With so much content available both on TV and online, it can hard to see the wood through the trees when it comes to choosing something to watch. We've picked out some of July's top TV to get you started.
Stranger Things, season three
From Thursday 4th July, Netflix
With a release date set for U.S Independence Day, the return of Stranger Things for season three is going to be a big event and one fans have been waiting a long time for.
Creators The Duffer Brothers have promised a darker, funnier series that will be worth the wait.
The Stranger Things kids are growing up, but they can’t leave behind the terrors of the Upside Down as the horrifying Mind Flayer is back in Hawkins and ready to wreak havoc.
The original cast are all on board, with a couple of new faces. Maya Thurman-Hawke will join as Robin, the key to uncovering a dark secret in Hawkins.
Francesca Reale will play Heather, the community pool lifeguard who becomes the focal point of a dark mystery. They are joined by Lucas’ sarcastic sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), who will play a bigger role as she sets out on a mission to save Hawkins from a new, dangerous and unexpected threat.
With the warning that ‘one summer can change everything’, Stranger Things will likely convince even die-hard sun worshippers to stay inside for just one more episode.
Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure, series one
Starts Tuesday 2nd July, ITV
National treasure Judi Dench will be giving David Attenborough a run for his money as she travels to Borneo to explore one of the oldest and most spectacular rainforests.
Dench discovers the wide variety of wildlife inhabiting the rainforest and reveals her love for orangutans as she delves into one of the few untouched rainforests that still remain in South East Asia. At around 130 million years old, the rainforest contains the tallest topical trees in the world, the tallest reaching over 100 meters, which Dench scales in a harness to get a sense of the height.
The series also sees Dench go on an incredible crocodile hunt down one of Borneo's largest rivers the Kinabatangan and watches the forest come alive at night with almost 80,000 species.
LA’s Finest, series one
Starts Wednesday 10th July, Fox, 9.00pm
A spin-off of the much-loved movie franchise Bad Boys, LA’s Finest is a classic buddy-cop format starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union.
The series follows Syd (Union), who has run away from her life in Miami after taking down a drug cartel to become an LAPD detective. She is paired with Nancy (Alba), a working mother with a complicated history of her own.
Syd is forced to confront some unpleasant home truths when she can no longer deny that her unapologetic lifestyle is masking a greater personal secret. Initially tensions run high between the two women, but a bond between them forms as they take on the most dangerous criminals in LA.
The Late-ish Show with Mo Gilligan, series one
Starts Friday 19th July, Channel 4, 10.00pm
The Times named him Britain’s funniest man, and following his success as a co-host on the RTS award-winning Big Narstie Show and a sell-out UK tour, Mo Gilligan now has his own comedy entertainment show featuring sketches and stand-up comedy.
The show, filmed in front of a live studio audience, will be high energy with celebrity guests and Gilligan giving his unique take on pop culture.
With famous fans including Drake and Stormzy, Gilligan is set to get the whole nation laughing.
Orange is the New Black, series seven
From Friday 26th July, Netflix
The ladies of Litchfield have returned for the final season of the much-loved series, but how will they say goodbye?
The final series will see Piper (Taylor Schilling) out in the world for the first time, adjusting to life on the other side of the bars following over a year in prison.
In a reflection of real-life racial imbalances seen in America today, Piper has been granted early release, further complicating her relationship with Alex (Laura Prepon).
Now on the outside, Piper must deal with the judgment that comes with being an ex-convict, learn how to master her new-found independence and navigate a long-distance marriage with Alex.
The main cast will reprise their roles once more, before saying a final goodbye to Litchfield Penitentiary.
Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, series two
Starts Wednesday 3rd July, Dave, 10.00pm
Everyone worries about something, but Jon Richardson worries much more than most, so much so than he created a show about it.
The Ultimate Worrier returns for a second series, with Richardson taking a comedic look at all his various worries and neuroses, along with special guests each week.
Series one saw Richardson talk about worries such as Uber, marriage, sex robots and VR. He then analysed each worry with the help of comedians such as Romesh Ranganathan, Desiree Burch, Rob Beckett and James Acaster.
Series two will see him test out aversion therapy to try to calm his mind and overcome his worries, but he's not ready to give up the crown of ultimate worrier yet.
The Boys, series one
From Friday 26th July, Amazon Prime
Not all superheroes are made equal. This Amazon Prime series puts a darker, grittier spin on the superhero genre, following a band of vigilantes known as The Boys who go up against a group of corrupt superheroes.
Based on the comic book of the same name, this takes us into a world where superheroes readily embrace the darker side of their celebrity and fame. An elite group of superheroes known as The Seven dominate the world’s headlines and see their public image and corporate sponsorships as more important.
The Boys embark on a fight to expose the truth about The Seven, asking the question can people ever be just good or bad?
The cast features many famous faces, including Karl Urban, Chase Crawford and Simon Pegg.
Dark Money, series one
Starts Monday 8th July, BBC One, 9.00pm
Dark Money is a drama that well and truly puts Hollywood under the spotlight, reflecting real life stories of abuse and harassment.
An ordinary British family have their lives torn apart when their youngest son Isaac (Max Fincham), is abused by a famous filmmaker in Hollywood and they decide to accept a large pay out in exchange for their silence.
Believing they are protecting their son from the press intrusion and publicity hell that would come with pressing charges against a celebrity, the parents Sam (Jill Halfpenny) and Manny (Babou Ceesay) decide to take the money.
But the money doesn’t give them the new start they imagined, the abuse Isaac suffered runs deep and the damage is felt by the whole family.
Taking the money comes at a price and it is much higher than any of them could have imagined.
The Directors, series three
Thursday 11th July Sky Arts, 9.00pm
When it comes to making a movie, the director’s vision can be the difference between a great movie and a bad one. Directors set the tone of a movie and when they get it right, classics can be created which resonate with viewers and stand the test of time.
This series offers an inside look into the life and work of some of the most revered names on the big screen. Names such as Stanley Kubrick, Elia Kazan, Alfred Hitchcock and Cecile B DeMille are featured, as just some of the game changers who have influenced the film industry.
Viewers get the inside scoop on how movie classics like Psycho, A Clockwork Orange and Down on the Waterfront were created and what it takes to push creative boundaries to get the outcome you want.
Plus 3 shows you might missed in June:
Catch 22 series one, Channel 4
(Credit: Channel 4)
George Clooney directs, producers and stars in this adaptation of the Joseph Heller novel, taking a comedic look at the barbarity of war.
Set in Italy during the Second World War, the series focuses on lead character Yossarian, played by Christopher Abbott, as he tries to get sent home from the front line.
Kyle Chandler and Hugh Laurie also star, with Laurie playing Major de Coverley and Chandler playing Colonel Cathcart.
Killing Eve season two, BBC One
Everybody’s favourite psychopathic assassin is back following season one’s major cliffhanger.
The series written by Emerald Fennell, sees Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle’s (Jodie Comer) relationship start to change and develop as they spend more time together.
As the stakes are raised and secrets are revealed, Eve and Villanelle realise they may not be so different after all.
Tales of the City season one, Netflix
(Credit: Nino Munoz/Netflix)
The LGBTQ+ inclusive series based on Armistead Maupin’s novels have been revived for Netflix.
Set 20 years after Mary-Ann (Laura Linney) left San Francisco, the series follows her return to 28 Barbary Lane.
She finds herself entangled in the lives of the residents, both new and old, as she tries to rekindle her relationship with her daughter (Ellen Page) and figure out what she wants in the place that made her who she is.
