As June arrives, we start scrambling around the TV universe.
Broadcast networks are sinking into a summer of reruns and reality. If we want more … well, that’s why the world invented streaming and cable.
Some shows, listed below, offer the full range. One (“Little House on the Prairie”) takes us back to the frontier; others — including new “Simpsons” episodes and a “Big Bang Theory” spin-off (shown here) — fling us into alternate worlds.
There are shows produced by Barack Obama (who was elected president) and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (who was arrested, as a teen, for drug-dealing) and Mindy Kaling (who was Kelly in “The Office”).
In short, there’s a lot. This sampling leans heavily on the start of the summer, with more announcements expected.
BIG-LAUGH POTENTIAL
— “The Simpsons,” June 17, July 3 and Aug. 26, Disney+. These are three new episodes — with wild concepts — that are streaming-only, to celebrate the fact that Disney+ now has all 37 seasons of the “Simpsons” series.
— “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” June 26, HBO. In the ’80s, Larry David floundered at two sketch-comedy shows, “Fridays” and “Saturday Night Live.” Now that he’s older (much older) and wiser, David, 78, has his own sketch show. He has a smart producer (Obama) and perfect timing: Arriving two weeks before the 250th anniversary, this is sub-titled “An Almost History of America.”
— “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,” July 23, HBO Max. It’s a “Big Bang” spin-off — but switching genre. In a different universe, we see alternate versions of (from left) Barry Kripke, Denise, her boyfriend Stuart the comic-store guy and Bert Kibbler. Think of it as the sort of show the “Big Bang” guys would really like.
SOME MORE NEW SHOWS
— “Not Suitable for Work,” June 2, Hulu. Kaling has a strong record as comedy producer, with “The Mindy Project,” “Never Have I Ever,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and “Running Point.” Now she’s in “Friends”-like turf: Five men and women, early in their grown-up lives, are in two apartments across from each other.
— “Cape Fear,” June 5, Apple. In movies, we’ve already seen Robert Mitchum and Robert De Niro as the ex-con, seeking revenge on the family of a lawyer he blames. Now it’s Javier Bardem’s turn, spread over 10 episodes.
— “Best of the World,” June 7, National Geographic, then Hulu and Disney+. Each year, the National Geographic magazine names one place as the best in the world. Now Antoni Porowski takes us to one spot a week — starting with some vibrant and surprising glimpses of Mexico City.
— “Little House on the Prairie,” July 9, Netflix. The classic frontier series gets a richly crafted remake. It begins with Laura on a covered-wagon ride into Kansas with her older sister, their ever-optimistic father and hesitant mother. Huge problems and decent people are ahead, in a series that shares both the dad’s idealism and the mother’s doubts.
— “The Five-Star Weekend,” July 9, Peacock. Jennifer Garner plays a food blogger, recently widowed, who heads to Nantucket with her friends. Regina Hall and Chloe Sevigny also star.
— “Lucky,” July 15, Apple. Anya Taylor-Joy became a streaming star in “The Queen’s Gambit.” Now she plays a thief who has something everyone wants; the FBI and a mobster are in pursuit.
— “Lanterns,” Aug. 16, HBO Max. The Green Lantern, one of the DC Comics heroes, finally gets his moment. Kyle Chandler stars.
NEW SEQUELS AND PREQUELS
— “Dutton Ranch,” already started, Paramount+. We expect great things from Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” world, but this exceeds expectations. We won’t ruin any surprises, in case you haven’t started yet, except to say this: The opener fiercely ripped Beth and Rip out of Montana, propelling them to Texas, where they met terrific characters played by Ed Harris and Annette Bening. The fourth episode brought deeply moving tragedy; the fifth (June 5) brings a surprising and intriguing detour.
— “The Vampire Lestat,” June 7, AMC. “Interview With the Vampire” was a beautifully crafted series. Two years later, this show — sometimes considered a third “Interview” season — arrives, but the opener feels different: Characters that were easier to empathize with — Louis, Claudia, Molloy — are gone or in the background. Instead, we get lots of Lestat — big, booming, full of himself. A little bit of him can seem like enough.
— “Elle,” July 1, Amazon Prime. We first met Elle Woods as a vacant beauty who conquers law school. Now we go back to before her transformation.
RETURNING SHOWS
— “Love Island USA,” June 2, Peacock. Here’s some dating and mating among single folks who look good in swimwear. A follow-up show, “Love Island: Aftersun,” starts June 13.
— “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” June 12, Starz. It’s the fifth and final season of te “Power” prequel. We see the early years of Kanan Stark, whom we met in “Power” as an imprisoned drug lord (then played by Jackson, the shows’ producer). It will be followed June 12 by the sci-fi “The Lisiteners.”
— “House of the Dragon,” June 21, HBO Max. This “Game of Thrones” prequel has become a biennial event, with seasons in 2022, 2024 and now.
— “The Agency,” June 21, Paramount+.
— “Harry Wild,” June 22, Acorn. Jane Seymour’s series arrives on the same day that another “cozy mystery” (Brooke Shields’ “You’re Killing Me”) has its season-finale, offering a fresh twist.
— “The Bear,” June 25, Hulu. Each of the first three seasons has drawn an Emmy nomination for best comedy series — an impressive feat for a show that’s not really a comedy. The fourth season (eligible for Emmy nominations this year) ended with Carmy saying he’s leaving the restaurant and putting the others in charge. We’ll see.
— “Project Runway,” July 9, Freeform, then on Hulu and Disney+. The 22nd season begins, with 22 fashion designers,
— “Ted Lasso,” Aug. 5, Apple. After three seasons (and three best-comedy Emmy nominations, winning twice) this show indicated that it was finished. Now, more than three years later, it’s finally back, this time with Ted coaching a women’s soccer team.