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6 huge TV shows you won't want to miss this summer

These are the best shows to watch on Netflix, Apple TV, and HBO this summer.
Outer Banks. Drew Starkey as Rafe in episode 506 of Outer Banks. Cr. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix © 2026
Outer Banks. Drew Starkey as Rafe in episode 506 of Outer Banks. Cr. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix © 2026

Summer is in full swing, and we've already seen some incredible new TV shows.

Almost every streaming service has had a breakout hit. I Will Find You, a new Netflix series from Harlan Coben, has been the breakout hit of the summer. Love Island USA season 8 was the show's most popular season so far on Peacock. Apple TV has had the most hits so far with Silo, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Star City, and more. Dutton Ranch was a huge hit for Paramount+. The list goes on and on.

And the best news? We have so many more good shows coming this summer. We shared our top six shows you simply can't miss later this summer. Let's get the list started with the one show dominating the streaming charts right now.

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4.
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.

House of the Dragon season 3

  • Premiere date: June 21
  • Where to watch: HBO

House of the Dragon season 3 is officially the summer's biggest hit so far. It premiered last month to kick off an epic summer of TV, and it's safe to say that fans are quite pleased with the new season of the epic fantasy series to date. We're about halfway through House of the Dragon season 3, and it's getting better and better with each new episode.

The third season kicks off with the Battle of the Gullet, which is the biggest naval battle we've seen in the Game of Thrones universe, if we can call it that. Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) continues her pursuit to take the Iron Throne.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues on Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max through the season 3 finale on Sunday, Aug. 9. Everyone is watching right now, so unless you want to miss out, I would highly recommend getting caught up.

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Episode 1. Anya Taylor-Joy in "Lucky," premiering July 15, 2026 on Apple TV

Lucky

  • Premiere date: July 15
  • Where to watch: Apple TV

Lucky is the new series from Apple TV starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Drew Starkey, who also pops up in another show on this list. The series just premiered on Apple TV on Wednesday, July 15. Apple TV dropped the first two episodes of the series on the release date.

Lucky tells the story of Lucky Armstrong, played by Taylor-Joy, as she goes on the run after an epic heist goes wrong.

Jonathan Tropper, the creator of Your Friends and Neighbors, created this series, and it feels like the Apple TV series in a lot of ways, but it's more of a thriller.

New episodes of Lucky hit Apple TV on Wednesdays until the season finale on Aug. 19. This is definitely one of the shows of the summer that you don't want to miss.

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Ted Lasso season 4 - Credit: Apple TV

Ted Lasso season 4

  • Premiere date: Aug. 5
  • Where to watch: Apple TV

Ted Lasso season 4, of course, deserves a spot on the list! The series returns to Apple TV after a three-year break between seasons. Jason Sudeikis is back as Coach Lasso, but this time, he's left most of the boys behind. He takes charge as the coach of the FC Richmond women's team.

Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Jeremy Swift, Brendan Hunt, and Juno Temple are returning for the fourth season with a mostly new cast. Grant Feely, Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and more also star in season 4.

Ted Lasso season 4 premieres on Wednesday, Aug. 5, and airs new episodes weekly on Apple TV through the season finale on Oct. 7. It's going to be a fun end to summer and a great start to fall.

The Shards

  • Premiere date: Aug. 5
  • Where to watch: FX/Hulu

I'm not the biggest Ryan Murphy fan, but I'll put that aside to watch The Shards, a new murder mystery series coming to FX and Hulu on Aug. 5, the same day as Ted Lasso season 4.

The Shards is based on a novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. The series has an amazing cast that includes Kaia Gerber, Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, Graham Campbell, Hayes Warner, Wes Bentley, and more.

The series tells the story of an elite prep school in California that finds itself in the middle of a serial killer investigation. Count me in!

We're getting a two-episode premiere on Aug. 5, followed by weekly episodes of The Shards on Wednesdays on FX and Hulu.

Sterling Point

  • Premiere date: Aug. 5
  • Where to watch: Prime Video

Prime Video is on a streak of great teen summer shows. Over the last few years, we've seen three seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty, a great first season of We Were Liars, and others. Now, Prime Video has Sterling Point, another new teen summer series coming on Aug. 5. Yes, I'm aware that three of these shows premiere on the same date.

Sterling Point tells the story of Annie, a teenager who moves to a small community in Canada after being gifted a small island by her grandfather after he passed away. There, Annie connects to a community she never knew that she was a part of.

Sterling Point has a killer cast, including Ella Rubin, Jay Duplass, Keen Ruffalo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Amélie Hoeferle, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Keen Ruffalo, Bo Bragason, and Daniel Quinn-Toye. All eight episodes of the first season hit Prime Video on its release date!

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Outer Banks. (L to R) Drew Starkey as Rafe, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron in episode 502 of Outer Banks. Cr. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix © 2026

Outer Banks season 5

  • Premiere date: Aug. 20, 2026
  • Where to watch: Netflix

Outer Banks season 5 takes the last spot on our list of the best shows you don't want to miss later this summer. The Pogues are back for one last adventure on Thursday, Aug. 20. By now, I'm sure you know that the fifth season will be the last season of the hit Netflix original series.

After the death of a friend in the season 4 finale and the loss of an artifact that would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams, John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, and Cleo have unfinished business and are out for revenge on Chandler Groff.

Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Jonathan Daviss, Madison Bailey, Carlacia Grant, Drew Starkey, and J. Anthony Crane are all back for season 5. We can't wait to see how this journey comes to an end.

Thankfully, Netflix is dropping all 10 episodes of the final season on Aug. 20. We're not getting a split season like we did for season 4.


To recap, these are the six biggest shows you don't want to miss this summer. House of the Dragon season 3 is the show to watch right now, along with Lucky, which just premiered on Apple TV on July 15.

We have three shows to watch on Aug. 5, including Ted Lasso season 4, The Shards, and Sterling Point, followed by Outer Banks season 5 at the end of the month.

Honestly, House of the Dragon and Outer Banks are my top summer picks, but I'm going to be watching all six of these shows, and you should, too!

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