The small screen is set to stay sizzling all summer.
Clear skies and sunshine promise a slate of returning and premiering shows, some newly released and some upcoming, ranging from frontier journeys to female-centered crime thrillers.
Read on for the Bruin’s seasonal selection of shows.
The Bear (June 25)
The only thing hotter than the weather this summer is Chef Berzatto’s kitchen.
“The Bear” returned for its fifth and final season June 25, serving up all eight episodes on the same day. The Chicago saga centers on Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a short-tempered chef who returns to his hometown to run his late brother’s sandwich shop soon after his passing. Joined by his brother’s best friend, Richie “Cousin” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and his sous-chef, Syd Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), the trio overcomes challenge after challenge as they manage the restaurant together.
This season takes after another critical darling, “The Pitt,” by unfolding over the course of a single day. While the format is new for the show, it works to the series’ advantage, as the slower pace gives the narrative greater structure and breathing room before its conclusion. After learning that Carmy has decided to leave his culinary talents behind, the rest of his troupe is left to pick up the pieces, earn a Michelin star and prevent the joint’s demise.
Catch Carmy and his friends for one last dish in the Windy City.
— Parsa Arshi
Email Arshi at [email protected].
“Little House on the Prairie” (July 9)
Rebecca Sonnenshine is moving to the prairie and into viewers’ hearts.
Netflix unveiled the latest adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic books, the “Little House on the Prairie” series, July 9, created by showrunner and UCLA alumnus Rebecca Sonnenshine. The original novels follow author Ingalls Wilder’s own childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest, which Sonnenshine turned into an eight-episode series. Ten-year-old actress Alice Halsey plays main character Laura Ingalls. The show has already been renewed for a second season with Netflix.
One of this adaptation’s most distinctive departures from both the original texts and the 1974 television series was Sonnenshine’s choice to have the Ingalls family befriend the Osage people, the prairie’s original inhabitants. While the novels mention the Osage numerous times – and the Ingalls built their house on Osage land – this adaptation features a friendship between Laura Ingalls and the Osage family’s daughter, Good Eagle. One of the core themes of the Ingalls family’s journey was their faith, and this adaptation expands that by also exploring the faith of the Osage people, offering a modern perspective on the beloved classic.
Although the house is little, it is clear that the love viewers have for this iconic series is anything but small.
— Vishnu Potharaju
Email Potharaju at [email protected].
[Related: Book preview: Summer stories of secrets, love and time travel await readers]
“Lucky” (July 15)
When luck runs out, “Lucky” goes on the run.
The first two episodes of Jonathan Tropper’s crime thriller miniseries will hit Apple TV on July 15, and new episodes will drop weekly through August 19. “Lucky” is an adaptation of Marissa Stapley’s 2021 novel of the same name following the titular former con artist as she takes on one final job to leave her old life behind. While the series revolves around a familiar trope, it’s rare for a woman to lie at the center of it, and the talented women behind “Lucky” deliver.
The star-studded cast includes Annette Bening, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Timothy Olyphant, but is crucially helmed by Emmy-nominated actress Anya Taylor-Joy in her first television leading role since her breakout performance in “The Queen’s Gambit.” In the six years since “The Queen’s Gambit” premiered, Taylor-Joy has acted in sci-fi epics like “Furiosa” and “Dune: Part Two” but now returns to the small screen as an action star. Additionally, the show features music from legendary singer-songwriter Fiona Apple who soundtracked the opening title sequence.
With seven action-packed episodes, “Lucky” promises to turn up the heat on this summer’s TV slate.
– Kiara Mack
Email Mack at [email protected]
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