10 best TV shows to watch in summer 2026

It's the start of summer! And don’t get us wrong, we enjoy summer activities – everything from windsurfing to a vigorous game of beach frisbee to whiling away hours in a pub garden. But what we love most of all is settling down in the cool evening after a hot day to some perfect summer TV. Romantic, nostalgic, heartfelt, exciting – it’s all good, and it’s even better if what’s on screen is properly sun-soaked too.

There’s plenty of brilliant, bingeable TV coming your way this summer and even if your TV is being taken over by the World Cup or Wimbledon for weeks on end, these shows simply demand to be watched. (You could take advantage of Virgin TV Go or add an extra box if you’re determined not to let sport derail your viewing.) 

Here’s our guide to the very best summer TV that you won’t want to miss, from romance to thrillers and everything in between, including the hotly anticipated Legally Blonde prequel series Elle. Come on, dive in. 

Stream season 1 from July in Sky Atlantic on demand

Who’s in it? Jennifer Garner (Deadpool & Wolverine), D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians), Regina Hall (One Battle After Another), Chloë Sevigny (Feud: Bette & Joan)

What’s it about? Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel, the series centres around foodie Hollie Shaw (Garner) who hosts a transformative weekend to move past her grief and rediscover herself.

Why should I tune in? Filmed across the cobbled historic town and windswept beaches of Nantucket, United States, the series will immerse you in the sun-drenched coastal escape of Nancy Meyers’s romcom dreams.

Stream season 1 from Wednesday 1 July in Apps > Prime Video

Who’s in it? Newcomer Lexi Minetree, June Diane Raphael (Grace And Frankie), Tom Everett Scott (The Summer I Turned Prretty), James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek)

What’s it about? Elle serves as a coming-of-age prequel series to 2001’s huge hit comedy Legally Blonde, following the titular future lawyer as she navigates a cross-country move and growing pains in a new high school. 

Why should I tune in? Elle Woods remains one of cinema’s most fabulous icons, so we’re thrilled to get a glimpse into her formative years (and possibly discover the origin story of the bend and snap). 

Stream season 1 from Thursday 9 July in Apps > Netflix

Who’s in it? Alice Halsey (Lessons In Chemistry), Luke Bracey (Elvis), Crosby Fitzgerald (Palm Royale), Skywalker Hughes (Joe Pickett)

What’s it about? The heartwarming tale of the pioneering Ingalls family, who head on an epic cross-country voyage to start a new life in the American Midwest during the late 19th century. 

Why should I tune in? Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical books are among literature’s most treasured children’s tales and we can’t wait to see this fresh adaptation unfold on our screens. 

Stream season 1 from Wednesday 15 July in Apps > Prime Video

Who’s in it? Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

What’s it about? When a woman discovers that her long-time best friend is secretly an international assassin, a wild chase across Europe ensues as they’re forced to go on the run together. 

Why should I tune in? Ride Or Die delivers the best of both worlds with all the thrills of an espionage drama and the buddy comedy of two best friends on a chaotic road trip. Who wouldn’t want to hit the road with Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer?

Stream season 1 from Wednesday 5 August in Apps > Prime Video

Who’s in it? Ella Rubin (Gossip Girl), Keen Ruffalo (Hal & Harper), Jay Duplass (Pain Hustlers)

What’s it about? Fate has big plans in store for teenage twins Annie and Connor when they swap their hometown of New York City for their grandfather’s secluded island in Canada.

Why should I tune in? With the promise of new friends, budding teen romances and a journey of self-discovery, Sterling Point has already been billed as the next The Summer I Turned Pretty for YA fans around the world. 

Stream season 1 from Sunday 16 August in Apps > HBO Max

Who’s in it? Kyle Chandler (Bloodline), Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge)

What’s it about? A maverick Green Lantern Corps veteran is forced to show a disciplined rookie the ropes, but they must pool their superpowered resources when their investigation into an intergalactic murder spirals into a much larger conspiracy.

Why should I tune in? Previous DC Universe series Peacemaker gave us an entertaining new twist on superheroics, and Lanterns looks set to do the same with an out-of-this-world adventure that blends superhero lore and good old-fashioned detective work. Plus British actor Pierre is on his way to being a huge star.

Stream series 1 soon in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Who’s in it? Bill Nighy (Living), Helena Bonham Carter (Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials), Erin Doherty (Adolescence), Tom Burke (Legends)

What’s it about? The series follows a hidden community within a secluded canal-side caravan park, where wartime runaways, fairground outcasts and families on the run live side by side.

Why should I tune in? The cast is stacked – with Kate Robbins (After Life) and Paul Kaye (Small Prophets) also joining the ensemble – and bringing so much top-tier British talent together in a show created by award-winning writer Hugo Blick (The Shadow Line, Black Earth Rising, The English) should make this a smash hit.

Stream series 1 soon in Apps > ITVX

Who’s in it? Laura Donnelly (The Nevers), Mark Rowley (Trigger Point), Helen Baxendale (Cuckoo) 

What’s it about? When a body is found in an eerily staged pose in the Scottish wilderness, a local detective must track down the cunning killer hiding within their remote community before they strike again.

Why should I tune in? We love a screen adaptation of a classic crime novel, and this time round it’s GR Halliday’s chilling debut novel From The Shadows that’s receiving the telly treatment. You’ll find us hiding behind a cushion.

Stream series 1 soon in Apps > Channel 4

Who’s in it? Bella Ramsey (The Last Of Us), Daisy Haggard (Breeders)

What’s it about? A mother and daughter are forced into witness protection and must relocate to a small rural town to avoid a dangerous figure from their past – and the two hitmen searching for them. 

Why should I tune in? Having already penned the critically acclaimed dark comedy Back To Life, actor/writer Daisy Haggard is back in the creator’s seat for this gripping six-part series and we’re sure she’s going to strike telly gold again.

Stream series 1 soon in U&Dave on demand + Apps > U

Who’s in it? Nick Blood (The Day Of The Jackal), Saffron Hocking (Top Boy)

What’s it about? When two detectives are pulled into the dangerous underbelly of the west London criminal underworld, the lines between their personal and professional lives become blurred as betrayal and secrets wait around every corner.

Why should I tune in? Written by BAFTA winner Howard Overman (Misfits), Hit Point marks U&Dave’s first step into original scripted drama. and it looks set to be a mix of adrenaline-fuelled action, edge-of-your-seat thrills and sizzling romance.

House Of The Dragon 
Stream season 3 from Monday 22 June in Sky Atlantic on demand + Apps > HBO Max. Seasons 1-2 available now
Take cover as the Targaryen civil war reaches dizzying new heights, with Team Black and Team Green storming the sea in the hotly anticipated Battle of the Gullet. Eek!

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Stream season 2 from Thursday 25 June in Apps > Netflix. Season 1 available now
Despite our heroes' victory in the season 1 finale, the war against the Fire Nation is far from over as Aang and his friends prepare for a much greater threat powered by a rare cosmic event.

The Bear
Stream season 5 from Friday 26 June in Apps > Disney+. Seasons 1-4 available now
As the multi-award-winning series reaches its conclusion, can Sydney, Richie and Natalie keep the restaurant afloat after Carmy’s decision to hang up his chef whites?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 
Stream season 4 from Thursday 23 July in Apps > Paramount+. Seasons 1-3 available now
The show’s penultimate run follows the USS Enterprise crew as they journey across the galaxy while meeting cowboys, black holes and, er, puppets along the way.

Bookish
Stream season 2 soon in Apps > U. Season 1 available now
Rejoin charming detective Gabriel Book (played by the show’s creator Mark Gatiss) as he solves a flurry of puzzling new crimes across 20th century London and beyond.