As we make our way into June, we’re getting a crop of new series, including one of the most highly anticipated re-makes from Apple TV. You might also have some extra time for viewing on your hands. But which of these new series is worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesdays:
Not Suitable For Work, Streaming Tuesdays on Hulu (Premiered June 2)
About: This new comedy comes from creator Mindy Kaling, who focuses on the work and personal lives of a group of young people living across the hall from each other in the city. The series focuses on five young people, three guys (Will Angus, Jack Martin, and Nicholas Duvernay) and two girls (Ella Hunt and Avantika) who live in the same apartment building, right across the hall. All five are trying to get established in careers and find that elusive work/life balance. The series has other fun supporting stars like Jay Harris and Constance Wu as bosses. It blends workplace humor with romantic comedy and a friendship comedy. The pilot runs 45 minutes, but the other two episodes released as part of a three-episode drop run around 35 minutes. That makes for a nice streaming watch, especially with two episodes dropping weekly through June 23. It’s a fun series, especially for those that are looking for a good comedy.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B-

Fridays:
Cape Fear, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV (Premiered June 5)
About: This is another re-make of the story of Max Cady terrorizing a family. It’s been told in film form in the 1960s—with Robert Mitchum—and in the 1990s by Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro in the lead role. Now, instead of a tight, two-hour thriller, it’s being stretched into a 10-episode series featuring Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, and Javier Bardem as Cady. The series finds Cady released from prison after new evidence clears him of the murder, he was convicted of committing. He finds his former lawyer, Anna (Adams), and the prosecutor that sent him away, Tom (Wilson), have now married. In fact, they married shortly after Anna convinced Cady to take a plea. They now have their own happy family and two children. And Cady re-enters their life and sets about wreaking havoc for the wrongs they committed. The first two episodes dropped Friday, with the rest of the series airing Fridays through the end of July. This re-telling comes from Nick Antosca, who has a knack for horror story telling, particularly on the small screen. I liked the moody pilot, and the second episode was solid enough. The trouble with taking a familiar story and greatly expanding the run time is that things can feel drawn out and repetitive. Having screened ahead, that’s the case with this series. It’s good for fans of the series, and I like the cast, but it might have played better in a more compact form.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
The Witness, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered June 4)
About: This new limited series dropped the same day as the Netflix documentary that tells the story of the real-life crime upon which it was based. Rachel Nickell was brutally murdered in 1992. Her two-year-old son was present, a witness to the crime who was injured by the assailant but lived. He spent the rest of his youth being hidden away by his father for fear he would be a target, while the death of his mother went unsolved. The documentary tells the story from the perspective of Nickell’s partner, her son, and the detectives that worked on the case. This limited series, told over the course of three episodes ranging from 45 to 55 minutes, re-creates the drama and the more than 20 years before justice was achieved. It does a decent job of recreating things, but I preferred the tight 90 minutes of the documentary. Either way, there’s plenty of opportunity to learn about Nickell’s murder and the fight for justice on Netflix.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Alice and Steve, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered June 8)
About: This new comedy is an interesting story. It focuses on Alice (Nikola Walker) and her best friend Steve (Jermaine Clement). Alice is married to a younger man with a 26-year-old daughter Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith) and a teenage son. Steve, a popular hairstylist, is divorced and consigned to living alone. They’re both at 50, and as we open their attending the funeral for a friend. That has them both taking stock of their life as they get drunk. Later that night, while staying on Alice’s couch, Steve has an exchange with Izzy that leads to sex. It’s an act that changes the course of all their lives and a friendship as Steve and Izzy realize they might have deeper feelings for each other. The season is six episodes, all around 30 minutes and all now streaming. It’s a quick binge, and the material certainly grabs your attention. It moves in surprising directions and is buoyed by some good performances from Walker and Clement. It’s an odd premise for a series, and it goes to some dark, Beef-like places, but it’s compelling.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.