Hey TV viewers! TV critic Michelle Ghanem is here. Every two weeks, I highlight the shows that are worth your TV time. Trust me, I watch everything. Whether you prefer to enjoy cable TV, catch up on the latest news via streaming, or unearth a hidden gem that slipped through the cracks, I try to have something for everyone.
Anyone else experiencing the heat? You might as well turn on the air conditioning and turn on the show—and we’ve got a few recommendations that might come in handy. If competition shows are your style, Project Runway returns to Freeform for its 22nd season with double the usual cast. Live on Peacock’s Five star weekend This is the kind of fluffy, exciting story you’d choose to read on the beach or have Netflix Little House on the Prairie a reboot for those craving a Western. This is also a good time to go back Letterkenny on Hulu, a hilarious comedy series co-created by showrunner Jacob Tierney Heated rivalry. Continue reading for the summary.
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My recommendation: Project Runway
Why you should watch this: “In fashion, once you are in fashion. And the next day you’re gone.” Even more than 20 years later, Heidi Klum’s catchphrase on Project Runway still lands with ominous force.
The 22nd season of the competition show will be released on Freeform and Hulu and promises to be the biggest yet. Firstly, there are twice as many quirky designers vying for the final prize: 22, naturally, although six are eliminated in the first episode.
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Part Project RunwayThe competition’s appeal lies in its calming, familiar structure: aspiring designers create their runway looks with virtually no restrictions on time or resources, and face harsh criticism from their judges, Klum, fashion editor Nina Garcia, stylist Zendaya Law Roach and a rotating cast of guest judges. This time, Tyra Banks appears as a permanent judge.
The reality TV landscape has changed radically since 2004, but so has fashion. Social media and the rise of fast fashion have created a much more sophisticated audience, as well as a much greater appetite for drama that goes beyond design.
Compared to the camaraderie of previous seasons, these new members can sometimes be quite obnoxious (one contestant even calls another’s design the “Tasteless Olympics” in the first episode). This is especially obvious with RuPaul’s Drag Race veterans of the band, Q and Plane Jane, are no strangers to witty wit.
But the structure of the show is still the same as in the first seasons. Klum even kisses each participant twice and mutters:Goodbye“goodbye” in German, for every exception. As a summer competition show, it’s perfect for weekly viewing, especially since the show is trying to up the ante after being on the air for so long. From the “unconventional materials” competition to group projects, it’s always fun to see designers diving into their creative toolboxes and making more with less, as long as you don’t create something that the judges and your peers think is ugly.
How to watch: New episodes Project Runway airs Thursdays at 9:30 pm ET on Freeform and simulcast on Hulu.
Watch it on Hulu
📺 Stream it
My recommendation: Five star weekend
Why you should watch this: If you’re craving a cozy atmosphere in July, Five star weekend this is exactly the beach reading TV show you’re looking for. The series, adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel, stars Jennifer Garner as Hollis Shaw, a food blogger mourning the sudden death of her husband. Her influencer empire and cookbooks may be thriving, but six months later she’s still dealing with heartbreak.
Hollis needs a complete reset. She decides to invite four friends from different eras of her life to her cozy Nantucket beach house for a weekend of home-cooked food and lots of wine. Her friends are played by actresses you’ll definitely recognize: Regina Hall (One battle after another), Chloë Sevigny (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), D’Arcy Carden (Nice place) and Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians).
The show is something like Big little lies without the leadership of Jean-Marc Vallée. Instead of a murder mystery, one of the women has a bigger secret revealed at the end of the first episode that connects her to Hollis in a way you might not have expected. Otherwise, there is a strange discrepancy between women who don’t do this. Really know each other outside of their relationship with the owner.
Naturally, the more time we spend with these women, the more secrets are revealed. Along the way Five star weekend turns out to be a worthy spot for a midsummer binge, although probably not one that will reach the top of your best TV list.
How to watch: All eight episodes Five star weekend streaming on Peacock.
Watch on Peacock
Polish drama Proud coming to HBO Max.
My bonus recommendation: Proud
Why you should watch this: For something less fresh there is ProudPolish drama dedicated to gritty realism. Written and directed by Karol Klementiewicz, the show centers on Filip Raczynski (Ignacy Liss), a 20-year-old gay model who lives with his sister and her baby Tosia in Warsaw. His life is not too serious: he works as a model, takes drugs in clubs and is a regular at orgies. However, the stakes become much higher when his sister, who always criticized his philandering lifestyle, unexpectedly passes away.
With his niece’s father out of the picture, Philip reluctantly begins to care for Tosa, but has no idea where to start. His friends can only help him, and he is forced to forget much of his previous behavior as he leans into fatherhood, still mourning his loss.
It’s not an easy task, and the show doesn’t make Philip the easiest to root for – it’s going to be one bad decision after another until things get better for this guy. A nurse at the hospital almost cut off his head when Tosya developed a rash caused by poor hygiene. But Proud unfolds as a moving, unique story of resilience, adaptability, community building, and forced adulthood. This is an unexpected gem worth visiting this summer.
How to watch: New episodes Proud stream Fridays on HBO Max.
Watch on HBO Max
But that’s not all…
Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls and Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls Little House on the Prairie.
Little House on the Prairie: The remake of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic Western drama begins with the Ingalls family starting a new life in the Midwest in 1868, shortly after the trauma of the Civil War. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshein (Boys, Maid), the series expands its scope to include Native American characters. It retains all the coziness that made the original series so popular, but this time for a new generation. — All eight episodes streaming on Netflix
Survival of the Fattest: If you like fashionable emergencies Emily in ParisConsider this equally charming comedy set in New York City, which follows Mavis (Michelle Buteau) as she tries to become a 30-year-old hairstylist with her two friends, Khalil (Tone Bell) and Marley (Tasha Smith). Season three thoughtfully explores Mavis’s fertility struggles against the backdrop of major events in her professional life, but I love the messiness of the first two seasons. — All three seasons streaming on Netflix
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: From the whole new generation Star Trek series, this one is my favorite – and it’s not just because of the nostalgia for the new version of classic characters like Spock and Uhura. Set ten years before the original series, the series has a more episodic structure than Opening did what seems more familiar to the old one Track. It also strikes a perfect balance between silly jokes and sharper twists. — The series returns with new weekly episodes airs on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 23
💎 Hidden gems
My recommendation: Letterkenny
Why you should watch this: Before Jacob Tierney became a star showrunner with his megahit Heated rivalryhe was constantly working on Letterkenny he directed and co-wrote every episode for ten years with Jared Keeso. While we wait for chapter two of Shane and Ilya’s story, now is a good time to revisit this hilarious sitcom and point out the parallels.
Set in the fictional town of Ontario, we hang out with siblings Wayne (Keeso) and Katie (Michelle Mylett), who run a small farm and produce a stand with their two friends, Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrel Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). We also spend time with two goofy but affable hockey boys, Reilly (Dylan Playfair) and Jonesy (Andrew Herr).
What does Letterkenny it’s so clever in poking fun at small-town Canadian archetypes while simultaneously subverting what you might expect from them. The script is full of references and bits and pieces, jokes that rival the film’s comedic density. 30 Rock episodes.
Some episodes are quite silly – one season one episode revolves around creating a “Fartbook” on Facebook for sharing audio clips of your farts. Others simply demonstrate the various ways Wayne tries to maintain dominance in the city. Knowing that the creator is gay made me appreciate the way the show pokes fun at and sometimes explores small-town masculinity in subtle ways.
However, the star of the show is the dialogue. The script is so dense, but written in a deadpan, dry style that I feel proud when I catch even half the references. It’s a bonus if you know a little about Canada, whether it’s a reference to Winners, the national version of TJ Maxx or slang, although as a Canadian I can confirm that most of these phrases are completely made up. “Pitter-patter, let’s get busy.”
How to watch: All 12 seasons Letterkenny streaming on Hulu.
Watch it on Hulu
That’s the end of this week’s episode, but there will always be more TV to watch. I’ll be back on July 27th with new recommendations.
Do you think there’s something missing that deserves my TV time? Let me know what else I should keep in mind in the comments below!