Summer used to be the down-time for television audiences. Major broadcast networks traditionally aired their prime time hits from September through May, understanding that viewers simply wouldn’t be watching as much TV in the summer months.
Needless to say, things have changed. After a year of blockbuster films streaming without a major theater debut, kids learning from home and skipping summer camp, and everyone else postponing weddings, vacations, and regular get-togethers, it’s no surprise that some of the most anticipated media content of 2021 will be airing this coming July. (If you’re curious about what people watched last year, read about every state’s favorite show on Netflix in 2020.)
While people cross our fingers in anticipation of some resumption of normalcy, there’s also a sense of excitement surrounding all the good things there’ll have to watch, whether on broadcast TV, cable channels, or streaming outlets.
Click here to learn when some of the most anticipated shows coming out in July
To identify the most anticipated TV shows airing in June, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the most recent announcements of TV show seasons and movies on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator. Premier date, season, and network were all obtained from Rotten Tomatoes.
“Rotten Tomatoes’ premiere dates calendar keeps track of the most anticipated new 2021 TV premieres and your favorite returning shows. This list also includes titles with to-be-announced premiere dates for 2021, either because of the coronavirus-related Hollywood shutdown in the spring and summer of 2020.”
Included in the shows to come are documentaries covering true crime, the creative process, and other topics, as well as sequels to well-loved movies, cooking shows, and dramas and comedies. If novelty isn’t everything, it might also be worth considering the best classic TV shows available to stream.
1. Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
> Release date: Jul 2, 2021
> Network: Hulu
This i- the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week celebration of African American culture that hosted musical acts such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Sly & The Family Stone.
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2. Monsters at Work: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 2, 2021
> Network: Disney+
Six months after the events of the original Pixar classic “Monsters, Inc.,” (2001), new and old characters work together to collect laughter instead of screams and bring power to Monstropolis.
3. The Tomorrow War
> Release date: Jul 2, 2021
> Network: Amazon Prime Video
This sci-fi offering takes place thirty years in the future, with humanity on the losing end of a war against alien invaders. In an effort to gain the upper hand, human scientists have begun using time travel to bring soldiers from the recent past to join the fight.
4. Black Widow
> Release date: Jul 9, 2021
> Network: Disney+
In this epic set 30 years after the events that took place in “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), Scarlett Johansson resumes her role of Natasha Romanoff, who must now thwart an international conspiracy and save the world on her own.
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5. Cellmate Secrets: Susan Smith
> Release date: Jul 9, 2021
> Network: Lifetime
This six-part docuseries is meant to shed light on some of recent history’s most famous convicted criminals.
6. Art in Bloom with Helen Dealtry: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
“Art in Bloom” follows Helen Dealtry as she shows audiences what it’s like to create paintings in her studio.
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7. Homegrown
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
Jamila Norton helps every-day homeowners become green-thumbed gardeners on “Homegrown,” where she teaches viewers how to plant produce in their own backyard.
8. Jean Stoffer Design: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
This show follows the eponymous interior designer around her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as she embarks on some of her most ambitious projects yet.
9. Making Modern with Brooke and Brice: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
Brooke and Brice are a married couple who start their own home remodeling business.
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10. Mind for Design
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn takes audiences along for the ride as he brings his quirky sense of humor to projects big and small.
11. Ranch to Table
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
This show follows cattle rancher, organic farmer, and professional chef Elizabeth Poett as she and her husband raise a family, run a business, and help others in Santa Barbara.
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12. Self Employed
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
In Self Employed, Jonathan Morris talks to small-business owners and entrepreneurs from across the country about what it was like to start out on their own.
13. The Artisan’s Kitchen: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
In this traditional cooking show, Bryan Ford brings his Honduran- and New Orleans-influenced approach to classic recipes.
14. Van Go
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
“Van Go” follows Brett Lewis, founder of Chewy Design Co., as he takes his Sprinter-turned-tiny-home across the country to renovate his clients’ vans into tiny homes of their own.
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15. Zoë Bakes
> Release date: Jul 15, 2021
> Network: Discovery+
Zoë François calls on her commune upbringing and Vermont roots to teach viewers how to make simple, delicious meals and desserts from her home in Minneapolis.
16. Cellmate Secrets: Shayna Hubers
> Release date: Jul 16, 2021
> Network: Lifetime
This episode of Cellmate Secrets tells the story of Shayna Hubers, who was convicted for the murder of her boyfriend Ryan Poston in 2012.
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17. Space Jam: A New Legacy
> Release date: Jul 16, 2021
> Network: HBO Max
This long-anticipated sequel to the original “Space Jam” (1996) features LeBron James, teaming up with the Tune Squad against the Goon Squad to rescue his son.
18. Turner & Hooch: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 16, 2021
> Network: Disney+
Based on the 1989 buddy-cop film of the same name, “Turner & Hooch” follows U.S. Marshall Scott Turner and his misbehaving dog, Hooch, as they fight crime in their own way.
19. Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life
> Release date: Jul 23, 2021
> Network: Disney+
“Park Life” revives the legacy DIsney characters Chip and Dale as they live their lives (and cause plenty of trouble) as two chipmunks making it in the big city.
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20. Sky Rojo: Season 2
> Release date: Jul 23, 2021
> Network: Netflix
This is a slick, fast-paced Spanish drama (from the creators of the popular “Money Heist”) that follows three prostitutes on the run from their pimp.
21. Ted Lasso: Season 2
> Release date: Jul 23, 2021
> Network: Apple TV+
Jason Sudeikis plays the eponymous small-time American football coach who gets hired by a professional English soccer franchise.
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22. The Boy Behind the Door
> Release date: Jul 29, 2021
> Network: Shudder
This is a terrifying thriller featuring two boys captured and kidnapped by strangers. When one is able to escape, he instead decides to turn back and face the danger rather than leave his friend behind.
23. Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson: Season 1
> Release date: Jul 30, 2021
> Network: Apple TV+
This docuseries presented by famed musical producer Mark Ronson reveals the lengths musicians will go to in order to perfect their creations.
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