10 Seriously Good New TV Shows to Stream This August
From sci-fi sagas 'Alien: Earth' and 'Invasion' to Jason Momoa’s historical drama 'Chief of War' to the return of besties Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in Season 2 of 'Platonic', these are the best 10 new series to stream in August.
Sometimes you just need a good laugh watching old friends reconnect with disastrous results. Other times you need to hurtle through space on a ship called the Maginot and fight Xenomorphs before you can get to sleep. Both are totally valid responses to the world we live in, and this August, both options are available for you to stream. Embark on an 8-episode extraterrestrial escape in Alien: Earth, or a ten episode tour through friendship fails in Platonic Season 2. For Jason Momoa fans (AKA everyone), there’s the 18th century-set drama Chief of War, while the Black Mirror-inspired comedy series Upload offers us one final peek into our AI-influenced future. And to top it off, Ms. Addams is back for more goth girl greatness in Season 2 of Wednesday, making August a month not to be missed.
1. Alien: Earth
Where Can I Watch It? Disney+
Created by Fargo Showrunner Noah Hawley, this eight-episode sci-fi horror saga is set in 2120, shortly before the events of Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 film, Alien. Sydney Chandler stars as Wendy, a ‘hybrid synthetic’ who leads the search and recovery mission after scientific research vessel the Maginot crashes on its return from space. But not all the survivors are human – as a cargo hold of alien specimens (yep, Xenomorphs are back, baby) threatens the future of earth and all its inhabitants. No one is safe in this reimagined Alien story, with fans of the original franchise in for a terrifying treat.
2. Chief of War
Where Can I Watch It? Apple TV+
A nine‑episode epic exploring late 18th-century Hawaiʻi from a Polynesian perspective, Chief of War is a passion project created by native Hawaiians Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett. Based on true events and told from an Indigenous point of view, Momoa stars as warrior Ka‘iana, who seeks to unite the four island kingdoms amidst the threat of Western colonisation. Starring alongside Momoa in this culturally rich series is a primarily Polynesian cast, including Luciane Buchanan and Temuera Morrison.
3. Hostage
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Not that we need any more political drama in our lives, but this five-part series from the creator of Treason might just be worth the added stress. Dubbed a ‘razor-sharp thriller’, Hostage follows the kidnapping of British PM Abigail Dalton’s (Suranne Jones) husband and the simultaneous blackmail of French President Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy) at an international summit. Forced together by fate and their shared misfortunes, the power pair must put their rivalry aside to find the culprits wreaking havoc on their lives. The polls are looking good!
4. Invasion: Season 3
Where Can I Watch It? Apple TV+
Another day, another alien invasion, this time conjured by the sci-fi scholar mind of X-Men and Deadpool producer Simon Kinburg. For its third season, the fantasy drama series sees the five worldwide perspectives collide for the first time, with main characters Aneesha, Trevante and co uniting to infiltrate the alien mothership before their evil extraterrestrial energy annihilates humanity forever. The drama!
5. Outlander: Blood of My Blood
Where Can I Watch It? Stan
All aboard the time machine! For this prequel series, we’re travelling back to before Jamie and Claire even met and focusing on the love stories of their parents instead. Cute. Over ten episodes, this first Outlander spin-off tells the sprawling love stories of Ellen MacKenzie (played by Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine). In true Outlander style, the plot spans multiple periods and places, from WWI-ravaged England to 18th Century Scotland.
6. Platonic Season 2
Where Can I Watch It? Apple TV+
Hot off the heels of a humble 23 Emmy noms for his work on hit Hollywood comedy The Studio, Seth Rogen is back in the golf cart with bestie Rose Byrne. The duo return as Will and Sylvia, two former friends who reunite after a falling out over a fiancé twenty-odd years ago. Over ten episodes, season 2 delves deeper into their new dynamic, comically exploring the age-old question, can a man and a woman really be “just friends”?
7. The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
Where Can I Watch It? Prime Video
2022’s action series The Terminal List was a huge hit, and as conspiracy thriller connoisseurs anxiously await a season 2, the prequel has arrived. Tracing the origin story of Ben played by Taylor Kitsch (best known as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights), the seven-episode spin-off series finds Ben post-discharge from the Navy SEALS as he is forced to work for the shadowy CIA. Starring alongside Kitsch is again Chris Pratt, with Luke Hemsworth (yep, there’s another brother) joining the cast as CIA contractor Jules Landry. Beyond the bombs and bloodshed, this series seeks to portray the darker side of combat and its human cost.
8. Upload Season 4
Where Can I Watch It? Prime Video
Forget heaven or hell and prepare to be uploaded to a virtual reality afterlife surrounded by whatever tier of luxury you can afford. That’s the premise of writer Greg Daniels' (The Office, Parks and Recreation, King of the Hill) sci-fi comedy series set in a high-tech future where holograms, AI, and 3D printed lunches get you through the day. High in cynicism and low in optimism, this will be the fourth and final season of Upload, with the series bidding adieu over four episodes.
9. Wednesday Season 2 Part 1
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
One of Netflix’s most watched series of all time, Tim Burton’s kooky and spooky Wednesday is back for round 2. Once again following OG goth girl Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she continues her supernatural studies at Nevermore Academy, season 2 will see Wednesday’s psychic skills strengthen – but at what cost? And while the dark humour will continue to bring sardonic smiles to all, this season is said to lean more heavily into the horror side of Thing(s).
10. The Yoghurt Shop Murders
Where Can I Watch It? HBO Max
With a story as jarring as its name, The Yoghurt Shop Murders explores the shocking 1991 murder of four teenage girls at ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Yoghurt’ in Austin, Texas. The four-part docuseries delves deeper than ever before into a case that still haunts the victims' families, detectives, and locals over thirty years later. Revisiting the crime while interviewing key investigators and experts, this series endeavours to reignite calls for justice in one of America’s most mystifying unsolved murder cases.
Watch in Comfort
Enjoyed This?
Discover more TV show recommendations.
