We’re making our way through June which means a trickle compared to the normal flow of new series. But what of these new shows we’re getting 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.

Thursdays:
Surviving Earth, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered June 11)
About: This new nature documentary looks at the history of Earth, its creatures, and the climate crisis of the past that impacted life on the planet. If you like documentaries and learning more about ancient creates, this will be in your wheel house. It’s entertaining enough with good re-creations. It feels like a piece of family-friendly, scientific and educational programming for the summer. Perhaps not the typical series you’d think of this time of year, but it works well enough for what it is.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Fridays:
The Listeners, Streaming Fridays on Starz (Premiered June 12)
About: This limited series originally aired in 2024 in the United Kingdom and gets a domestic debut now. This four-episode series is based on the novel from Jordan Tannahill and starring Rebecca Hall as a wife, mother, and teacher who begins hearing a low hum that won’t go away. The pilot, which moved at a seemingly glacial pace, looked at the concept but didn’t offer a lot of forward movement aside from her connecting with a student suffering from the same. The second episode introduces a wider group of sufferers and makes some inroads into possible causes and explanations, but it doesn’t totally lay out a theory. There are some personal twists later in the episode, too. But through a couple episodes, it’s hard to tell what the show is aiming at and what it’s trying to accomplish. Given its short run, that is a problem. It also feels painfully slow at times. This feels like a miss.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
The Season, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered June 17)
About: This new series is set in Hong Kong and follows wealth manager in training (Jesse Mei Li) who is trying to break into the world. She’s gotten a summer job with an established wealth manager (Celina Jade), who introduces her to the rich and powerful during the social season. Can she find a permanent home? This is a world where the wealthy have plenty of issues and secrets, and so, too, does our heroine. She has a secret agenda that she’s trying to accomplish behind-the-scenes if she can get adopted into this world quickly enough. This is pretty standard fare for a soap opera of this type. This series features a different location, and a relatively unknown cast, but some all-too-familiar character archetypes and tropes. That works fine for those who enjoy this kind of soapy set up, but it doesn’t feel overly compelling. There are a lot of characters, and not enough time is spent defining what makes them unique. That can make it sometimes hard to follow during the whirlwind episodes, which run about 44 minutes. It’s a six-episode season, making for a quick enough binge, but it’s more fizzle than sizzle.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

I Will Find You, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered June 18)
About: This is the latest limited series based on a novel from Harlan Coben. It comes from creator Robert Hull, and runs eight episodes. It boasts a fantastic cast, including Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Madeline Stowe, and Milo Ventimiglia, among others. It centers on a father (Worthington), sent to prison for killing his young son. He doesn’t remember doing it, and when his ex-sister-in-law (Lower) finds a photo that proves his son might still be alive, it kicks off a frantic search for answers. This is a simple enough set up, but I really liked the cast and the pacing here. Some episodes run around 44-47 minutes, but many of the eight-episodes are under 40 minutes. That makes for a quick binge, and this is one that will have you hitting play next. The story was very compelling and the way it’s told here works well, too. I enjoyed the early episodes and quickly binged the whole season. It’s worth a look, and is one of the best Coben adaptations. Even if previous adaptations haven’t hit for you, this is worth the investment.
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.