After a relatively slow July, August is taking a similar route with a much smaller number of shows debuting than we are used to in 2020. That said, there’s still plenty of options, especially if you’re spending time also trying to catch up on this year’s Emmy nominations (might I suggest binging “What We Do in the Shadows” if you’re to pick just one to catch up to?).
It is interesting to note that in the increasing dominance of streaming services most of the new series out this month are ones that are premiering on those services ranging from Netflix to Quibi. With new documentaries, animation, and experimental projects produced by J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, there’s bound to be at least one or two breakout projects for everyone this month.
“Immigration Nation”
What You Need To Know: An important and timely docu-series, “Immigration Nation” delves into today’s controversial ICE policies, the families they affect, and the law enforcement officers that enforce them. While the current administration eagerly agreed to take part in the series initially, they later tried to delay and even threatened legal action to ensure some parts would never be broadcast according to The New York Times. Even despite thinly veiled threats by government officials, series showrunners Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau worked tirelessly to protect a raw and intimate portrait of immigration in this country. A hot button topic well before President Trump came into office, the series will hopefully serve to highlight the real human cost of immigration policies on both sides of the debate. While “Immigration Nation” is not the first series Netflix has done about this (see the Selena Gomez-produced “Living Undocumented”), it is the first that will try to present a complete picture of the process from the perspectives of everyone involved.
Release Date: August 3 on Netflix
“The Fugitive”
What You Need To Know: The latest original series for the troubled, mobile streamer Quibi is a fresh take on the classic crime drama. From the 1963 television series to the Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones film exactly 30 years later (lest we forget the short-lived television series from 2001 on CBS), this story has been done a handful of times and taken many forms over the years. The difference here aside from the ‘quick-bite’ series format, is that it’s a totally different take on a very familiar story – the character’s names are completely different so right out of the gate this version sets itself apart from its predecessors. The series stars Boyd Holbrook from hit Netflix series “Narcos” with Kiefer Sutherland as the detective on the chase. Sutherland, who is no stranger to cat-and-mouse thrillers, is a natural choice to play the detective hot on Holbrook’s tail, having starred in the critically acclaimed series “24” and “Designated Survivor.”
Release Date: August 3 on Quibi
“Hitmen”
What You Need to Know: How well exactly has the original content from the latest in what seems like hundreds of streaming services Peacock been received? So far, it seems that many of the series have received poor to middling reviews with no obvious breakout. Perhaps “Hitmen” will be just that with a pretty great synopsis about two women balancing friendship and their reliance on one another with the fact that they just so happen to kill people for a living. It’s the kind of genre-blending and tonal dissonance that works so well for other series. A BBC import, the series was created by Joe Markham and Joe Parham and stars Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc.
Release Date: August 6 on Peacock
“Star Trek: Lower Decks”
What You Need to Know: Never question the longevity of the “Star Trek” franchise and it’s many iterations – there’s likely some version of the show for everyone. The upcoming “Star Trek: Lower Decks” further exemplifies this as this time the premise is spun in an animated comedy package that doesn’t explore the lives of universe saving captains but rather the cogs of the Starfleet machine. Created by Mike McMahan (“Solar Opposites”) and starring Noël Wells, Jack Quaid, and Tawny Newsome, the humor of the show looks to derive itself from following the drama of the crew of one of the least important ships. It marks the first animated “Star Trek” series since the 1973-74 “Star Trek: The Animated Series.” For fans of more adult humor in animation as well as those who are always searching for more “Star Trek” content following series such as “Picard” and “Star Trek: Discovery” the latest show from CBS All Access might be the perfect fit.
Release Date: August 6 on CBS All Access
