TV to watch in August, from 'Kaos' to 'Umbrella Academy'

Jeff Goldblum in 'Kaos,' on Netflix August 29

Jeff Goldblum stars as the Greek god Zeus in 'Kaos,' out on Netflix August 29

(Image credit: FlixPix / Alamy)

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'The Umbrella Academy'
'Hollywood Black'
'Bad Monkey'
'Chimp Crazy'
'Kaos'

published 29 July 2024

Is it hot enough for ya? It's time to luxuriate in front of your AC while binge-watching these new August shows. Most of this month's releases expose the seedy underbelly of something: Hollywood's racism, Florida crime, captive chimps or all-powerful gods.

'The Umbrella Academy' (August 8)

"The Umbrella Academy" is returning for its fourth and final season. The trippy series has remained a top hit for Netflix, with 45 million households watching season one in 2019. It follows a group of strange children who are adopted by a billionaire in preparation to save the world. These superhero siblings have "united over the seasons to solve the mystery of their father's death and to stop an impending apocalypse," said Esquire, "and now it's all set to come to a head." The show is led by Elliot Page, Tom Hopper and Robert Sheehan, plus this season will include Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross. (Netflix)

Curious about the Black experience in show business? This four-part docuseries, directed by Justin Simien, is based on a book from renowned historian Donald Bogle. Bogle is "best known for his pioneering work chronicling African American performers' history and their roles in Hollywood," said BET. "By unearthing personal stories from actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen, the series provides a critical reexamination of a quintessentially American story," said the series' official description. The cast features Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Gabrielle Union, Lena Waithe and Forest Whitaker, among others. (MGM+)

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Summer is the perfect season for a silly crime romp set in the swampy Sunshine State. "Bad Monkey" is a new series developed by Bill Lawrence, creator of "Scrubs" and co-creator of "Ted Lasso." It's based on the 2013 Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name and stars Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, "who has been bounced from the Miami Police Department and is now a health inspector in the Keys," said the official series description. "But after stumbling upon a case that begins with a human arm fished up by tourists, he realizes that if he can prove murder, he'll be back in. He just needs to get past a trove of Floridian oddballs and one bad monkey." (Apple TV+)

Speaking of monkeys, filmmaker Eric Goode of "Tiger King" fame is back with another nutty animal docuseries. Instead of tigers, "Chimp Crazy" focuses on an unusual woman who is raising chimpanzees: exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, aka the "Dolly Parton of chimps." As she nurses animals in captivity, Tonia must contend with authorities, animal rights groups and lawsuits. "'Chimp Crazy' reveals the singular bonds that form between owners and their highly intelligent great ape pets," reads the show's official description. "The series exposes the risks humans take when they try to raise these animals as members of their family, as well as the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves." The second star of the show looks to be Tonka, a retired Hollywood chimp whom Tonia "claims to love more than her own children." (HBO)

Got a hankering for some Greek mythology mixed with modern-day excess? Charlie Covell, the creator of Netflix's "The End of the F***ing World," has got you covered. His new series is "Kaos," starring cool-guy Jeff Goldblum as the almighty Zeus (who else?). Here, the king of the gods rules from atop Mount Olympus, depicted as a lavish mansion above the clouds. Goldblum's Zeus is wealthy, jealous, power-hungry and fond of stylish tracksuits. But in the series' trailer he also seems pissed off that some people down on Earth no longer worship or fear him. "My character is complicated and charismatic, not to mention cruel," Goldblum said to Netflix's Tudum. "Charlie Covell's writing leapt off the page and struck my gizzard like a lightning bolt." (Netflix)

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Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.