Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
When the list of new releases on Netflix comes out every month, it sometimes feels like the leading streamer has opened up a firehose of content of all types: scripted, unscripted, international, and more. With everyone’s limited time, it’s hard to figure out which shows you want to sit down and binge.
The crew at Decider know how tough it is to figure what to watch… and we do this for a living. So let us be your guide. Below are quick previews of what we think the ten hottest, most intriguing series to debut on the service in August 2021 will be. They aren’t all Netflix Originals (though most are because of that firehose); just shows we know people will want to watch. Which shows will make it into the Netflix Top 10? Only time will tell!
'30 Rock' Seasons 1-7
PREMIERE DATE: August 1
CAST: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander
RATING: TV-14
DESCRIPTION: After four years away, 30 Rock is back on Netflix (it also will still be available on Hulu and Peacock). Tina Fey’s workplace comedy, where Fey plays Liz Lemon, the cheese-loving head writer of TGS With Tracy Jordan, still works (for the most part) because it was documenting the decline of broadcast networks. The COVID-themed reunion, even though it was NBCU’s upfront presentation, was still a reminder of what this cast can do together. And we’d much rather see Baldwin as Jack Donaghy than Donald Trump at this point.
'Friday Night Lights' Seasons 1-5
PREMIERE DATE: August 1
CAST: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Minka Kelly, Jessie Plemmons
RATING: TV-PG
DESCRIPTION: Like 30 Rock, FNL returns to Netflix for the first time since 2017 (and, like 30 Rock, it’ll also still be available on Peacock and Hulu). Chandler won an Emmy for playing Eric Taylor, who coached the Dillon Panthers in football-crazy Texas. The show managed to survive on NBC for five seasons despite being, you know, full of compelling drama and character studies (the Season 2 “Let’s cover up that murder” plot not withstanding).
'Cooking With Paris'
PREMIERE DATE: August 4
CAST: Paris Hilton and various celebrity guests, like Kim Kardashian, Nikki Glaser, Demi Lovato and more.
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: Based on Hilton’s popular YouTube series, Cooking With Paris shows the proto-influcencer cooking with an eye towards having fun with her friends, results be damned. There may end up being some glitter involved. But we’re also on board to see Paris Hilton sticking her hand up a turkey’s butt in order to stuff it.
'Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings Of Miami'
PREMIERE DATE: August 4
CAST: Billy Corben (director)
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami is the story of Willy Falcon and Sal Malguta, two friends who went from high school dropouts to the most powerful drug dealers in Florida’s biggest city. The story mostly concentrates on what happened after the feds caught up with the pair in the 1980s, the trials that ensued, and how this friendship splintered.
'Hit & Run'
PREMIERE DATE: August 6
CAST: Lior Raz, Sanaa Lathan, Kaelen Ohm, Moran Rosenblatt, Gregg Henry, Lior Ashkenazi, Gal Toren
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: Hit & Run is a thriller about a married man (Raz) who is devastated when his wife is killed by a hit and run driver in Tel Aviv. When the perpetrators escape to New York City, he gets the help from an American ex-girlfriend (Lathan) to find out just what his wife was into. The unique casting of Israeli stars like Raz and Ashkenazi with American stars like Lathan and Henry should make for some interesting and tense drama.
'Untold'
PREMIERE DATE: August 10
CAST: Metta Sandiford-Artest, Reggie Miller, Caitlyn Jenner, Christy Martin, Mardy FIsh
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: Untold is a series of sports documentaries that explore seemingly well-known stories with some fresh perspectives. The first episode is about the 2004 “Malice At The Palace,” where a brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons ended up in the stands, egged on by fans attacking Artest. Jenner talks about her push to gold in the 1976 Olympics, Martin talks about the abuse she suffered at home while rising through the boxing world, and more.
'Brand New Cherry Flavor'
PREMIERE DATE: August 13
CAST: Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, Eric Lange, Manny Jacinto, Jeff Ward
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: An adaptation of Todd Grimson’s novel, Brand New Cherry Flavor is a horror drama about a filmmaker who goes to Hollywood in the early ’90s and gets involved in a world of revenge, sex, magic and — for some reason — kittens.
'The Chair'
PREMIERE DATE: August 20
CAST: Sandra Oh, Holland Taylor, Jay Duplass, David Morse, Bob Balaban
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: In a series co-created by Amanda Peet, Oh plays Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman and person of color to chair the English department at Pembroke University. In her new role, she’ll have to deal with demanding professors, a tight budget, and the other crazy demands of the job. And, it’s supposed to be a comedy!
'Clickbait'
PREMIERE DATE: August 25
CAST: Zoe Kazan, Betty Gabriel, Adrian Grenier, Phoenix Raei, Abraham Lim, Jessie Collins
RATING: TV-MA
DESCRIPTION: Grenier plays Nick Brewer, a husband and father who is kidnapped and appears in an online video where he admits to attacking women and he will die if the video gets to 5 million views. His sister (Kazan) and wife (Gabriel) try to find him, but they find out things about Nick that he likely never wanted them to find out.
'Sparking Joy'
PREMIERE DATE: August 31
CAST: Marie Kondo
RATING: TV-PG
DESCRIPTION: In Kondo’s follow-up series to Tidying Up, the organization expert goes to people’s homes and businesses and teaches people how organization can bring emotional transformations into their lives. Viewers will also meet Kondo’s family and visit her home, to see how she puts her principles in practice in her own life. Be sure to watch in your least cluttered room, or better yet… just watch it in the car.
