Summer is here and the hits keep on comin’. Masters and Virginia unveil their sex study to the public; Denis Leary reenters the spotlight as a former rock’n’roll legend looking for a way back in; the Bowmans are ready for a second round of give-and-take; everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic horse is back for more introspection; and the misfits of Camp Firewood go back in time to experience another wet, hot, american summer.
Jump after the break to explore the series you can’t miss this month.
MASTERS OF SEX /Sunday, July 12, Showtime, 10pm
It only took two seasons–William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), pioneers of the science of human sexuality, are finally making public their famed sex study. Masters of Sex season 3 kicks off the Sexual Revolution in 1966, and Masters and Johnson are primed to deal with the glare of the national spotlight that naturally comes with the territory. And along the way, viewers will be privy to the tantalizing “three-way” we’ve got going on now: Masters’ wife Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald) is aware of his affair, and she’s playing along, for now. Dig the colorful season 3 key art above, and watch the official trailer at YouTube.
SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL /Thursday, July 16, FX, 10pm
Denis Leary (Rescue Me) returns to FX this summer in a new show he created and executive produces. He stars as “Johnny Rock,” lead singer of a legendary early 90’s New York band called The Heathens. 25 years after the band breaks up (Heathens lead guitarist Flash, played by John Corbett, finds Johnny in bed with his wife), Johnny stumbles on an opportunity to bring the band back together again with the help of rising star Gigi (played by former Nickelodeon child actress Elizabeth Gillies). The series follows this dysfunctional rock-n-roll family, and from the looks of it, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll is gonna be a righteous good time packed with drama, comedy, and hearty laughs.
MARRIED /Thursday, July 16, FX, 10:30pm
The always entertaining Nat Faxon and Judy Greer are back in the second season of Married, FX’s relationship comedy that doesn’t shy away from the highs and lows of managing a family and kids and carving out time to pursue their own dreams and life goals. In its first go-around, Married oftentimes was intriguingly voyeuristic, watching Russ and Lina Bowman balance family, work, sex and fun with the hammer of divorce ominously looming in the background. With Brett Gelman returning for more addiction-related affairs and John Hodgman in tow, Married looks to cover new relationship battles with the same heart on its sleeve. Sadly, the season 2 poster (see above) doesn’t do this show justice–it looks like the marketing team haphazardly slapped that glass of wine and remote control on Faxon and Greer’s pretty faces. FX, you’re better than this! Oh, wait…
BOJACK HORSEMAN /Friday, July 17, Netflix
BoJack is back! Netflix has on its hands easily one of the most creative and inspired animated sitcoms. Featuring an all-star voice cast including Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul (plus a bevy of special guests), BoJack Horseman explores some deep philosophical and metaphysical issues related to the intricate design of the human psyche–and yes, the show stars an anthropomorphic horse named BoJack embodied to perfection by Arnett. On the surface it’s a show about a horse addled with addiction and strife, and when you peel back those layers what remains is a uniquely profound and consistently hilarious character study that sucks you in and never lets go. Watching BoJack stumble through life with a bruised ego and his animal friends (plus Todd!) is most entertaining, funny, and more often than not, thought-provoking. A quick season 1 binge is highly recommended before Netflix outs the next batch of 12.
WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP /Friday, July 31, Netflix
Ever since its release in 2001, fans of David Wain’s cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer have been begging for more and what we’ve got now is even better than a theatrical sequel–WHAS returns in a 8-part prequel series on Netflix. The action takes place before the raunchy and wacky events unfolded in the movie–it’s the first day of camp at Camp Firewood! “We’re taking this silly story that we told 15 years ago and building unexpected origins to everything that you saw on the last day,” Wain told Entertainment Weekly. “We do explain why there is a talking can of vegetables,” he added. Yes! Another thing to be excited about? The entire cast of characters from the movie are back, including a slew of actors that went on to become major TV and film stars: Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, Bradley Cooper, Judah Friedlander, Janeane Garofalo, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Christopher Meloni, Marguerite Moreau, Zak Orth, Amy Poehler, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, and Michael Showalter. A mouthful, I know. And then, of course, there are new players joining in on the fun like Josh Charles, Kristen Wiig, and Rich Sommer; they play the preppy rival camp counselors from Camp Tigerclaw. Be sure to check out the VHS-tinged teaser before checking back into Camp Firewood at the end of the month. Though Wain says the new series was designed to work for those who haven’t seen his movie, there’s no reason for you not to screen it beforehand–it’ll make the experience all the more sweeter, and funnier.
Update (7/2): Netflix has dropped the official full-length trailer for WHAS: First Day of Camp and it’s nothing short of amazing and hysterical. If you were worried even in the slightest about how this would all pan out, allow the two-minute and forty-second clip assuage your trepidation.