The six series that will save you from the August heat

August is not a thrilling month when it comes to series premieres, but the few fictions that land on the platforms have a clear objective: to entertain without making us think too much. The calendar includes some new releases but also the return of already known titles.

The most anticipated series of August is the comedy Ted Lasso, which returns when we thought we had said goodbye to it forever. AppleTV's flagship is renewed. Now Ted – who in the early seasons debuted as a football coach with no idea of the game – takes charge of a second division women's team. For this, he leaves his native Kansas City behind and moves back to Richmond, London, where he will reunite with some of his former collaborators, such as Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), the club owner, Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift). Besides old acquaintances, there are also many new additions. One of the most notable is Tanya Reynolds, known for Sex Education and who here will play the team's assistant coach. Ted Lasso won the Emmy for best comedy in both 2021 and 2022.

Prime Video is having a love affair with teen dramas and has no intention of stopping its exploitation of this genre. This month it's the turn of Sterling Point, centered on a 17-year-old girl, Annie (Ella Rubin). Raised in New York alongside her twin brother and adoptive father, Annie's life changes when she inherits an island in Canada that belonged to her grandfather, a mysterious man. When she settles there, a new world will open up to her: she will make new friends, experience first love, and discover secrets about her family history.

Ryan Murphy is one of the reigning kings of current television, although that doesn't mean everything he does is a success. Now the creator has teamed up with Bret Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho, to bring to the screen The shards, the North American writer's semi-autobiographical novel. Set in Los Angeles in the 80s, the series follows a 17-year-old with literary aspirations who studies at an elite high school. In this context, a new student with a mysterious aura, Robert, appears. His arrival coincides with a growing atmosphere of terror caused by The Trawler, a serial killer targeting teenagers across the city. The series arrives with built-in gossip: two of the main actors are Homer Gere and Kaia Gerber, sons respectively of Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford (who were married between 1991 and 1995).

Although it has long been rumored that superhero series are over, platforms are resisting declaring them dead. HBO Max is once again capitalizing on the DC Studios catalog with Lanterns. The series follows two intergalactic police officers –recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler)– who become embroiled in the investigation of a murder in the heart of the United States. The cast also includes Laura Linney and Kate MacDonald, who plays a sheriff.

A good summer love solves a silly afternoon when you don't know what to watch. This is the goal of Toda la verdad de mis mentiras, an adaptation of one of Elísabet Benavent's romantic novels, who has a long relationship with Netflix. The protagonists of this miniseries are Coco (Itziar Manero) and Marín (Daniel Ibáñez), flatmates and best friends for years. Friendship gave way to romantic feelings some time ago, but neither of them dares to take the next step. A summer getaway to celebrate the bachelorette party of a mutual friend, Blanca, will force them to become aware of what they feel for each other. The cast also includes Brays Efe (Paquita Salas) and Clara Sans (Celeste). For Benavent's followers, Toda la verdad de mis mentiras is closer to Un cuento de verano, the miniseries starring Anna Castillo and Álvaro Mel, than to Valeria, with Diana Gómez.

Comedies about friends and roommates are a classic, even before Friends. Adults, a zany variation of this genre, premieres its second season this August. Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Issa (Amita Rao), and Anton (Owen Thiele) all live together in the Queens, New York home of Samir's family. In this new installment, the group will continue to navigate job insecurity and complicated romantic and family relationships.