101 shows to stream this summer
Fed up with sport? Fear not – from sci-fi to period dramas, sitcoms to romcoms, we have the perfect alternative viewing guide.
![The Rings of Power, Pachinko and Slow Horses.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/rings-of-power-pachinko-slow-horses-8917106.png?quality=90&resize=980,654)
The summer of streaming has arrived.
That's right – if the British weather or wall-to-wall sports coverage has you feeling down, never fear. There's plenty of new and old favourites to enjoy on the streamers.
From the latest seasons of Heartstopper, The Rings of Power and Slow Horses, to brand new series like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Time Bandits and KAOS, via some bonafide telly classics – here's Radio Times' pick of the 101 shows to watch this summer.
Young adult shows to stream this summer
![TheUmbrellaAcademy-s4-Netflix-ElliotPage Aidan Gallagher as Number Five, Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves, David Castañeda as Diego Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy standing in the middle of a dusty warehouse and looking to the side nervously.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/05/TheUmbrellaAcademy-s4-Netflix-ElliotPage-116aba9.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
1. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder iPlayer
Based on the bestselling book of the same name, teenager Pip (Emma Myers) decides to investigate the unsolved murder of an older girl from her school.
2. The Umbrella Academy S1–3 Netflix; S4 from 8 Aug
A billionaire adopts seven children, each with a unique superpower.
3. Heartstopper S1 & 2 Netflix; S3 from 3 Oct
A coming-of-age drama with a progressive love story between Charlie (Joe
Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor).
4. Wednesday S1 Netflix
Stylish, supernatural dramedy about Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) – a girl with psychic powers.
5. Geek Girl S1 Netflix
Harriet Manners (Emily Carey) is a socially awkward 16-year-old who’s bullied at school, but then she’s spotted by a model agency...
6. Red Rose S1 iPlayer
The perils of smartphones are taken to extremes when Rochelle (Isis Hainsworth) opens a new app. Tested friendships and tough decisions await.
7. Renegade Nell S1 Disney+
Derry Girls’ Louisa Harland is the plucky Nell, in Sally Wainwright’s 18th-century drama.
8. The Summer I Turned Pretty S1 & 2 Amazon
US teen drama charting the romantic whims of Belly (Lola Tung).
9. Shadow and Bone S1 & 2 Netflix
Map-making orphan Alina’s (Jessie Mei Li) story melds a pseudo-Victorian aesthetic with a dark imagination.
10. Tell Me Everything S1 & 2 ITVX
A whirl of school, friendships and relationships based on writer Mark O’Sullivan’s own experiences growing up.
Apple TV+ shows to stream this summer
![Lisa Kudrow and the cast of Time Bandits Characters in Time Bandits standing in a row but spaced apart looking at something in the distance, with rolling hills and water in the background.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/time-bandits-apple-tv-cd5442f.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
11. Slow Horses S1—3 Apple TV+; S4 from 4 Sept
Laconic yet savvy take on classic espionage dramas based on Mick Herron's bestselling books, with Gary Oldman as the repulsive but mentally sharp Jackson Lamb.
12. Lady in the Lake Apple TV+ from 19 July
In 1966, two women’s lives entwine after a girl vanishes. With Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram.
13. Time Bandits Apple TV+ from 24 July
Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi’s adaptation of the fantasy film. With Lisa Kudrow.
14. Criminal Record Apple TV+
This urgent thriller pits a rookie detective (Cush Jumbo) against a veteran (Peter Capaldi).
15 Masters of the Air Apple TV+
Epic drama following the US Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group on some of WW2’s perilous raids.
16. Trying S1—4 Apple TV+
Adorable comedy drama about a couple (Rafe Spall and Esther Smith), who are desperate to start a family.
17. Hijack Apple TV+
Idris Elba stars in a hijacked-plane thriller that squeezes every drop of tension from its situation.
18. Prehistoric Planet S1–2 Apple TV+
This Attenborough series is a technically impressive guide to what we know about dinosaurs.
19. Ted Lasso S1–3 Apple TV+
A joyous hug of a show about an American football coach who takes over a soccer club.
20. The Reluctant Traveller S1–2 Apple TV+
Schitt’s Creek’s Eugene Levy hosts a funny but spiky travelogue.
Foreign dramas to stream this summer
![Sungkyu Kim, Eunchae Jung and Minha Kim in "Pachinko Sungkyu Kim, Eunchae Jung and Minha Kim in Pachinko, standing in a field and staring ahead at something in the distance.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/Pachinko-season-2-Sungkyu-Kim-Eunchae-Jung-Minha-Kim-6c042a8.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
21. The Turkish Detective iPlayer from 7 July
Compelling adaptation of Barbara Nadel’s novels of crime and corruption in Istanbul.
22. Pachinko S1 Apple TV+; S2 from 23 August
Based on the bestseller by Min Jin Lee, this Korean family saga charts forbidden love.
23. Lupin S1–3 Netflix
A classy and stylish retelling of the French story of gentleman thief Arsène Lupin (Omar Sy).
24. Money Heist S1–5 Netflix
Gripping Spanish series about a gang of robbers targeting Spain’s Royal Mint.
25. Deutschland 83, 86, 89 C4
Sleeper hit about a border patrol guard from East Germany who goes undercover in West Germany.
26. Borgen S1–3 Netflix
After a long hiatus, this classy Danish political drama returned in 2022 with Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) as foreign secretary.
27. Prisoner iPlayer
Visceral portrait of prison life in Denmark, with Youssef Wayne Hvidtfeldt as rookie guard Sammi.
28. Astrid: Murder in Paris S1–3 C4
Odd-couple French crime drama, with Sara Mortensen as an autistic police records clerk who helps to crack murder cases.
29. Spy/Master iPlayer
Ceausescu’s security adviser, Victor Godeanu (Alec Secareanu), wants to defect to the US in this Romanian Cold War thriller.
30. Babylon Berlin S1–4 Now
Travel to the Weimar Republic of 1929 to open the casebook of Gereon Rath and police clerk Charlotte Ritter.
Sci-fi & Fantasy shows to stream this summer
![Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Maxim Baldry as Isildur and Nia Towle as Estrid in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Close-up shot of Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Maxim Baldry as Isildur and Nia Towle as Estrid in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. They are wearing tunics and under-armour and looking into the distance.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/Rings-of-Power-season-2-Arondir-Isildur-Estrid-3042400.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
31. The Walking Dead: the Ones Who Live Now
Rick Grimes star Andrew Lincoln reprises the blood-and-guts role he left behind in 2018.
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Prime Video; S2 from 29 August
This prequel to Peter Jackson’s film trilogy explores the rise of baddie Sauron.
33. KAOS Netflix from 29 August
Jeff Goldblum is king of the gods in this extravagant, Succession-esque fantasy.
34. The Boys S1—3, S4 weekly (finale 18 July) Prime Video
Superheroes are the villains in this pitch-black, laugh-out-loud satire.
35. Star Trek: Discovery S1–5 Paramount+
Alien worlds, space battles and boldly going galore from this modern Trek tale.
36. Doctor Who All series BBC iPlayer
Adventures across time and space with Ncuti Gatwa and all the other Doctors.
37. The Wheel of Time S1 & 2 Prime Video; S3 due in 2025
Dark lords and dangerous magic abound in an epic fantasy drama.
38. Stranger Things S1–4 Netflix; S5 due in 2025
Back to the Upside Down as kids fight monsters in the 80s.
39. The Witcher S1–3 Netflix
Monster-hunting and intrigue from Henry Cavill’s gruff hero. Liam Hemsworth takes over in season 4, filming now.
40. Fallout Prime Video
Apocalyptic video-game dramatisation from a Westworld co-creator.
Dating shows to stream this summer
![love-is-blind-uk-2 Emma and Matt Willis stood next to each other smiling. Emma is in a green two-piece with her hair slicked back and one hand on Matt. Matt is in a white t-shirt and dark coloured blazer with a beard and glasses, he has his arm around Emma.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/02/love-is-blind-uk-2-d9c1f5d.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
41. Love Is Blind UK Netflix from August
Contestants must chat, flirt and ultimately choose one person to get engaged to – and all without meeting face-to-face.
42. Dating Naked UK Paramount+ from August
Singletons live together – yes, completely starkers – in their quest for love. Rylan Clark hosts.
43. Too Hot to Handle S1–5 Netflix; S6 July 2024
Love Island-style dating contest with a catch — all sexual contact is banned. Will the contestants be able to control themselves?
44. Love Island Various series ITVX
Singles descend on an island hoping to pair up with their dream match and win £50,000.
45. Married at First Sight Various series C4 streaming
Couples meet for the very first time as they walk down the aisle. After the “I dos,” there’s drama aplenty as they get to know each other.
46. I Kissed a Boy/ I Kissed a Girl iPlayer
The UK’s first gay dating shows, both of them hosted by Dannii Minogue.
47. My Mum, Your Dad S1 ITVX; S2 due in 2024
Davina McCall hosts this “mid-life Love Island” featuring singletons in their 40s and 50s.
48. First Dates S1—21 C4 streaming
Maître d’ Fred Sirieix has been matchmaking at the restaurant for over ten years.
49. 90 Day Fiancé UK S1 & 2 Discovery+
Long-distance romances are tested in this British spin-off of the US series.
50. Love Triangle C4 streaming
People choose from two potential suitors while all living together.
Period dramas to stream this summer
![Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light coming to BBC One and iPlayer.jpg Mark Rylance in costume as Thomas Cromwell for Wolf Hall The Mirror and the Light.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/04/1.-Mark-Rylance-as-Thomas-Cromwell-in-Wolf-Hall-The-Mirror-and-the-Light-coming-to-BBC-One-and-iPlayer.jpg-cad0414.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,463)
51. The Great S1 & 2 C4 streaming; S3 airing Mondays 10pm
Riotously fun costume drama with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as Russian Empress Catherine and her husband Peter.
52. My Lady Jane Prime Video
The story of Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) is reimagined with more sex, swearing and, er, shapeshifting.
53. The Serpent Queen S1 MGM+; S2 from 12 July
Samantha Morton delivers a rollicking performance as Catherine de Medici.
54. The Decameron 25 July Netflix
A silly and sexy dramedy set in 1348, when the Black Death ravages Florence.
55. Bridgerton S1–3 Netflix
Corsets bust across the Ton as the Bridgerton brood (and friends) get hot and heavy in Regency England.
56. Sanditon S1–3 ITVX
Andrew Davies’s fun and frothy continuation of Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel.
57. Wolf Hall S1 iPlayer; S2 autumn 2024
BBC Two’s 2015 drama was built on a mesmeric, daringly still performance by Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell.
58. Mary & George Now
A raunchy romp that stars Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as the titular mother and son.
59. The Gilded Age S1 & 2 Now; S3 likely in 2025
Creator Julian Fellowes brings his Downton Abbey stylings to late 19th-century New York society.
60. The Confessions of Frannie Langton ITVX
Sara Collins’s drama about the clandestine romance between Frannie (Karla- Simone Spence) and Madame Benham (Sophie Cookson).
61. Shardlake Disney+
Arthur Hughes plays Matthew Shardlake, seemingly one of the few men in Tudor England who is dedicated to honesty and justice.
62. The Crown S1–6 Netflix
A must-watch dramatisation of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, inspired by real historical events.
63. A Gentleman in Moscow Paramount+
Ewan McGregor sparkles in an artful adaptation of Amor Towles’s 2016 novel.
64. Outlander S1—7 MGM+
Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe smoulder in the time-travelling historical romance.
65. Shogun Disney+
Cosmo Jarvis stars in a lavish dramatisation of James Clavell’s epic novel.
Comedy shows to stream this summer
![462326,Here We Go S2 Freya Parks as Amy Jessop, Alison Steadman as Sue Jessop, Jude Collie as Sam Jessop, Tom Basden as Robin, Tori Allen-Martin as Cherry Lee-Dixon, Katherine Parkinson as Rachel Jessop and Jim Howick as Paul Jessop, all sat in a boat floating down the river in Here We Go](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/01/462326-80dac5c.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
66. Not Going Out S1–13 iPlayer
Lee Mack's joke-packed sitcom is now the second longest-running in British TV history (after Last of the Summer Wine).
67. Extras S1–2 iPlayer
Cringeworthy celebrity encounters, with Ricky Gervais and Ashley Jensen.
68. Only Fools and Horses ITVX
Premium Wheeler-dealer Del Boy and his plonker brother Rodney try to get rich quick.
69. Ghosts S1-5 iPlayer
The good spirits of Button House pass the time – and make mischief – as they while away eternity.
70. The Office iPlayer
Ricky Gervais’s mockumentary delivers the ultimate in workplace cringe.
71. Fleabag S1 & 2 iPlayer
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s feminist masterpiece is a modern classic.
72. Keeping Up Appearances S1–5 iPlayer
Patricia Routledge is social-climber Hyacinth Bucket, with Clive Swift as her long-suffering husband.
73. The Black Adder S1 Now
See where Rowan Atkinson’s comedy classic began.
74. The Royle Family S1–3 iPlayer
Revisit Caroline Aherne’s beloved Manchester clan.
75. Here We Go S1 & 2 iPlayer
Family comedy starring Katherine Parkinson and Alison Steadman.
76. The Thick of It S1–4 iPlayer
Peter Capaldi stars as splenetic spin doctor Malcolm Tucker.
77. Two Doors Down S1–7 iPlayer
Arabella Weir and Alex Norton put up with demanding neighbours.
78. Detectorists S1–3 iPlayer
Bucolic bliss from Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones.
79. Motherland S1—3 Netflix
Playdate and PTA politics are sharply critiqued in this school-run classic starring Anna Maxwell Martin.
80. Alma’s Not Normal S1 iPlayer
Sophie Willan shines as an offbeat escort/actor (and all-round disaster).
81. Hullraisers S1 & 2 C4
Three working-class women based in Hull are the focus of this Hull-arious sitcom about life, love and friendship.
82. Derry Girls S1–3 C4
Lisa McGee’s hit has star-making performances.
83. GameFace S1 & 2 C4
Roisin Conaty plays an unlucky-in-love actor who leans on her life coach.
84. Mammoth S1 iPlayer
Frozen in the 1970s, Tony (Mike Bubbins) has to adjust to the 21st century.
85. This Country iPlayer
Siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper play layabout cousins.
86. Stath Lets Flats S1—3 C4
The ups and mainly downs of a letting agency run by Stath (Jamie Demetriou).
87. Mrs Brown’s Boys iPlayer
Brendan O’Carroll’s foul-mouthed Mammy has become a Christmas staple.
88. The Inbetweeners S1—3 C4 and both films
Horribly accurate noughties teenage antics with Simon Bird and Joe Thomas.
89. People Just Do Nothing S1–5 iPlayer
Kurupt FM’s hapless DJs cause havoc in Brentford. Asim Chaudhry and Hugo Chegwin are among the ensemble.
90. Gavin & Stacey S1–3 iPlayer
James Corden and Ruth Jones plan a Christmas 2024 finale, so catch up on the story so far now.
And finally... 11 more dramas not to be missed
![Lucien Laviscount as Alfie and Lily Collins as Emily in Emily in Paris. Lucien Laviscount as Alfie and Lily Collins as Emily in Emily in Paris, sitting next to each other with other people sitting in a crowd behind them. Emily is wearing a red and white stripy suit and Alfie pale collared t-shirt on.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/Emily-in-Paris-season-4-Lucien-Laviscount-Lily-Collins-cdb2c37.jpg?quality=90&fit=700,467)
91. Emily in Paris S1–3 Netflix; S4 15 August
Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) has wilfully feather-light adventures in this romcom.
92. Those About to Die Prime Video from 19 July
Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon and Rupert Penry- Jones star in this action- packed saga set in Rome.
93. The Split S1–3 iPlayer; S4 autumn
Abi Morgan’s drama starring Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan. A new two-part special is due in the autumn.
94. Sherwood S1 iPlayer; S2 autumn
A masterly drama from James Graham starring David Morrissey and Lesley Manville.
95. The Bear S1–3 Disney+
The word-of-mouth smash hit about a driven chef (Jeremy Allen White) as he transforms a Chicago sandwich shop into a top-end restaurant.
96. Eric Netflix
Benedict Cumberbatch is unforgettable in Abi Morgan’s thriller about a missing child.
97. Ripley Netflix
Andrew Scott is a vessel of distilled venom and rage in this handsome monochrome drama set in 1960s Italy.
98. One Day Netflix
A beguiling and bingeable adaptation of David Nicholls’s classic, starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall.
99. Baby Reindeer Netflix
Compulsive, headline-making drama starring Richard Gadd as a stand-up and Jessica Gunning as his stalker.
100. True Detective: Night Country Now
Jodie Foster plays police chief Liz Danvers in the next instalment of the anthology series.
101. Expats Prime Video
In Hong Kong, Nicole Kidman is a well-to-do wife and mother whose perfect world is falling apart.
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