According to FX Networks Research, 495 shows aired in 2018. Of those, 160 were streaming shows.
With almost 700 options, it’s easy to miss some gems. Between cable, network, and streaming sites, INSIDER picked out the shows you may not have heard of, but you could catch up on this summer.
“Attack on Titan” is one of the most beautifully animated shows available.
Why to watch it: Based on the best-selling anime of the same name, “Attack on Titan” just finished an excellent season three which was filled with surprising reveals for many of the past 10 episodes.
The beautifully animated series, which launched in 2013, follows Eren Yeager and his friends Armin and Mikasa as they’re introduced to terrifying, mindless monsters called Titans who eat humans.
As a result, they join the Scout Regiment, which is dedicated to eradicating the Titans from existence. For this reason, many have referred to the series as a Japanese “Walking Dead.” However, by season three, you learn that there’s a larger conspiracy keeping Eren and his friends within the walls. The show follows their search for the truth behind the mysteries of the Titans and who and what lives beyond the walls. The answer they finally discover is unsettling.
AOT is fast-paced, action-packed, and is immensely detail-oriented. If you’re not paying close attention, you’re sure to miss something important. It’s the sort of show you may want to rewatch more than once.
This is a show where you don’t want to skip past the opening or end credits. They change each season offering clues of what’s to come and are sometimes tweaked slightly throughout the season. You can catch up on the full series now before the final season premieres in fall 2020. – Kirsten Acuna
“Dark” is a mind-bending science fiction show with all the drama and intrigue of a soap opera.
Why to watch it: Taking place over a cycle of 33-year timeframes, “Dark” illuminates the entangled lives of several families in a small German town. The best way to watch this series is with its original German audio and subtitles, and soon you’ll be sucked into the twisted murder mysteries and complex time-travel paradoxes. – Kim Renfro
“Doom Patrol” is the best superhero series out right now.
Why to watch it: “Doom Patrol” is a quirky and raw superhero show unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Think Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” mixed with the raunchy self-awareness of “Deadpool.” The series follows five rag-tag super-powered humans who are down on their luck, but are forced to work together when the world is threatened.
One of them is a brain in a robot, voiced by Brendon Frasier, who’s excellent here as Cliff Steele. Jane (Diane Guerrero) has 64 personalities who all have different abilities and a dark backstory, which leads to one of the series’ most emotional episodes. All of them are housed by Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) until he disappears.
The best part of the series is Alan Tudyk’s villainous Mr. Nobody who breaks the fourth wall and hilariously narrates the entire series. Sometimes he even provides the episode recap. – Kirsten Acuna
“Killing Eve” is a sexy psychological thriller that will keep you watching for the relationship between Eve the killer she’s hunting.
Why to watch it: The BBC America drama follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), an MI5 security officer who is on the trail of a female serial killer, Villanelle (Jodie Comer).
Comer is deliciously wicked as an unfeeling, complicated psychopath. Oh won the Golden Globe for best actress in a television series for her role on the series, which has been renewed for a third season. – Kirsten Acuna
“Los Espookys” is a quirky, offbeat comedy co-created by “Portlandia” star Fred Armisen.
Why to watch it: HBO’s “Los Espookys” was co-created by “SNL” star Fred Armisen, and queer, Brooklyn-based comedians Ana Fabrega and Julio Torres. The show focuses on a group of friends in a Latin American country who decide to make a business out of scaring people – and run into some pretty entertaining problems along the way.
“Los Espookys” is an offbeat comedy in the style of “Portlandia,” and features some pretty genius gags, in addition to standout performances by Fabrega and Torres. While the season is only six episodes long, it’s definitely a refreshing addition to HBO’s usual programming – and gives newcomers Fabrega and Torres a chance to shine. – Libby Torres
“The OA” is weird, compelling, and one of the most unique original series Netflix has ever made.
Why to watch it: “The OA” is hard to describe. It’s a story about dreams, belief, pain, and the tenuous ways in which people can find themselves connected.
The show is both beautiful and sometimes off-putting, with a style and tone all its own. Watching it requires patience for earnestness not all TV-watchers might possess, but if you let “The OA” work its way into your heart you’ll have a hard time letting go of its magic. – Kim Renfro
