Between a DC detective thriller, the bittersweet final season of a teen drama, and the eagerly anticipated return of the world’s most optimistic soccer coach, the next few weeks of TV are stacked. Add in a Taylor Sheridan CIA conspiracy, Brett Easton Ellis’s comeback, and all the true crime you could want, and we’ve got exactly what to stream on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and more. Here’s everything coming in August 2026 worth clearing your schedule for.
For the Tom Clancy fan craving spy intrigue…
Lioness, Season 3
Where: Paramount+
When: Aug. 2
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Paramount’s crown prince, Taylor Sheridan, is back with the third season of his CIA thriller starring Zoe Saldaña as an operative caught up in a sprawling conspiracy. Sheridan’s conservative dogwhistles have caused some to bristle, but if you’re a fan of military and spy fare, there’s nothing else competing at this level on TV right now. And the star wattage is undeniable: Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Kelly are all returning this season as well. New episodes drop every week, with the season finale rolling in Sept. 20.
For the Ryan Murphy devotee…
The Shards
Where: Hulu
When: Aug. 5
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Bret Easton Ellis has always had a way with satirizing the lives of the young, hedonistic, privileged, and sadistic. The Shards—executive produced by prolific show creator Ryan Murphy and Ellis (although the latter’s involvement was reportedly minimal)—stems from Ellis’s semi-autobiographical 2023 novel about a spoiled private school boy whose classmates are stalked by a serial killer known as the Trawler. Obsession, drug abuse, luxury, and terror all mingle in this adaptation starring Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, and Kaia Gerber.
For the person who always roots for the underdog…
Ted Lasso, Season 4
Where: Apple TV+
When: Aug. 5
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Three years after what looked like a series finale, Jason Sudeikis returns as Ted, called back by his old boss Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) to coach AFC Richmond’s second-division women’s football team. Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift are all back too, alongside newcomers including Tanya Reynolds and Grant Feely, for a season that feels like coming home to an old friend. Episodes roll out weekly through Oct. 7.
For the One Tree Hill superfan…
Sterling Point
Where: Amazon Prime Video
When: Aug. 5
Why It’s Worth a Watch: From My Old Ass writer-director Megan Park, this ensemble drama follows 17-year-old Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin), a Manhattan teen who inherits her mysterious late grandfather’s island in Canada and discovers a tangle of new friendships, romantic interests, and hidden truths about her family. With a cast that also includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jay Duplass, as well as newcomer Keen Ruffalo, it’s already being heralded as the next messy teen drama in the vein of The Summer I Turned Pretty. With rubber stamps from the showrunners behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl, it’s guaranteed to have people talking all month long. All eight episodes are dropping at once at midnight.
For the true crime junkie…
Monsters of God
Where: HBO Max
When: Aug. 6
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Director Eric Goode (Tiger King) has his niche, and for this five-part limited series, he’s turned his eye to the illegal reptile trade. This time, it’s personal; Goode has long felt guilty about his own youthful obsession with exotic reptiles, and in this series, he explores the sprawling and corrupt world where the reptile trade intersects with drug trafficking and even violence. As with Tiger King, the show is chock-full of its own colorful characters and creeps defying government intervention at every turn. All episodes drop at midnight.
For the person who always cries at the end of Little Women…
My Brilliant Career
Where: Netflix
When: Aug. 13
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Based on a 1901 novel of the same name by Miles Franklin, My Brilliant Career follows the plucky young Sybylla, who’s growing up in rural Australia in the early 20th century with ambitions of one day becoming a writer. It’s a classic tale of a modern woman looking for her place in the world, even as her family and social convention push her towards marriage. The 1979 film adaptation was an international breakthrough for Aussies Judy Davis and Sam Neill, who died in July; let’s see what it holds for their fellow countrymen, Philippa Northeast and Christopher Chung, this time around. All six episodes of the limited series drop Aug. 13.
For the person who wishes Breaking Bad had a few more aliens…
Lanterns
Where: HBO Max
When: Aug. 16
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre lead this DC Studios series as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two intergalactic cops pulled into what showrunner Chris Mundy has described as a terrestrial, True Detective-style mystery (rather than a standard superhero romp). The eight-episode season—co-created by Mundy, Lost creator Damon Lindelof, and Tom King—follows the pair as they investigate a murder in the American heartland that unravels into something much bigger, with an ensemble that includes Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, and Nathan Fillion.
For the person waiting for one last treasure hunt with the Pogues…
Outer Banks, Season 5
Where: Netflix
When: Aug. 20
Why It’s Worth a Watch: The Pogues are back for their fifth and final ride, with the main cast all returning to close out the series that creators Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke began back in 2020. After last season’s gutting finale, Kiara and the crew are out for revenge against their nemesis Chandler Groff. The Outer Banks team is going all out for the final season. The trailer teases car explosions, knife fights, and daring motorcycle chases, all set against the glistening waters and dramatic cliffsides of North Carolina’s outer banks. All 10 episodes will drop at once so you can binge the sendoff in one sitting.
For the person rewatching Girls for the 100th time…
Adults, Season 2
Where: Hulu
When: Aug. 27
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Every generation has their hapless 20-somethings sitcom, yet so far, Gen Z hasn’t really had their TV bible. Adults is trying to change that. Starring rising talent like Owen Thiele, Jack Innanen, Lucy Freyer, Malik Elassal, and Amita Rao, the first season had some strong laughs and was well reviewed but failed to light the culture on fire, so the showrunners are taking a unique approach, dropping a new “prequel” episode ahead of the second season. (Maybe the first season’s opening scene, in which a female protagonist starts masturbating in protest before a subway sex pest, was a bit much for some viewers?) How’s that for a fresh start?
For the person who misses The Man in the High Castle…
Dark Matter, Season 2
Where: Apple TV+
When: Aug. 28
Why It’s Worth a Watch: Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly return as Jason and Daniela Dessen in the follow up to Blake Crouch’s bestselling novel, which the first season adapted in full. Season two finds the family trying to settle into a version of life that finally feels safe, until Jason’s obsession with the Box and Daniela’s growing paranoia threaten to unravel it all over again. The 10-episode season, also starring Alice Braga and Jimmi Simpson, rolls out weekly through Oct. 30.
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