’s current favorite niche genre: people who think a luxurious vacation might solve all their problems. That’s what The Five-Star Weekend‘s food blogger Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner) assumes when she invites four close friends (played by Regina Hall, D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, and Chloë Sevigny) on a Nantucket getaway. Dealing with a tragedy, Hollis hopes that the weekend will help her heal, but everything goes awry when long-buried secrets start to surface. The Peacock series, based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel, co-stars Timothy Olyphant and Judy Greer.
Little House On The Prairie (Netflix, July 9)
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s belovedbooks about growing up in the American Midwest and Great Plains during the late 19th century have once again formed the backbone of a TV show. Developed by The Boys‘ Rebecca Sonnenshine, Netflix’s new Little House seems to be more faithful to the source material than NBC’s loosely inspired adaptation in the ’70s. Either way, it’s still the semi-autobiographical chronicle of the Ingalls’ family’s struggles and triumphs that has captured imaginations for nearly 200 years.
The Westies (MGM+, July 12)
Who knew the tale of the Jacob Javits Convention Center—home to the chaotic New York Comic Con, some of the most painful political memories of the past 10 years, and countless other events—had the makings of a TV drama? That’s exactly what The Westies serves up. Led by J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver, the show follows two childhood friends—one an Irish-American gang leader, the other an NYPD officer—who duke it out during the ’80s, when the Convention Center’s construction promises a financial windfall during tough times.
Lucky (Apple TV, July 15)
Six years after The Queen’s Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy leads another miniseries, this one created by Your Friends & Neighbors‘ Jonathan Tropper, who seems to really enjoy making shows about unlikely criminals. This time, Taylor-Joy plays Lucky Armstrong, a former con artist forced to go on the run because she’s still being pursued by the FBI and mob leaders. Lucky’s eponymous protagonist may have given up her outlaw ways, but she has no choice but to use her wiles again if she wants to live. Timothy Olyphant (it’s a busy month for the erstwhile Seth Bullock!), Annette Bening, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor round out the ensemble.
Ride Or Die (Prime Video, July 15)
What would you do if you found out your best friend has been hiding the fact that she’s actually an international assassin? This becomes a real issue for poor, sweet Debbie Claybourn (Octavia Spencer), who discovers that her ride-or-die (hey, that’s the name of the show!), Judith Burton (Hannah Waddingham) is a professional killer. It gets worse when Debbie has to go on the run with Judith because a mysterious enemy is trying to kill them both. The globe-trotting action comedy also stars Bill Nighy and Ed Skrein.
The Hawk (Netflix, July 16)
Will Ferrell plots his return to TV with The Hawk, which he stars in and co-created alongside Harper Steele and Chris Henchy. The golf comedy (not to be confused with the Owen Wilson-led Stick) centers on Lonnie Hawkins, 2004’s number one pro player, who is determined to recapture the magic and hopes for a comeback, with or without the support of his ex-wife (Molly Shannon) and his son (Jimmy Tatro), who is currently golf’s golden boy.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe (HBO Max, July 23)
The Big Bang Theory‘s universe grows in bizarre ways with Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. This spin-off—the fourth show in the franchise overall, following Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage—takes four of the show’s least sketched-out supporting players and throws them into literal apocalyptic chaos. The show follows comic book store owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Bert (Brian Posehn), Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and Denise (Lauren Lapkus) as they time-travel to stop a world-ending event. Several TBBT actors are expected to make guest appearances, including Christine Baranski, Joshua Malina, and Riki Lindhome.
Furious (Hulu, July 27)
After the emotionally heavy Dying For Sex, creator Liz Meriweather pivots to an action-packed thriller with Furious. In it, FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) is trapped in a cat-and-mouse chase with a calculating female serial killer, both of whom have very different ideas of justice. (Could this be a throwback to early Killing Eve? Stay tuned!) The cast includes Lola Petticrew, Scoot McNairy, and Jake Lacy.
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