5 New—Yet Nostalgia Infused!—Summer TV Shows We Can’t Wait To Watch
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After endless months of not being able to do anything, our longing for the “good old days” is at an all-time high. Perhaps that’s why so much must-see TV is rooted in yesteryear. A nostalgia-infused guide to what’s new.
Back to the 1940s: Schmigadoon!
A couple on vacation (Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) get trapped on the set of a Golden Age–era musical and can’t escape until they find true love. It’s produced by Strong and her Saturday Night Live boss Lorne Michaels, so expect laughs punctuated by song-and-dance numbers and familiar show tunes.
July 16, Apple TV Plus.
Back to the 1980’s: Physical
Part Fonda, part Flashdance, with a dash of Olivia Newton-John, this dark comedy follows a desperate housewife type (Rose Byrne) who finds fit-spiration and fame as an aerobics instructor. Byrne, as always, is fantastic but is possibly outshone by her scene-stealing mega perm.
June 18, Apple TV Plus.
Back to the 1990’s: Never Have I Ever
Season one of Mindy Kaling’s high school flashback ended with Devi’s realization that her nemesis, Ben, might be okay. Season two opens with her crush, Paxton Hall-Yoshida, still in the picture—love triangle alert! Canada’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan returns with more heart and hilarity.
July, Netflix.
Back to the aughts: Gossip Girl
This reboot kicks off eight years after the original, and the blog format is as dated as one of Serena’s fedoras; good thing gossip never goes out of style. This new cohort of Upper East Siders is a lot more diverse than the first time around, including a number of LGBTQ+ characters, but social commentary is balanced with soapy goodness. Xoxo.
July, HBO.
Back to Schitt’s Creek: Kevin Can F**k Himself
Imagine Married. . .with Children, Everybody Loves Raymond or King of Queens, except that the wife knows her husband is a needy, self-aggrandizing oaf. That’s the set-up behind this split-world comedy: Half takes place in TV-land (doting wife, grating laugh track), while the other half sees beleaguered spouse Allison (Schitt’s Annie Murphy) trying to break out of the literal box and take her life back.
June 20, AMC.
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