When the weather outside is frightful (and can you remember a more frightful June than this one?), snuggling up in front of the TV is the best distraction. Historically, summer can be a slightly uninspiring time for new releases - but this year is definitely breaking the mould.
From Nine Perfect Strangers, the latest series from Big Little Lies writer Liane Moriarty, to The Chair, the much-anticipated Netflix dramedy starring Killing Eve’s Sandra Oh, there’s a lot to look forward to over the next couple of months.
So, we can’t go on holiday and the drizzly weather is more reminiscent of February than June, but at least we have some great telly to look forward to. Here are eight of the best new releases to check out from July until September 2021.
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Young Royals (Netflix, 1 July)
Gossip Girl meets The Crown in this new Swedish series which follows the journey of Prince Wilhelm, a troublemaking teenager who enrols at a prestigious boarding school and is quickly forced into making a choice between love and duty. The series is “basically made for binge-watching”, Stylist reports, “as it’s just six episodes. Ideal viewing for a rainy weekend, eh?”
Monsters at Work (Disney+, 7 July)
Monsters at Work, a Monsters Inc spin-off TV series, is coming to Disney+ this July. The story follows an eager young monster called Tylor Tuskmon who graduates top of his class from Monsters University before discovering that scaring is out - but laughter is in. Mindy Kaling and Billy Crystal are among the stars of this new family-friendly show which kids and adults alike will enjoy.
Naomi Osaka (Netflix, 13 July)
Netflix is releasing a new three-part docuseries about Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis star who won her first Grand Slam, the US Open in 2018. In a prepared statement released to Variety, Oaska described being able to tell her story as “a rewarding experience”. She added that the docuseries would not “look like a traditional sports documentary”. Osaka made headlines earlier this month when she decided to pull out of the French Open after being fined for refusing to do press conferences.
Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+, 16 July)
If you love a musical comedy, don’t miss Schmigadoon!, a new six-part series parodying iconic musicals from Oklahoma! to Carousel, complete with original songs. Described by co-creator Cinco Paul (Despicable Me) as being “a love letter to Golden Age musicals”, the show follows a couple who discover a town where residents bizarrely act as though they’re living in a 1940s musical. A “Marmite” one for sure.
Cruel Summer (Amazon Prime, 6 August)
This American psychological thriller series coming to Amazon Prime is set in a small, fictional town in Texas. Described as “an unconventional series that takes place over three summers”, the story follows the abduction of a beautiful, popular teen and a “seemingly unrelated” girl who transforms from outlier to the most likeable youngster in town. Jessica Biel is an executive producer. Vulture writer Justin Curto describes the show as a “mysterious, time-hopping, gloriously messy new teen series”.
Mr. Corman (Apple TV+, 6 August)
Multi-talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt has written, directed, produced and stars in this new original, ten-episode series following the story of Josh Corman, “an artist at heart but not by trade”. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gordon-Levitt described the character of Corman as being “like if I had some different luck and made some different choices”. He added: “Mr. Corman is probably the most distilled expression of myself that I’ve ever managed to achieve.”
Nine Perfect Strangers (Amazon Prime, 20 August)
The same team that adapted Liane Moriarty’s acclaimed Big Little Lies for the small screen are adapting another of her Sunday Times bestsellers, Nine Perfect Strangers. Moriarty’s novel follows the story of nine strangers (yes, you guessed it), who embark on a luxury retreat cut off from the outside world. Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy star in this much-hyped new drama series.
The Chair (Netflix, 27 August)
Killing Eve’s Sandra Oh stars in this upcoming Netflix dramedy series which follows the first female chair of an English department at the fictional Pembroke University. The cast is “anything but lightweight”, reports Genevieve Koski for Variety, “featuring not only Oh, but also Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, and Bob Balaban, among others”. The show is made up of six half-hour episodes.
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