July Newsletter

Hi there, and welcome to the latest edition of Substream! Your go-to source for honest, unpretentious streaming news, reviews and recommendations.

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In this month’s newsletter:

• All the series to look out for in July

• What I watched in June with reviews

• Industry news and announcements

Don’t forget, you can always check out this newsletter or past newsletters here.

NEW THIS MONTH
The Summer I Turned Pretty Returns

Wednesday, June 25
The Bear (Hulu, Season 4)*
Countdown (New crime drama series, Prime Video, 9/3 finale)

Thursday, June 26
Welcome to Wrexham (FX/Hulu, Season 4 finale)*

Friday, June 27
F1: The Movie (New sports action/drama starring Brad Pitt, Theatrical release)
Squid Game (Netflix, Season 3; final season)
Smoke (Apple TV+, New crime drama series starring Taron Egerton, 8/15 finale)

Wednesday, July 2
Jurassic World Rebirth (Theatrical release, starring Jonathan Bailey & Scarlett Johansson)
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu, Season 2 finale)*
Tour de France: Unchained (Netflix, Season 3; final Season)

Thursday, July 3
The Sandman (Netflix, Season 2A, 7/24 2B, final season)

Monday, July 9
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX, Season 17)
Ballard (Prime Video, Season 1, New detective show starring Maggie Q)
Building the Band (Netflix, New music competition series)

Tuesday, July 10
Too Much (Netflix, new rom-com series created by Lena Dunham)**

Wednesday, July 11
Foundation (Apple TV+, Season 3)

Friday, July 13
The Institute (MGM+, New Stephen King series)

Wednesday, July 16
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video, Season 3; final season, 9/17 finale)*

Friday, July 18
Billy Joel: And So it Goes (HBO Max, 2-Part documentary)

Wednesday, July 23
Stick (Apple TV+, Season 1 finale)*
Washington Black (Hulu, New adventure-drama starring Sterling K. Brown)
Acapulco (Apple TV+, Season 4; final season)

Thursday, July 31
Leanne (Netflix, new sitcom)

*Substream Top Pick
**Substream Most Anticipated New Series

JUNE REVIEWS
To Binge or Not to Binge

The Bear
After a divisive season three earned just a 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, fans are closer in agreement with season four seeing a 67% audience score so far. Both seasons are certified fresh with 89% and 83% critic scores. Personally, I devoured this and loved every minute—though season two will likely never be beat. Whether or not the show will see a fifth season is currently contingent on “cast availability, creative intent and network decision-making,” and will likely take longer to serve up due to scheduling. All seasons streaming now on Hulu.

Clarkson’s Farm
A laugh-out-loud funny docu-series following English TV personality, Jeremy Clarkson, in his attempt to run a farm. With season four, Clarkson’s Farm has comfortably been Prime Video’s biggest show of the year and has already been renewed for a fifth season. All episodes streaming now.

Your Friends and Neighbors
After being fired in disgrace, a hedge fund manager resorts to stealing from his neighbors' homes in the affluent Westmont Village. Between Jon Hamm’s strong performance and our collective obsession with the lives of the ultra-wealthy, this is a solid binge. The full first season is streaming now on Apple TV+ with season two already in production.

Call Her Alex
Following Alex Cooper as she prepares for her first tour, this compelling two-part documentary series traces Cooper’s evolution from a self-conscious kid growing up in Pennsylvania to the voice behind “Call Her Daddy.” The docuseries offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the life-defining events that shaped Cooper’s journey to the CEO of a media empire in just six years. Now on Hulu.

We Were Liars
I’m not sure what it is that makes teen summer dramas so irresistible—this series was no exception. After a mysterious accident changes Cadence Sinclair's life forever, everyone, including her group of friends, seem to be hiding something. This mystery-thriller was adapted from the 2014 novel of the same name and has been dubbed a “sound” adaptation by critics and fans. If you’re not familiar with the book, be warned, the ending may hit much harder than expected. Now on Prime Video.

High Potential (2024)
Kaitlin Olson stars as Morgan Gillory, a quirky, High Potential Intellectual and mother, brought on as a consultant for the LAPD Major Crimes division. The procedural comedy-drama was a massive hit last year ranking as the number-one TV drama for viewers aged 18-49. Season two is in production now and set to air this fall. You can watch the full first season now on Hulu.

STREAMING NEWS
Renewals, Cancelations & Fall Release Dates

Slow Horses
Your favorite agents at Slough House are back with season five on September 24 with the finale landing on November 5. Season six has already wrapped filming but a release date has yet to be announced. Seasons 1-4 streaming now on Apple TV+.

The Devil Wears Prada 2
Production has officially begun on the long-awaited sequel to the 2006 hit film. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are confirmed to return with Kenneth Branagh (perhaps better known as Gilderoy Lockhart) joining the cast as husband to Miranda Priestly. Disney has set the theatrical release for May 1, 2026.

Emily in Paris
Production has wrapped in Rome, and the cast and crew are back in Paris to film the remainder of season five. In a recent interview with Deadline, creator Darren Star addressed comments previously made by Lucas Bravo (Gabriel) about his character, and mentioned that Lucien Laviscount (Alfie) will be back in a “more significant way.”

Lily & Stitch 2
After grossing $923M globally, the live action feature of the 2002 animated series is officially in development at Disney. No word yet on which key players are set to return.

Only Murders in the Building
Hulu announced June 17 that production officially wrapped on season five of Only Murders in the Building. Based on previous timelines, we can likely expect the premiere in early September. The new season will focus on the investigation into Lester's death in the Arconia's courtyard fountain.

Ransom Canyon
The romantic western drama starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly has been renewed for a second season at Netflix. I recommend this one for fans of Virgin River.

Nobody Wants This
It’s been made abundantly clear that actually, everybody wants this. Season two wrapped production back in May and features some new cast members including Leighton Meester as Joanne’s high school nemesis, and Miles Fowler as Noah’s Matzah Ballers teammate Lenny, who is positioned as a romantic interest for Joanne’s sister Morgan. The new season will be released in full October 23 on Netflix.

Wicked: For Good
In case you missed it, the trailer and release date dropped for part two of Wicked. You can see it in theaters the weekend before Thanksgiving, starting November 21.

Etoile
Prime Video canceled Amy Sherman-Palladino’s ballet drama after just one season despite initially committing to a two-season run, reportedly due to the show’s performance not justifying its high production costs. For huge fans of Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I recommend watching this one and am definitely bummed we won’t get to see more.

Presumed Innocent
The Apple TV+ legal thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal initially released as a limited series was renewed for a second season after it became the streamer’s most-watched drama series. The new season will follow a “suspenseful, brand new case” with Rachel Brosnahan confirmed to star. Filming has yet to begin.

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