My Top Choices for July TV

Despite all that is happening in the world, it is nice to escape into another world for a little while and thanks to major and cable networks programming and streaming services always coming through with new shows, there is plenty to watch.

The following are my top picks for July:

SO LONG FOR NOW

The following dramas will come to an end in July:

Council of Dads on NBC on July 2 at 8 PM (unfortunately this will be the series finale as the network pulled the plug on the show on June 25)
Good Witch on the Hallmark Channel on July 5 at 9 PM
Snowpiercer on TNT on July 19 at 9 PM
Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime on Ovation on July 25 at 7 PM

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Three very different, yet unique, dramas will debut in July. Here are the details:

Warrior Nun on Netflix on July 2

Yes, the title sounds nuts and so does the synopsis, but it also looks like a crazy kick-ass kind of show. Based on the manga novel of the same name, the series follows 19-year-old Ava, a self-proclaimed “freak” who mysteriously wakes up in a morgue to find that she’s now a member of an ancient order that fights demons on Earth.

Brave New World on Peacock (the NBC streaming service) on July 15

Based on Aldous Huxley’s groundbreaking novel, the series imagines a utopian society that has achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. As citizens of New London, Bernard Marx (Harry Lloyd, who played Dani’s brother on Game of Thrones and starred in Counterpart) and Lenina Crowne (Jessica Brown Findlay from Downton Abbey and Harlots) embark on a vacation to the Savage Lands, where they become embroiled in a harrowing and violent rebellion. Bernard and Lenina are rescued by John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich from Solo: A Star Wars Story), who escapes with them back to New London. John’s arrival in the New World soon threatens to disrupt its utopian harmony, leaving Bernard and Lenina to grapple with the repercussions. The cast also includes Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys, The Stranger and Ant-Man and the Wasp), Joseph Morgan (The Vampire Diaries and The Originals) and Kylie Bunbury (Pitch and When They See Us).

Cursed on Netflix on July 17

This drama is about the Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of Nimue (Katherine Langford from 13 Reasons Why), a teenage heroine with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake. After her mother’s death, she finds an unexpected partner in Arthur, a young mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin and deliver an ancient sword. Over the course of her journey, Nimue will become a symbol of courage and rebellion against the terrifying Red Paladins, and their complicit King Uther. The cast includes Daniel Sharman (Fear the Walking Dead and Teen Wolf) and Gustaf Skarsgard (Vikings and Westworld).

COMING BACK FOR MORE

On July 17, the third season of the Stana-Katic led drama Absentia will premiere on Amazon Prime. The former Castle star returns as Emily Burns, a much-troubled former FBI agent, who finds herself embroiled in an international criminal case that threatens her, her family and those around her in startling ways.

NOTE: I’ve had the chance to watch an early screening of the entire new season, and it was an intense 10 episodes to say the least. Despite that I wanted to include this in my list to encourage viewers to tune in.

On July 26, the fourth season of Wynonna Earp will finally premiere on Syfy, airing the first 6 episodes [production was interrupted, of course, by the Coronavirus). This season finds Wynnona without the Peacemaker (as the Earp curse was broken), trying to rescue her sister and Doc as well as trying to save the town of Purgatory from her “most diabolical, Earp-hating enemy yet.”

LET’S ALL GO TO THE MOVIES

There are 6 movies airing in July on the small screen that – for various reasons – I’m excited to check out. They are as follows:

Hamilton will air on Disney+ on July 3. I am probably one of very few people who never got to see Hamilton on stage. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t afford to go so being able to watch it online will be a LOT of fun.

The long-awaited movie sequel for Psych – Psych 2: Lassie Come Home will debut on July 15 on Peacock. Santa Barbara Police Chief Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) is ambushed on the job and left for dead. In a vintage Psych-style Hitchcockian nod, he begins to see impossible happenings around his recovery clinic. Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dulé Hill) return to Lassie’s side in Santa Barbara and are forced to navigate the personal, the professional, and possibly the supernatural. Separated from their new lives in San Francisco, our heroes find themselves unwelcome in their old stomping grounds as they secretly untangle a twisted case without the benefit of the police, their loved ones, or the quality sourdough bakeries of the Bay Area. What they uncover will change the course of their relationships forever. The returning cast also includes Corbin Bernsen, Kirsten Nelson and Maggie Lawson.

Disney+ will debut the movie Secret Society of Second-Born Royals on July 17. The film follows Sam, a rebellious princess second in line to the throne of the kingdom of Illyria. Just as Sam’s lack of interest in the royal way of life is at an all-time high, she is stunned to learn that she has superpowers and belongs to a secret society with a longstanding tradition of covertly keeping the peace throughout the kingdom. The cast includes Greg Bryk (Bitten and the Code 8 movie), Niles Fitch (young Randall on This Is Us) and Skylar Astin (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and the Pitch Perfect franchise).

The box office movie Forever My Girl will make its small screen premiere on UPtv on July 19 at 7 PM. Liam Page (Alex Roe from Siren and The 5th Wave) is a country music superstar who left his bride Josie (Jessica Rothe from Happy Death Day) at the altar to pursue fame and fortune. Page never got over Josie, his one true love, or forgot his Southern roots in the small community where he was born and raised. Now, he must unexpectedly face the consequences of his actions when he returns to his hometown for the funeral of his best friend from high school.

The Netflix sequel The Kissing Booth 2 will debut on July 24. After a romantic summer together, Noah (Jacob Elordi) is off to Harvard, and Elle (Joey King) heads back to high school for her senior year. The cast includes Joel Courtney, Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Molly Ringwald.

The UPtv movie Love in Harmony Valley will debut on July 26 at 7 PM. Emma (Amber Marshall from Heartland) has waited to reunite with her best friend Tracey (Nina Kiri from The Handmaid’s Tale) since she was in a serious accident. But Will (Eric Hicks from the Canadian series Cardinal), Tracey’s brother, won’t allow it, blaming her for the accident. When forced to work together, can Will and Emma learn to respect each other?

The full July calendar – of dramas and movies – went up on Saturday; make sure to check it out, and mark your calendars!