We welcome the return of some favourites plus the latest escapist series to enjoy now …
Too Much on Netlfix
Pressing play on Lena Dunham’s new semi-autobiographical series Too Much will immediately sweep you up into the story of New Yorker Jessica Salmon, who upon a brutal break up, decides to take a job opportunity in London, grab her hairless pooch Astrid and get out of town. The series stars actress Megan Stalter (Hacks) who was recommended to Dunham as one to watch. Feeling a kinship towards the actress, the Girls writer set out to create Too Much with Stalter in her vision. Stalter stars opposite Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) who plays Felix (loosely based on Dunham’s husband Luis Felber), a struggling sober musician who is disarmed by Jessica when they meet in a pub after Felix’s gig and have one of the most convincing first conversations between love interests in rom-com history. Trust Lena Dunham to do it well. Expect intimate conversations, awkward moments, crazy colleagues and familiar London haunts. If the power and genius of Dunham isn’t clear from the script, it is glaringly obvious from the call sheet. Andrew Scott, Richard E Grant, Naomi Watts, Rita Wilson, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Emily Ratajkowski, Michael Zegen, Andrew Rannells, Rhea Perlman, Stephen Fry and Dean-Charles Chapman, plus Lena Dunham herself, all help bring this story to life.
The Bear, Season 4 on Disney+
The kitchen dramedy has returned to our screens – and has a fifth season already on the cards, so not to fret, we will see our favourite characters again. This season has been dubbed the “quiet” one, as we follow each character as they navigate their lives, with a calmer take on storytelling – and without as many outbursts. As always, the line-up of guest stars is most impressive with Brie Larson, Danielle Deadwyler, Rob Reiner, Kate Berlant, Joe Bernthal, Gillian Jacobs and Josh Hartnett joining the cast. For fans of the Thanksgiving episode, Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Donna Berzatto, as do other Berzatto relatives, played by John Mulaney, Sarah Paulson and Bob Odenkirk. Will Poulter is back and Adam Shapiro returns as Adam Shapiro.
As is custom with each season, there is always one episode that stays with the viewer. This season, it is undoubtedly Episode 4, Worms, which is co-written by stars of the series Ayo Edebiri (who plays Sydney) and Lional Boyce (who plays Marcus). The episode is a testament to Black culture and gives the viewer some time to check in with Sydney, away from the noise of the kitchen. Sydney is grappling with the decision on whether to stay at The Bear or move to Adam Shapiro’s new restaurant but when she goes to get her hair done by her cousin, played by Danielle Deadwyler, she ends up spending the day with her cousin’s daughter, a fifth grader, and the two listen to and advise eachother in a beautifully intimate piece of film.
Squid Game, Season 3, on Netflix
The third and final season of Squid Game picks up after the cliffhanger of season 2, when Gi-Hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) is left devastated following his failed rebellion and the sudden death of his closest friend. But Gi-hun will return to the game arena and continue to face the challenges of the games ahead, this season is all about Gi-hun’s transformation and how he overcomes what is sent his way. Albeit on an extreme and violent scale, Squid Game raises the conversation of how we treat each other and how we treat ourselves. Not to mention, rumours of a Squid Game US arise as we see Cate Blanchett’s cameo in the final scenes of the Netflix show. The actress is seen wearing a suit as she plays ddakji with a stranger, just like The Recruiter did at the very beginning of the series. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed to The Wrap that season 3 would not be the end of the Squid Game universe. If Cate Blanchett has anything to do with it, we are in!
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3 on Prime Video
We can expect the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, based on the books by Jenny Han, to land on Prime Video from July 16. A season of ten episodes, the first two episodes will be available to watch on that day, with the following eight released weekly every Wednesday. So, you are not at risk of binging too quickly! This season is based on Han’s third book in the series We’ll Always Have Summer and picks up with main character Belly (Lola Yung) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) as they navigate their relationship, starting college and – to Belly’s mother’s dismay – an unexpected engagement. But is the story between Belly and Conrad Fisher (played by Christopher Briney) really over? Han is reported to have said that loyal readers of the series can expect some surprises in this season. If you are not interested in watching for the YA storyline, watch this series for elegant cinematography and the fabulous interiors of the summer house set in Cousins, Massachusetts.
MobLand on Paramount +
For fans of Kin, Love Hate and Gangs of London, here is an amalgamation for you to sink your teeth into. Some dodgy Irish accents aside, MobLand has all the twists, turns, double-crossings, and high drama that we have come to expect in gangland series. We have the formulaic patriarch, right-hand man, troublesome grandson, troubled son, and the women who manipulate while the men get messy. Tom Hardy is widely praised for this performance, and we are always happy to see Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine (Small Town, Big Story), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) and Mandeep Dhillon (Afterlife) back on our screens.
Stick on Apple TV
Owen Wison has gone pro and is delighting audiences in the new series Stick. Wilson plays Pryce Cahill, an ex-golfer who was once destined for greatness but has now been fired from his job and his wife has left him. All hope may not be lost however, as he grabs the opportunity to coach a troubled teen prodigy, Santi Wheeler. Helping Santi might be the answer to saving himself too. Also starring Marc Maron (The Order), Judy Greer (13 Going on 30), Timothy Olyphant (Santa Clarita Diet) and Peter Dager (Insidious: The Red Door), let this series be the feel-good and funny show you watch for the summer.
We Were Liars on Prime TV
Another YA drama – we know – but enjoy the summer fashion of the three Sinclair sisters played by Mamie Gummer (Ricki and The Flash and daughter of Meryl Streep!), Candice King (Vampire Diaries) and Caitlin Fitzgerald (It’s Complicated). Based on the novel by E Lockhart, the story follows Cadence Sinclair played by Emily Alyn Lind (Gossip Girl) who suffers a head injury during a summer on her family’s private island, Beechwood. She can’t remember what happened and so returns two years later to try and trigger memories from before her accident of a summer spent with her cousins and best friends played by Shubham Maheshwari (Haven Dust), Esther McGregor (Babygirl) and Joseph Zada (Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: 2026). As teens enjoy their extravagant country home set on a fictional island near Martha’s Vineyard, there is an underlying darkness to this show, with family secrets, young love and a sense of mystery all coming to the fore.
