The 12 Best TV Shows of August 2019

Start the campaign now! Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore should both be nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Reality or Competition Host for their stellar work on Holey Moley. Their colorful and hilarious commentary was the perfect soundtrack for the ridiculousness and joy of watching extreme mini-golfing. Executive produced by “golf pro” Steph Curry, Holey Moley kept audiences hooked while serving up fierce competition, plenty of jokes and contestants that were so easy to root for. — Karen Kemmerle

Where to stream Holey Moley

FX’s Marvel adaptation Legion only aired two episodes in August, but they were very much a piece with each other. The first found Dan Stevens’ David Haller traveling back in time to confront his father, Charles Xavier (Harry Lloyd), while the rest of the cast ended up with his mother Gabrielle (Stephanie Corneliussen) defending her from terrifying “time demons.” The second, and final episode of the series, found everyone reckoning not just with their own stories, but their legacies and ability to change — or not, as the case may be. Those hoping for superhero action got what they wanted through some stellar fight scenes, and if you were a fan of Legion‘s many musical numbers you got that, too. But it was Navid Negahban’s charged performance as Amahl Farouk, a.k.a. The Shadow King that gave these dual episode their emotional heft. The show may be over for good, but we’re more than ready to press that button to start again. — Alex Zalben

Where to stream Legion

HBO’s popular docuseries is back for another round of gridiron mayhem, and this time it’s the Oakland Raiders who are receiving the Hard Knocks treatment. Antonio Brown has produced more than his fair share of intrigue, but the most entertaining aspect has been watching Oakland prepare for the new season. Jon Gruden is, to put it mildly, a character, so watching the coach try to deal with the non-stop calamity of training camp has been a blast to watch. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Hard Knocks on HBO Go and HBO Now

It’s difficult to describe AMC’s Lodge 49. The feel-good charmer is a spiritual noir that toggles the fine line between mysticism and reality. Created by Jim Gavin and executive produced by Paul Giamatti, the mesmerizing dramedy ostensibly centers on an exceedingly optimistic ex-surfer (“Dud,” portrayed by Wyatt Russell) who joins a fraternal order in the hopes of uncovering the answers to life’s most perplexing mysteries. Lodge 49 is different, defiantly, wonderfully different and that innovative approach to storytelling is what makes it one of the most enjoyable shows on television. — Josh Sorokach

Where to stream Lodge 49

Warning: Watching The Family on Netflix will very likely raise your blood pressure. This five-part documentary series pulls back the curtain on a secretive Christian organization known as The Fellowship—or, by its members, as “The Family”—which has deep ties in Washington dating back to President Eisenhower. Your jaw will be on the floor as narrator/journalist/and author of the adapted book Jeff Sharlet describes his bizarre communal living experience with the cult-like group led by the influential evangelist Doug Coe. And you’ll be throwing your remote at the screen when the doc reveals politician after politician connected to The Fellowship on both sides of the aisle—including a talking head interview with former president Jimmy Carter. — Anna Menta

Stream The Family on Netflix

We’ve always known that Kirsten Dunst was a force to be reckoned with, but this Showtime series is the first to fully show off the full breadth of her talents. Set around Orlando in the ’90s, On Becoming a God follows a recent widow who finds herself stuck with a baby and countless boxes from her late husband’s MLM company. But as Krystal soon learns, getting away from the incestuous and controlling company FAM is far more difficult and dangerous than she ever anticipated. If you’ve ever wanted to see Dunst go head-to-head with a cult leader after shooting a gator, this show is for you. — Kayla Cobb

Where to stream On Becoming a God in Central Florida

This Way Up is the perfect end of summer binge-watch. The six 30-minute episodes starring Aisling Bea (also the show’s creator) are funny, touching, relatable, and all-around enjoyable. Of course, it never hurts to have Sharon Horgan on your roster either. The show follows a woman getting her life back together after a small breakdown and is the perfect reminder that we are all queens — and deserve to treat ourselves as such! — Lea Palmieri

Stream This Way Up on Hulu

This month blessed us with a super-sized episode of Below Deck Mediterranean and all the drama could hardly fit within those 90 minutes. From a guest losing his cranberry juice to Travis’s unruly behavior to the return of Chef Ben, this show continues to blend moments that are fun, frivolous, dramatic, and unexpected. The summer’s winding down but one of the summer’s best shows still has tons of adventures on the way. — Lea Palmieri

Where to stream Below Deck Mediterranean

Succession Season 2 proves why it’s one of HBO’s most beloved cult hits. Now that Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) has fallen from grace, it has upset the central dynamic of the Roy clan — making everything feel like a bit of a free-for-all. Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) has cut her hair and chopped ties with the world of politics, Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) is trying to save face after orchestrating a disastrous rocket launch, and eldest brother Connor (Alan Ruck) is earnestly trying to become President. Family soap opera hijinks aside, Succession earns its biggest cheers for its scathing one-liners and harrowingly on point portrait of the modern media. — Meghan O’Keefe

Stream Succession on HBO Go and HBO Now

The Righteous Gemstones is Danny McBride’s most audacious and thrilling work to date. It’s half hilarious send-up of the lurid hypocrisy of super wealthy Christian televangelists, half heart-wrenching family drama. The Gemstone clan is doing its best to expand its reach, fend off rivals, and deal with the loss of their beloved matriarch. The siblings, always vying for the father’s affection, have to work together to deal with an existential threat to their family’s survival. What they don’t know is that threat is none other than one of their own. Zany, sharp-witted, and tender-hearted, The Righteous Gemstones is a glorious triumph. — Meghan O’Keefe

Stream The Righteous Gemstones on HBO Go and HBO Now

It seemed impossible that David Fincher would be able to recapture the brooding, disturbing introspection of Mindhunter’s first season, but that’s exactly what Season 2 has done. And it did it in a way that included more jarring interviews with serial killers, more harrowing cases, and more painful deep dives into humanity’s darkest depths all while giving Holt McCallany and Anna Torv the screen time they deserved. Mindhunter Season 2 took one of the greatest shows in modern television and made it even better. — Kayla Cobb

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix

Even in its third season, GLOW remains the most binge-worthy show on Netflix. In Season 3, the wrestling comedy broke new ground as the action moved to Las Vegas, where the women transformed their syndicated television series into a live show. The bulk of the season focused on Ruth’s (Alison Brie) relationship with Debbie (Betty Gilpin) and Sam (Marc Maron), but the new episodes also dived deeper into the backstories and motivations of GLOW’s impressive supporting cast. After an intensely fun, moving, and shocking 10 episodes, it will be a shame if Netflix decides to not continue with the series (as of this writing, it has yet to be picked up for Season 4). As always, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling deserve more. — Claire Spellberg

Stream GLOW on Netflix