Who says the best television is reserved for the fall season, or even the spring, for that matter? ET has rounded up the best new and returning shows to watch.
Among ET’s 90 top picks for summer are our 26 most anticipated TV shows of the season.
Who says the best television is reserved for the fall, or even the spring, for that matter? Summer has proven to be a prime season for TV, with critically acclaimed shows (Mad Men), juicy reality (Survivor and American Idol) and surprise hits (Wayward Pines).
This summer is proving to be no different. The Bachelorette and World of Dance will certainly provide us with our reality fix, while acclaimed shows like Insecure, Queen Sugar and Younger are all coming back with new seasons. But what will be our surprise hit? Ryan Murphy’s Pose? American Woman, from reality housewife-turned-producer Kyle Richards? Amy Adams in Sharp Objects? Or, perhaps, all of them! There are plenty of options to choose from.
The Bachelorette
Let’s do the damn thing! New Bachelorette Becca Kufrin is ready to find love again after being proposed to by Arie Luyendyk Jr. and publicly dumped on television. The premiere, featuring 28 suitors vying for Becca’s heart, is sure to be spicy, as the 28-year-old publicist will be unexpectedly reunited with a guy from her past. While the drama and tears will surely be flowin’, we’re so ready for Becca to reach peak happiness. Arie who?
Premieres: Monday, May 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
Six
Olivia Munn makes her debut on the second season of the Navy SEAL drama, playing badass CIA officer Gina Kline. Highly intelligent and cunning, Gina has dedicated her entire life to the clandestine world of dangerous government assignments. Her latest mission? Hunting down a mysterious terrorist only known as the Prince, which becomes her most personal yet.
Premieres: Monday, May 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History
World of Dance
J.Lo, Ne-Yo, Derek Hough and Jenna Dewan are back and ready to find the latest talent in the world of dance! Already renewed for a third season, the super fun competition show will welcome another top-level talent to the fold, Julianne Hough, as a mentor for season two. Bring it on!
Premieres: Tuesday, May 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC
Queen Sugar
When Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay are involved, you drop everything. The third season continues the Bordelon family’s fight as they try to save their family farm and father’s legacy as they navigate their own personal journeys. They soon find that their fight extends beyond their close-knit family to the community. Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe, Bianca Lawson, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Ethan Hutchison and Nicholas Ashe are back for more family drama.
Premieres: Tuesday, May 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
It’s time to say goodbye to Kimmy Schmidt. The first six episodes of the fourth and final season of the quirky Ellie Kemper comedy launch this month (the seven remaining episodes will premiere at a later date) and we’re not ready to bid farewell to our favorite cult member-turned-HR manager. Joining the zany world are Busy Philipps, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Moynihan and Aidy Bryant, with familiar faces Jon Hamm, Amy Sedaris and Zosia Mamet also returning.
Premieres: Wednesday, May 30 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix
Pose
Ryan Murphy is back at FX with Pose. Set in the 1980s, the eight-episode drama explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe and the downtown social and literary scene. Featuring the largest transgender cast in series regular roles in TV history, as well as the biggest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors for a scripted series, the ensemble also includes James Van Der Beek, Kate Mara and Evan Peters.
Premieres: Sunday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX
Dietland
Don’t mess with Julianna Margulies. The Good Wife and ER alum returns to the small screen as red-haired glamazon Kitty Montgomery, the narcissistic boss of fashion magazine writer Plum Kettle (Joy Nash). Based on Sarai Walker’s 2015 best-selling novel and created by Marti Noxon (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, UnREAL), Dietland unveils Plum’s journey to self-awakening while exploring a multitude of issues faced by women today -- including patriarchy, misogyny, rape culture and unrealistic beauty standards. Plus, it’s sexy, provocative and oh, so juicy!
Premieres: Monday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC
Younger
Team Charles or Team Josh? That is the ultimate question! The TV Land favorite returns for its fifth season, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for Liza (Sutton Foster) as she navigates life and love in the Big Apple, most of the time pretending to be a younger, 20-something version of her actual self. Creator Darren Star hinted that a big premiere-ending bombshell will “change the equation for the entire series going forward.” Uh oh, what could it be?
Premieres: Tuesday, June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TV Land
Marvel's Cloak and Dagger
Another Marvel show is heading to TV, and this one just might fill the void left by Hulu’s teen-centric Runaways. Cloak and Dagger tells the story of Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Aubrey Joseph), two teenagers from different backgrounds who find themselves with newly acquired superpowers -- Tandy can throw light daggers, while Tyrone can control darkness -- that are mysteriously linked to one another. We’re so in.
Premieres: Thursday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
Nashville
The CMT drama prepares to bid adieu with the final eight episodes of the series, and we’re betting the drama is just ramping up for Juliette (Hayden Panettiere), Deacon (Charles Esten) and company. As the finale nears, the cast fondly remembered their six-season run, with Esten saying, “There was a magic in the very beginning. There will be magic in the very end."
Premieres: Thursday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CMT
American Woman
Inspired by the real-life childhood of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, American Woman follows Bonnie (Alicia Silverstone), an unconventional mother struggling to raise her two daughters after leaving her husband in 1970s Los Angeles. With the help of her best friends, Kathleen (Mena Suvari), and Diana (Jennifer Bartels), Bonnie and her pals are about to discover their own brand of independence in a world reluctant to give it to them.
Premieres: Thursday, June 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network
Claws
The claws are out in Manatee County, Florida! TNT’s female-led nail-erific crime drama is back with Niecy Nash leading the charge as Desna and her trusty crew of women embrace the darker side of their shady side business. But they’re about to face some formidable foes in the form of dangerous Russian gangsters. Even so, we’re 99.9 percent sure that Desna and company are more than capable of showing who’s boss.
Premieres: Sunday, June 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TNT
The Bold Type
Our favorite trio -- Jane (Katie Stevens), Sutton (Meghann Fahy) and Kat (Aisha Dee) -- returns for two more seasons, and the girls of The Bold Type are truly upping the ante with a two-hour sophomore premiere. There’s a lot to look forward to: awesome friendship moments with the core trio, blossoming romances and even some illegal activity. Oy vey, we’re counting down to the show's return!
Premieres: Tuesday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
The Affair
Season four finds Noah (Dominic West), Helen (Maura Tierney), Alison (Ruth Wilson) and Cole (Joshua Jackson) in their own orbits, alienated from each other, spinning further and further away from where they all began. Each of them is involved in a new relationship, forcing them to decide if they’re ready and willing to leave the past behind for good. Sanaa Lathan joins the Showtime drama as Janelle, the tough-as-nails principal of the charter school where Noah teaches, with fellow new additions Ramon Rodriguez, Russell Hornsby and Phoebe Tonkin.
Premieres: Sunday, June 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime
Shades of Blue
J.Lo is a busy bee this summer! The woman who does it all leads the third and final 10-episode season of her police procedural as Detective Harlee Santos, whose “poetic” arc ends with “true redemption.” “Now looking at it with a little distance, playing Harlee strengthened me and helped me grow into a more self-assured woman,” the 48-year-old star said in April when the final season was announced. “It's crazy how some parts permeate your soul and change you forever and for that I am grateful.”
Premieres: Sunday, June 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC
Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who control the largest contiguous ranch in the country and must contend with constant attacks by land developers, clashes with an Indian reservation and conflict with America's first national park. From creator-director-writer Taylor Sheridan, the drama also stars Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Dave Annable and Cole Hauser.
Premieres: Wednesday, June 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network
Marvel's Luke Cage
A powerful new villain is about to rock Luke Cage (Mike Colter) to his core. After the events of The Defenders, Luke returns to Harlem as a hometown hero, but it isn’t long before his newfound celebrity status attracts unwanted attention from Bushmaster, who also happens to wield bulletproof powers. Elementary star Lucy Liu directed the season premiere.
Premieres: Friday, June 22 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix
GLOW
Do we really need to sell you on GLOW? It’s divine, and that’s all you need to know. Plus, Alison Brie is a force to be reckoned with. But, if you still needed another season to tune in for season two, Brie recently teased that there might just be a scene or two with some major breakdance action. Sold.
Premieres: Friday, June 29 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix
Suits
Things are about to look very different in the world of Suits. The long-running legal drama said farewell to longtime stars Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams, but a new chapter is upon us with the addition of Katherine Heigl. The former Grey’s Anatomy star joins the high-stakes law world as attorney Samantha Wheeler, whom Gabriel Macht likened to Harvey Specter 2.0. “They're truly adversarial, but they sometimes mirror each other in their actions and their manipulative ways to accomplish what they need,” he teased to ET. “We'll see who's the better the poker player, who can kick more people in the knees."
Premieres: July on USA Network
Sharp Objects
Five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams stars in the eight-episode limited series, Sharp Objects, based on the 2006 novel by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. Adams plays reporter Camille Preaker, who returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate the murders of two young girls, forcing her to face her personal demons. If the trailer is any indication of what lies ahead, this may be our new summer obsession.
Premieres: Sunday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO
Heathers
Originally scheduled to debut in March, Paramount Network pushed back the launch of the Heathers TV reboot after the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting on Feb. 14. Loosely inspired by the 1988 cult classic with Shannen Doherty (she’s back as a new character!) and Christian Slater, this 10-episode black comedy is set in modern-day Westerburg High School and revolves around Veronica Sawyer (Grace Victoria Cox) as she deals with the school's most popular (and most vicious) clique, the Heathers.
Premieres: Tuesday, July 10 on Paramount Network
Trial and Error
Kristin Chenoweth takes over as the new lead on the sophomore season of Trial and Error: Lady Killer. The Tony and Emmy winner will play Lavinia Peck-Foster, an eccentric heiress known for her flamboyant outfits, large hats and hairless cat, who has not left the confines of Peck Gardens in ages. Lavinia calls on Josh Segal and Associates -- the team that got off Owl Murderer Larry Henderson (John Lithgow) -- to defend her after her husband is found stuffed into a suitcase in the back of her car.
Premieres: Thursday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC
Making It
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman are rollin’ up their sleeves for the six-episode competition series, where the most talented crafts makers from across the country will take on a variety of handmade projects in the hopes of impressing Poehler, Offerman and expert judges Simon Doonan and Dayna Isom Johnson. Honestly, we’re here for anything with these Parks and Recreation BFFs!
Premieres: Tuesday, July 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC
The Sinner
Jessica Biel may not be returning in front of the camera, but she’s just as excited to be pulling the strings behind the scenes as an executive producer on the new season. Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, Fargo) joins returning cast member Bill Pullman as the new lead, playing Vera, a formidable yet mysterious woman who struggles between upholding the ideals of the community she leads and fulfilling her own desires.
Premieres: August on USA Network
Insecure
Issa new season for the hilariously honest HBO comedy. (See what we did there?) Issa Rae -- sorry, two-time Golden Globe nominee Issa Rae -- is reason enough to tune in for another season of realness as we pick back up with Issa, her bestie Molly (Yvonne Orji) and ex-boyfriend Lawrence (Jay Ellis). Besides, we’re dying to know where exactly things are going to go after last season’s finale.
Premieres: Sunday, Aug. 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
John Krasinski stars as the titular action hero in Amazon Prime’s highly anticipated TV adaptation of the popular Tom Clancy novels in his first series regular role since Jim Halpert on The Office. The series reintroduces Jack as an up-and-coming CIA analyst thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time and co-stars Wendell Pierce (Suits) and Abbie Cornish. More reason to spend a weekend in for a binge watch? It’s already renewed for a second season!
Premieres: Friday, Aug. 31 on Amazon Prime
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