8 New TV Shows to Watch in August on HBO Max, Paramount+ and More

Taylor Sheridan fans, your next binge is almost here. Lioness returns with Season 3 on August 2, streaming exclusively on Paramount+. The action-packed spy drama stars Zoe Saldaña as CIA operative Joe McNamara, alongside Nicole Kidman and Michael Kelly. The upcoming installment “is upping the stakes by bringing the conflict closer to home and Joe’s personal life.” The season rolls out new episodes every Sunday, with the finale set for September 20. If you like tense espionage operations and plot twists, this one's ready to keep you hooked.

Believe it or not, Ted Lasso is back for another round. This time, Ted (Jason Sudeikis) heads back to Richmond to coach AFC Richmond’s women’s football team, taking on a new challenge. As per logline, “Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would.” The 10-episode season premieres August 5 on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday until the finale on October 7.

Ryan Murphy is bringing another wild ride to TV with The Shards, and it looks packed with '80s vibes, mystery, and plenty of twists. Based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel, the series follows a group of wealthy Los Angeles teenagers whose senior year takes a dark turn when a mysterious new student arrives just as a serial killer known as The Trawler begins stalking the city. The Shards premieres August 5 with a two-episode launch on FX and Hulu. After that, new episodes arrive weekly, leading up to the season finale on September 10.

Jack Reacher is coming back, and yes, he's still punching first and asking questions later. Reacher Season 4 premieres on August 12 on Prime Video, dropping its first three episodes on launch day. The remaining episodes arrive weekly, with the eight-episode season wrapping up on September 16. Based on Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow, the new season follows Reacher (Alan Ritchson) after he witnesses a woman's s*icide on a subway, leading him into a dangerous conspiracy involving politicians, extremists, and a mysterious leader named Lila Hoth. 

If one Green Lantern sounds cool, how about two? Lanterns is bringing both Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) to the DCU as the veteran-and-rookie duo investigates a mysterious murder in Rushville, Nebraska. The case soon hints at something much bigger, with a possible extraterrestrial connection. The eight-episode series premieres August 16 on HBO and streams on HBO Max. New episodes arrive every Sunday, with the season finale set for October 4.

The Gang is back, and they're clearly not planning to behave. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 premieres August 17 on FX and Hulu, kicking things off with a two-episode debut. The comedy expands to 10 episodes this season, with new installments arriving every Monday until the expected October 12 finale. Charlie (Charlie Day), Mac (Rob Mac), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) will be “wrapped up in salvaging inheritances from a dead woman” while also tackling workplace automation, conspiracy theories, and “outlasting the public's pendulum swing against drinking.” Sounds exactly as outrageous as you'd expect.

Get ready to say goodbye to the Pogues. Outer Banks returns for its fifth and final season on August 20, with all 10 episodes dropping at once on Netflix. The adventure picks up after JJ's heartbreaking death, leaving the group reeling. As the official synopsis puts it, Season 5 “finds the Pogues at their absolute breaking point” after the tragedy in Morocco. Stranded far from home, grieving their friend, and having lost the Blue Crown, they're still forced to face “a gauntlet of familiar threats.”

Things are about to get weird again (in the best way). Dark Matter Season 2 premieres on August 28 on Apple TV+, kicking off its 10-episode run with new episodes arriving every Friday through October 30. Based on Blake Crouch’s bestselling novel, the sci-fi thriller stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. After everything Jason Dessen went through in Season 1, he and his family finally seem to have found some peace. Of course, that doesn't last long. A new threat forces the Dessens back into survival mode, proving that in the multiverse, normal life is never guaranteed.