5 TV shows you need to watch in August

There are lots of shows returning in August with new seasons, including Industry and Bel-Air with their respective third seasons and Emily in Paris with the first part of its fourth season. That’s not it, though. You can also check out more lighthearted fare if you want to enjoy something relaxing this summer, like the fifth season of Solar Opposites or Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears.

When it comes to five shows you need to watch in August, however, we have chosen a selection of both new and returning shows on the top streaming services that you’ll want to have on your watch list this month.

The Umbrella Academy, season 4 (August 8)

The Umbrella Academy returns in August to conclude its sprawling story. The superhero series based on the comic book series of the same name is about a group of siblings adopted by an eccentric billionaire. They all possess superpowers and have come together to probe their father’s death and stop the pending apocalypse.

Earning six Emmy awards through its run to date, The Umbrella Academy continues the story from season 3, which premiered in June 2022. In season 3, the siblings were dealing with the creation of a new timeline, their replacement by another superhero group in this alternate version of 2019, and a kugelblitz trying to destroy the universe. Our reviewer called that season the weirdest to date. Whichever way season 4 takes the story, it’s sure to be an exciting end to the tale.

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. 

Bad Monkey (August 14)

Vince Vaughn is Andrew Yancy, a former police detective who has been relegated to working as a restaurant inspector, in this comedy-drama. The job is typically far less exciting. But when a group of tourists discover a severed arm, Andrew realizes that if he can solve this murder, he might be able to weasel himself back into the Miami Police Department.

Set in Florida and the Bahamas, Bad Monkey also stars Michelle Monaghan as Bonnie, a woman in an abusive marriage who has a secret past, and Jodie Turner-Smith as Dragon Queen/Grace, who practices African Obeah spellcasting. Bad Monkey is based on the bestselling novel by Carl Hiassen and is executive produced by Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Vaughn himself. Vaughn’s sarcastic, comedic style will lend itself well to the character, while the overarching story is sure to entertain.

Stream Bad Monkey on Apple TV+. 

Only Murders in the Building, season 4 (August 27)

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez have become the most beloved trio on television with Only Murders in the Building, a fun mystery comedy-drama about three residents of a swanky New York City building who accidentally keep finding themselves at the center of murders. While they couldn’t be more different from one another, the three share a common love for true crime podcasts. So, they decide to start their own while running amateur investigations, often finding themselves suspects as much as bystanders.

With the fourth season centered around the tragic death of Jane Lynch’s Sazz Pataki, fans are delighted to learn that Meryl Streep will be returning to reprise her role as Loretta Durkin. There’s a long list of new recurring stars for season four as well, including Molly Shannon, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Galifianakis, and Melissa McCarthy. Fans are excited to see how they all play into the expectedly silly, but entertaining murder mystery plot that gets stranger with every turn.

Stream Only Murders in the Building on Hulu. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, season 2 (August 29)

Almost two years after the first season premiered, you’ll finally be able to dive into the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The fantasy series focuses on material from the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, with the story set thousands of years prior to the events in the novels. It takes place during the Second Age of the fictional Middle-earth when the Rings of Power were forged, the Dark Lord Sauron rose to power, the kingdom of Númenor fell, and the Elves and Men formed what would be their final alliance.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s first season was dubbed perfection by our reviewer. “Along with replicating the scale and narrative architecture of The Lord of the Rings films, the Amazon series also delivers an experience that feels tonally familiar to those features, too.” While we’ll have to wait to see if season 3 lives up to the first, fans of Tolkien’s works and the movies will be excitedly tuning in August 29 for the first three episodes, followed by new episodes weekly through October 3, 2024.

Stream The Lords of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video.

Kaos (August 29)

Love Greek mythology? You’ll want to watch Kaos, a new mythological dark comedy about three people who discover that they have a connection to one another that relates to an ancient prophecy. Meanwhile, Zeus, terrified that the end of his reign is nigh (all because he finds a wrinkle on his forehead), believes that these three humans and the prophecy could have something to do with it, not to mention a pending apocalypse. As time goes on and he keeps noticing signs, he grows increasingly paranoid. At the same time, the three individuals come together and discover conspiracies involving the Greek gods.

Starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus,along with Janert McTeer, Cliff Curtis, and David Thewlis, Kaos hails from the writers of The End of the F*cking World and the producers of Chernobyl. The series takes a humorous and modern look at mythological tales that have usually been told with a far more serious tone.

Stream Kaos on Netflix.