7 series to binge-watch after bedtime

Drama, romance, unattainably beautiful backdrops—these series are perfect summer watches.

Summer is here, and there’s no shortage of shows that are perfect for those lazy days where you just want to unwind. From returning romance-filled favourites to hilarious new series, these shows will keep you busy all season long—or for as long as it takes you to binge them.

Here are seven breezy shows to stream this summer.

The Lake (Prime, June 14)

This hilarious series—directed by Jason Priestley—will make you appreciate the charm of Canadian cottage country. Set in northeastern Ontario, the series revolves around Justin Lovejoy (Jordan Gavaris), a gay man who returns to Canada after a breakup in order to spend time connecting with the daughter he gave up for adoption years ago. While that might seem heavy, this show is anything but. Although Justin and his daughter Billie (Madison Shamoun) spend the summer truly bonding for the first time, there are plenty of hijinks that result from their schemes to get back Justin’s family cottage from his evil stepsister, played by none other than Julia Stiles. If you loved Schitt’s Creek, you’ll fall for this series with quirky characters, stunning shots of North Bay, some moments of romance and enough humour to keep you laughing all summer long.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime, June 17)

Based on Jenny Han’s sweet coming-of-age series of the same name, the first instalment of this trilogy features 16-year-old Isbabel “Belly” Conklin, who is finally out of her awkward phase. The boys in her life start to take notice when she arrives back in Cousins Beach for summer vacation. It’s a series that features an interesting “will they or won’t they” love triangle between Belly and brothers Conrad and Jeremiah as the main plot point, but it’s also about family and self-discovery. While the show focuses on Belly as she comes into her own, there are also some beautiful moments between Belly’s mother Laurel and her best friend Susannah that show the complexity and beauty of their years-long friendship. Be prepared to giggle and maybe shed a few tears. An added bonus? The soundtrack for the show is absolute perfection and features everyone from Vampire Weekend to Taylor Swift.

Virgin River season 4 (Netflix, July 20)

The fourth season of Virgin River is set to start with a bang, as Mel has to figure out if the father of her baby is Jack, or her deceased husband. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to drama. Hope is recovering from her car accident, Preacher is starting to find a new love and there are two new characters arriving to keep the town on its toes: Dr. Cameron Hayek (Mark Ghanimé) a physician who is something of a playboy, and Denny Cutler (Kai Bradbury), Doc’s long-lost grandson. Get ready to binge the new season as soon as it drops, since the cast is already preparing to start filming season five.

Loot (Apple TV+, June 24)

Maya Rudolph and Pose’s Michaela Jaé Rodriguez make girl-bossing fun again in this new comedy from Apple TV+. Rudolph plays Molly Novak, who divorces her husband (Adam Scott) after he has an affair. She then sets out to become a better person by getting involved with her charity foundation. Armed with her $87 billion divorce settlement, she’s determined to prove she has substance and she promises Rodriguez’s Sofia, who runs the foundation, that she’ll show up to the office and put in the work. From the outside, it looks to be a show all about luxury (think: lavish mega-yachts and parties in Berlin) but at its core, it’s actually a satirical workplace comedy that wittily pokes more fun at the rich than you might expect.

Everything’s Trash (Disney+, July 13)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4GPEkTyGQY
Comedian Phoebe Robinson (from the podcast 2 Dope Queens) stars in this new comedy series, and it’s guaranteed to be a laugh. Robinson portrays a fictionalized version of herself as a broke 30-something podcaster with a show, Everything’s Trash, trying to live it up in Brooklyn, NY. From her messy love life to her endlessly entertaining friendships, the show looks like a more realistic and colourful Sex and the City. Dive into Robinson’s books before having a watch–the show is inspired by her essay collection Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay. And if you’re really looking to get a feel for how funny she is before tuning in, it’s worth also reading her other books You Can’t Touch My Hair and Please Don’t Sit On My Bed in Your Outside Clothes.

Persuasion (Netflix, July 15)

A Jane Austen adaptation starring Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding? Sign us up. The trailer for the upcoming film stunned a number of fans with Johnson breaking the fourth wall as Anne while she navigates dealing with “the one who got away” Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) reappearing in her life. Seven years after ending their engagement, Anne and Frederick start to rekindle their love, however, her cousin William (Henry Golding) is also vying for her affection. If you’ve read the classic novel, then you might be surprised to see how different the film looks, as the movie appears to have a bit more fun with the source material by leaning into charming romcom tropes and comedic interactions between Anne and her family. If you’ve been missing Bridgerton lately, this movie is likely to fill that regency romance void.

Never Have I Ever season 3 (Netflix, August 12)

Mindy Kaling’s hilarious comedy Never Have I Ever returns for the third season, and we’re already wondering how many hearts Devi will break this time. At the end of season two, she chose Paxton and they shared a sweet moment at the winter dance as they became an official couple. However, that didn’t stop Ben from gazing wistfully at her from afar, hinting that he’s probably not over Devi entirely (and setting up some drama for this season). It was revealed on Instagram that there’s likely another love interest named Des entering the picture, so that’s also bound to shake things up for anyone who is confidently Team Ben or Team Paxton. Devi’s love life aside, viewers can expect to eagerly follow Kamala’s budding romance with Devi’s teacher, her mother grappling with moving on from her late husband and Devi and her pals gearing up to apply for college.