15 New and Returning Shows We’re Anxiously Awaiting in August 2022 – Part 1

This August we have a host of new shows to get excited for, with everything from the zombie apocalypse to women’s baseball. Here are the first eight of fifteen that made our list:

The Sandman (August 8, Netflix)

Based on the comic by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman follows what happens when Morpheus (aka Dream), the King of Dreams, is captured for 106 years. When he finally escapes, he must go on a journey to restore his kingdom, Dreaming, the land where mortals go when they sleep.

Locke & Key (August 10, Netflix)

After Rendell Locke is murdered by a student of his, his wife and children move into his family home, Keyhouse. They quickly discover that it is called Keyhouse for a reason: there are locks and keys throughout the house, each with the potential to unlock endless possibilities as well endless nightmares. While it seemed as though the family had found peace at the end of its second season, the show will return for a third and final season. This show took me an unexpectedly long time to try, but once I did it was easy to get into.

A League of Their Own (August 12, Prime)

Easily the series I’m most looking forward to this August, this is about the professional women’s baseball league that was formed when most young men were fighting overseas during World War II. To say that the movie this is inspired by (starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, and Lori Letty) was a major touchstone of my childhood would be an understatement. I may be dating myself here, but I used to insist we rent this movie every week from Hollywood Video. I’m excited to see what they can do with a full show instead of a single movie.

Never Have I Ever (August 12, Netflix)

Devi Vishwakumar is an Indian-American dealing with the typical struggles of a teenager in high school – boys, identity, parents, popularity, and more. She also struggles with the death of her father (which caused her to temporarily lose the ability to walk as a trauma response). The series, which is returning for its penultimate third season, is hilariously narrated by Joe McEnroe (as well as Andy Sandberg and Gigi Hadid for a couple episodes). Never Have I Ever does a particularly good job exploring the conflict between being raised in America and their culture, not to mention the weight of parental expectations.

Five Days at Memorial (August 12, Apple TV+)

Perhaps the most serious, emotional show on the list, this series was adapted from the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sheri Fink, Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital. Inspired by the true events of Hurricane Katrina, Five Days at Memorial looks at the toll the storm took on a hospital as its staff was forced to make difficult choices while dealing with excessive heat, flooding, and power loss.

Tales of the Walking Dead (August 14, AMC+)

An anthology series featuring familiar and new Walking Dead characters is just the latest entry in The Walking Dead universe. While mostly focusing on new characters, Alpha of the Whispers (played by Samantha Morton) will be returning for the first season. Whether these new characters crossover into any of the other shows in the franchise remains to be seen, but if any of them become particularly popular, I wouldn’t be surprised.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (August 17, Disney+)

If you’ve ever watched Orphan Black, you know Tatiana Maslany is a treasure. (And if you haven’t, then what are you waiting for?!) In Orphan Black, Maslany played 17 different characters (clones) over the course of the series – from a suburban mom to a Ukrainian assassin – and each one feels like a unique character. Even more impressive are the scenes where she plays one clone imitating another clone imitating herself. Here she won’t exactly be playing multiple characters, but she will be playing Jennifer Walters in two forms: regular human lawyer who specializes in superhero cases and a 6-foot-7 “Hulk” thanks to a blood transfusion from her well-known cousin, Bruce Banner.

Surfside Girls (August 19, Apple TV+)

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Kim Dwinell, Surfside Girls follows Sam and Jade, two friends who plan to spend the summer surfing only to be thrown into a supernatural mystery involving a ghost, pirates, and cursed treasure. Where Sam is full of imagination and wants to dive into the mystery, Jade is more practical and wants to find a scientific explanation for everything. Together the girls must solve the mystery and save their town.

Catch15 New and Returning Shows We’re Anxiously Awaiting in August 2022 – Part 2.

Photo: A League of Their Own Courtesy of Amazon Prime.