I’ve spent the last couple of weeks moving from one house to another. And after lugging boxes and bookshelves and what feels like 70 million dishes around in the heat and rain, the idea of vegging out with some new summer TV shows sounds amazing.
Here are a few worth staying inside for:
- “C.B. Strike” — Friday, Cinemax — I’m a fan of J.K. Rowling as a fantasy writer, but I’ve never checked out her detective series written under the pen name Robert Galbraith. So I’m interested to check the Cinemax adaptation of the books. The series focuses on an injured war veteran Cormoran Strike, who becomes a private investigator. With the help of his secretary, Strike solves a trio of cases that have stumped police.
- “The Staircase” — June 8, Netflix — At this point, it seems like Netflix has a never-ending supply of true-crime documentary series to release. But lately, it’s felt like maybe it’s too much of a good thing. “Evil Genius,” which premiered recently on the streaming platform, was just OK. Same goes for Errol Morris’ miniseries “Wormwood,” which debuted in December. But you never know when the next “Making a Murderer” may shine through the ranks. So I’m still going to give “The Staircase” a try. Netflix will air French director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s mini-series — which was first released in 2004, with more installments broadcast in 2013 — along with three new episodes. The program examines the case of a crime novelist, Mike Patterson, who was convicted of killing his wife. While he claims she got drunk and fell down the stairs, police believe instead that Peterson bludgeoned her to death.
- “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind” — July 16, HBO — Director Marina Zenovich profiles the actor and comedian, from his time at Juiliard, to his successful film and stand-up career. She speaks with friend and fellow stars Billy Crystal and Bobcat Goldthwait to give some insight into his state of mind. According Variety, Zenovich also uses a number of never-before-seen outtakes, but fails to go into great detail about Williams’ suicide in 2014.
- “Castle Rock” — July 25, Hulu — Those familiar with Stephen King’s books know that Castle Rock is the spooky Maine town where many of his stories are set. This psychological horror anthology series will explore many of those stories and characters and tie them together in new ways. The show, executive produced by J.J. Abrams, stars Sissy Spacek, Andre Holland, Bill Skarsgard and Melanie Lynskey.
- “Making It” — July 31, NBC — If I can’t have “Parks and Recreation” back, I’ll settle for this NBC reality crafting competition, featuring Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (aka Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson) as hosts. And unlike the many snarky contest series out there, several media outlets have compared “Making It” to the “Great British Bake Off.” I’ll be satisfied if it’s even half as charming.
