With many parts of the world bracing for a scorching summer driven by the Super El Niño weather pattern, people might be spending more time indoors than they had expected. If so, they’ll have an impressive array of new and returning shows to help pass the time.
“Not Suitable for Work”
Last year brought two buzzy comedies aimed at the under-30 set, HBO Max’s “I Love LA” and FX/Hulu’s “Adults.” Now comes Hulu’s “Not Suitable for Work,” from the mind of creator Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”).
AJ (Ella Hunt) and Abby (Avantika) are fresh-out-college Manhattan roommates embarking on their careers – AJ in finance, and Abby in fashion. They happen to live across the hall from a group of young men including Davis (Will Angus), who also works at AJ’s firm. If this kind of classic Kaling-esque plot conceit bothers you, this might not be the show for you because it’s full of them. The series is a “lightweight, frothy romp through a glossy, fictional Manhattan” whose “nimble pace, quick-enough wits and aspirational aesthetic” are enough to make up for its lack of realism, said Rachel Leibrock at The Wrap. (now on Hulu)
‘The Witness’
A two-timeline potboiler, “The Witness” stars Jordan Bolger (“This Town”) as André Hanscombe, whose 2-year-old son, Alex (Jahsaiah Williams as a child, Max Fincham as an adult), is the lone witness to the brutal 1992 murder of his mother, Rachel Nickell (Eleanor Williams). The arrest and successful prosecution of the alleged killer seemingly allows the family to move on, but years later the investigation is reopened, as are the emotional wounds. The “gripping but distressing” three-part series, based on a true story, shows a family working through “unimaginable trauma” while dealing with the long-term aftermath, said Phil Harrison at The Guardian. (June 4 on Netflix)
‘The Listeners’
A five-part limited series, “The Listeners” stars Rebecca Hall (“The Night House”) as Claire, a teacher who begins to hear a humming sound that no one else can. When doctors, friends and family can find no reason or meaning behind her ordeal, she turns to a student, Kyle (Ollie West), who says he can hear it too. A riveting exploration of how “people can fall off the map when it seems as if they have nowhere to turn,” director Janicza Bravo (“Zola”) “captures this sinking feeling” while staying “attuned to character in a way that feels deeply, disquietingly alive,” said Chase Hutchinson at The Wrap. (June 12 on Starz)
‘The Bear,’ season 5
FX’s Chicago-set restaurant drama, “The Bear,” returns for its fifth and final season. Syd (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Natalie (Abby Elliott) are left to pick up the pieces after Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) abruptly walks away following a tense baring of souls in the season 4 finale.
The group plans to pour everything into one final evening, with a massive storm bearing down on the city, in an effort to snag the Michelin star they need to survive. The fourth season told us that “if you’re tired, it’s okay to take a break” because “you can’t save someone else until you save yourself,” said Whitney Friedlander at Paste Magazine. The final season of creator Christopher Storer’s show is a slam dunk for fans and destined to be the subject of a thousand think pieces. (June 25 on Hulu)
‘Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness’
Though this may not have been the original intent, Larry David’s HBO Max sketch comedy series will function as a kind of counter-programming to the White House’s celebration plans for the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary. Details are scarce, but the series is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, features the 44th president in the trailer and will comprise vignettes about America’s long history, as filtered through David’s distinct comedic aesthetic. David is “gearing up to take his ‘world’s most yelled-at man’ bona fides back into history,” said William Hughes at A.V. Club, to squeeze more content out of the “very simple premise” that “Larry David is, largely, to be loathed.” (June 26 on HBO Max)