Elle
When and where: July 1, Amazon Prime.
What it’s about: A prequel series to the beloved 2001 cult film "Legally Blonde," starring a young Reese Witherspoon. As viewers may recall, the film followed Elle Woods, a popular fashion student who is dumped by her boyfriend because he thinks she is not "serious" enough. To prove to him, and to herself, that she is capable of more, she gets into Harvard Law School, where she battles prejudice and fights to show there is more to her than blond hair and pink.
The series takes us back to 1995, as Elle tries to navigate the turbulent high school years and is suddenly uprooted from her natural surroundings in sunny Beverly Hills when her parents tell her they are moving to gray Seattle. Witherspoon herself joins the project as an executive producer, and given the wave of 2000s revivals, from "Freakier Friday" to "The Devil Wears Prada 2," the new nostalgia product may well find buyers.
Who’s in it: The series features the final appearance of James Van Der Beek of "Dawson’s Creek" before his death. Beyond that, the cast is not especially star-studded and includes Tom Everett Scott of "That Thing You Do!" and some relatively new faces, including Lexi Minetree as Elle and Chandler Kinney of "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin."
Little House on the Prairie
When and where: July 9, Netflix.
What it’s about: More than 50 years after it first aired, Netflix is reviving the classic series based on Laura Ingalls’ autobiographical books. According to the series’ official synopsis, the adaptation is "part family drama, part epic survival tale and part origin story of the American West. This fresh adaptation of the legendary ‘Little House’ book series offers a rich, kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier."
Rebecca Sonnenshine, who served as a producer on hit series including "The Boys" and "The Vampire Diaries," is the showrunner and executive producer of the new series. As befits our times, with all their PC and woke sensibilities, Netflix says the series will broaden the perspective of the Osage Nation, who lived in the region before the settlers arrived, tell their story as well and deal with the tension between the dream of settlement and the harm done to Indigenous communities.
From 'Little House on the Prairie'
(Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)
Who’s in it: Alice Halsey of "Days of Our Lives" is the 2026 version of Laura Ingalls. She will be joined by Luke Bracey of "Monte Carlo," Barrett Doss of "Station 19" and others.
The Five-Star Weekend
When and where: July 12, HOT, yes and Cellcom TV.
What it’s about: Hollis Shaw is a successful chef and social media star whose life is shaken when she learns that her husband has been killed in an accident. In the wake of the tragedy, she organizes a weekend with four friends from different periods of her life: childhood, her 20s, adulthood and one friend from her current life. Her friends do not know one another, and each arrives with her own emotional baggage.
Behind the scenes is Bekah Brunstetter, who worked on Netflix hits such as the popular "Sirens" and the acclaimed "Maid." With a glittering and attractive cast and beautiful Nantucket scenery, "The Five-Star Weekend" looks like it may be worth a weekend in front of the screen.
From 'The Five-Star Weekend'
(Photo: Greg Gayne/PEACOCK courtesy of yes)
Who’s in it: Jennifer Garner of "13 Going on 30," Regina Hall of "Ally McBeal," Chloë Sevigny of "Big Love," D’Arcy Carden of "The Good Place," Gemma Chan of "Humans," Timothy Olyphant of "Justified" and others.
The Westies
When and where: July 15, yes, HOT and FreeTV.
What it’s about: The creator of "Narcos" returns with a new crime series that takes us to 1980s New York. The plot follows the small but brutal Irish Westies gang as it battles rival families in the Big Apple, as well as various law enforcement agencies. The series boasts an impressive cast led by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver, and the mesmerizing Irish accent is just a bonus.
Who’s in it: Simmons of "Oz," Welliver of "Bosch," Sarah Bolger of "The Tudors," Allen Leech of "Downton Abbey" and others.
Hot Ones: Extra Heat
When and where: July 13, Netflix.
What it’s about: The popular web series gets a digital upgrade and moves to the big leagues with a series of specials for Netflix, which will mainly be used to promote additional content on the streaming giant, but fine. For those who have yet to encounter the phenomenon, host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while both eat wings, or a vegetarian substitute, with each wing coated in a hotter sauce than the one before. As the heat rises, the questions become more personal and in-depth. Over more than a decade, Evans has interviewed some of the biggest stars, from Conan O’Brien and Pedro Pascal to our own Gal Gadot.
From 'Hot Ones: Extra Heat'
(Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)
The first episode will feature Will Ferrell and Jimmy Tatro ahead of their new series, which appears later on this list. In the teaser released for the series, the host promises this is "the show as you’ve never seen it before," and it will indeed be intriguing to see what a program built around wings and hot sauce does when it gets a Netflix budget.
Who’s in it: Celebrity guests, as per tradition, though they will be revealed with each special.
Lucky
When and where: July 15, Apple TV+.
What it’s about: Anya Taylor-Joy, who became a household name thanks to Netflix’s "The Queen’s Gambit," returns to the small screen. Taylor-Joy plays Lucky, a professional con artist who is forced to flee after a multimillion-dollar heist goes wrong. With both the FBI and the head of a ruthless crime organization on her trail, Lucky must fight for her life and find a way out.
The series is an adaptation of Marissa Stapley’s best-selling book of the same name, and believe it or not, Reese Witherspoon is also serving here as an executive producer. What is the connection, you ask? "Lucky," the book, was one of the actress’ picks for her popular book club. Oh, and she also has a lot of money. Add the kind of production value only Apple TV can provide, and there is real hit potential here.
From 'Lucky'
(Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Who’s in it: Taylor-Joy is joined by Annette Bening of "American Beauty," Timothy Olyphant in a particularly busy month, and others.
Ride or Die
When and where: July 15, Amazon Prime.
What it’s about: An action comedy starring Hannah Waddingham, of "Ted Lasso" fame, or Eurovision 2023 host for some of you, and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. The two play best friends Judith and Deb, until it emerges that Judith is actually a professional assassin. When a mysterious figure begins pursuing her, the two flee together, à la Thelma and Louise.
Behind the scenes, it should be noted, the series is not leaning on towering credentials. It is not based on any existing intellectual property, and its creator, Tessa Coates, has few credits to her name. But if the trailer is any indication, we have here a decent serving of silly fun, and sometimes that is all you need.
From 'Ride or Die'
(Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime)
Who’s in it: In addition to the above, the cast includes Bill Nighy of "Love Actually," Ed Skrein of "Deadpool" and Sylvia Hoeks of "Blade Runner 2049."
The Hawk
When and where: July 16, Netflix.
What it’s about: Will Ferrell plays an aging golf star trying to recapture his former glory, and really, you had us at Will Ferrell. Ferrell, who is also one of the series’ creators and an executive producer, plays Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins, who was the greatest golfer in the world back in 2004. Now, he is trying to return to the game for one more Grand Slam. Judging by the trailer, it does not seem likely to go smoothly. Add a complicated relationship with his ex-wife and competition from his reckless son, who has become golf’s new star, and the road to the big comeback looks set to be full of obstacles, embarrassing swings and, above all, big laughs.
Who’s in it: Ferrell has gathered around him a strong lineup of comedians, including Molly Shannon of "Saturday Night Live," comedian Fortune Feimster, Chris Parnell of "Saturday Night Live" and others.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
When and where: July 23, HBO Max.
What it’s about: A new spinoff of "The Big Bang Theory," centered on comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, who is forced to save reality after he accidentally breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, triggering a multiverse apocalypse as if we were in a Marvel series. In case parallel universes have not already worn you out, you will get to see beloved characters from the original series in various alternate-universe versions, though as the title suggests, Stuart’s attempt to save the universe is not expected to end successfully.
The series comes from "The Big Bang Theory" creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who this time have teamed up with Zak Penn, who worked on a range of Marvel projects, including "The Avengers," "The Incredible Hulk" and "X2," to help them navigate the multiverse. If executed properly, the new series sounds like it should have little trouble finding a loyal fan base.
From 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe'
(Photo: Courtesy of HBO MAX)
Who’s in it: Kevin Sussman returns as Stuart, Lauren Lapkus as Denise, Brian Posehn as geologist Bert Kibbler, John Ross Bowie as quantum physicist Barry Kripke and others.
Furious
When and where: July 27, Disney+.
What it’s about: A new thriller starring Emmy Rossum of "Shameless." Rossum plays Alice Black, a determined but conflicted FBI agent assigned to capture a mysterious, calculating and highly sophisticated serial killer. As Black delves deeper into the investigation, the professional pursuit becomes an existential obsession, pushing the two women onto an inevitable collision course.
From 'Furious'
(Photo: Courtesy of Disney+)
The series marks a drastic change of direction for talented creator Elizabeth Meriwether, whose previous notable works include the light sitcom "New Girl," starring Zooey Deschanel, and the acclaimed "Dying for Sex." With lines like "Your first case as an FBI agent and you think you’re dealing with a serial killer?" we will not lie: "Furious" sounds like quite a few stories we have heard before. But the fact that exactly 20 seconds of the trailer are enough to give you chills and fill you with dread suggests we may be dealing with a particularly effective thriller.
Who’s in it: Rossum, Scoot McNairy of "Argo," Jake Lacy of "The White Lotus" and others.
Worth keeping an eye on
"X-Men ’97," which was a refreshing surprise in the sea of revivals last year, returns for a second season on Disney+ on July 1. Apple TV+ will release the third season of the popular sci-fi drama "Silo" on July 3. On July 9, HBO will trace the rise of Burning Man in the documentary "The Man Will Burn." And last but not least: On July 19, all seasons of "Schitt’s Creek" will arrive on HOT, and we urge you to watch it.