The shows of summer
The big news in TV right now is the Hollywood writers strike, which began earlier this month.
If the strike lasts for months? The network lineup — all those cop shows and sitcoms — will not be ready to premiere in the fall as usual. We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. For the time being, writers have not yet asked audiences to boycott TV altogether or cancel their streaming subscriptions, but a number of shows in production have been paused.
A mix of new and returning shows, here’s a look at what’s on tap in the first few weeks of the summer TV season.
“American Born Chinese” (May 24 on Disney+): An action comedy starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh and based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel, it tells the story of a teen and a new student he befriends at school who is the son of a mythological Chinese god.
“Platonic” (May 24 on Apple TV+): Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen star in this 10-episode comedy series as former best friends who reconnect in middle age — and become so consumed with their renewed friendship that it destabilizes everything else in their lives.
“FUBAR” (May 25 on Netflix): Netflix has been churning out shows about top secret government whoevers and here’s yet another. But what stands out is the name above the title: Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first TV series ever, playing a CIA agent roped back in for one last job after he’s retired. Things get more complicated when he finds out his daughter (Monica Barbaro) also secretly works for the CIA and they’ve been paired up as a team. Jaunty, loud and violent; you’ll know if this is for you.
“The Crowded Room” (June 9 on Apple TV+): From creator Akiva Goldsman (who won an Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind”) the limited series thriller unfolds through interrogations with a man who is arrested following his involvement in a 1979 shooting in New York City. Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum star.
“The Full Monty” (June 14 on Hulu): Another pointless reboot! But let’s temper our cynicism, maybe this TV adaptation (from FX) will be as modestly charming the 1997 British film. The story picks up 25 years later with the “same band of brothers as they navigate the postindustrial city of Sheffield and society’s crumbling health care, education and employment sectors.” That sounds deceptively dour, because the lads were always an amusing bunch.
“I’m a Virgo” (June 23 on Amazon): From Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”) comes another surreal story. The seven-episode comedy/fantasy/coming-of-ager centers on a 13-foot-tall guy from Oakland played by Jharrel Jerome, who won an Emmy for “When They See Us.” An avid fan of TV and comic book stories, his character is launched on a mythical quest when he encounters a real-life superhero played by “Justified’s” Walton Goggins.
“Only Murders in the Building” (Aug. 8 on Hulu): Season 3 of the murder mystery starring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. Meryl Streep joins the shenanigans this time out