“Big Little Lies”
What You Need to Know: And here we have entry two of shows that, for all intents and purposes, likely shouldn’t have swung past their original end goal, reaching further than the book it’s based on due to immense popularity. We’ll have to wait and see if there’s story left for the five women of this quaint and picturesque California beach town, but with the returning talents of Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon we’ll have a hard time turning away. Add to that new cast member Meryl Streep of all people and direction by the extraordinary Andrea Arnold (“American Honey,” “Fish Tank”) and there’s no denying that barring any major disaster, “Big Little Lies” should remain one of television’s most engaging dramas.
Release Date: Season 2 premiers on June 9th on HBO.
“Pose”
What You Need to Know: A vibrant, rejoiceful and as humanly romantic a Ryan Murphy product has ever been, “Pose” deservedly picked up a devout following in its premiere season. Introducing performers such as Billy Porter, Mj Rodriguez and Indya Moore to wider audiences, “Pose” follows the rise of “ball culture” in the late ’80s in New York City. It’s relevant as well as timeless and a must watch for those yearning for their next drama binge (all of season one is now on Netflix.)
Release Date: Season 2 premiers on June 11th on Netflix.
“Baskets”
What You Need to Know: Thank goodness for the age of Peak TV because nowhere else might we have been gifted the delectable absurdism that is “Baskets,” ending its bizarre trip in its upcoming fourth season. Starring Zach Galifianakis and Louie Anderson who won an Emmy for his role as Chip’s put-upon mother, the series has been a unique vehicle for these performers to flex their awkward comedy beats and physicality, and it’s only continued to get better with time. Our critic who reviewed season three wrote that “Baskets” “…remains a uniquely special television series, and the most auteur-driven comedy series perhaps ever.”
Release Date: Season 4 premiers on June 13th on FX.
“Too Old to Die Young”
What You Need to Know: Created by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ed Brubaker, “Too Old to Die Young” strikes at an interesting time in Refn’s career. Having divided audiences with “The Neon Demon,” confounded with “Only God Forgives” and stunned with “Drive,” his career, like so many experimental filmmakers, has already been laden with points both high and low. His first outing with television, “Too Old to Die Young,” sees him teaming up with Miles Teller for a miniseries which premiered at this year’s Cannes. Our critic was hesitant to commend it, writing “There’s a difference between a filmmaker developing career-long themes and falling into a routine, and Refn’s on the wrong side of that divide.”
Release Date: The first season premiers on June 14th on Amazon Video.