TV production may be mostly paused with Hollywood’s top talent on strike, but any lull in new programming hasn’t caught up yet. August brings with it more than a plentiful offering of new TV shows, from international dramas and reality to gripping docuseries and expansions of the “Star Wars” and “Adventure Time” universes. Netflix and A&E will debut two different yet complementary specials about hip hop, one focusing on its female influences and the other on items integral to music history. Apple dials into the engrossing world of automotive CEO Carlos Ghosn, while HBO takes a deep dive on the American telemarketing industry. On the feel-good front, Netflix reality boasts both the New Zealand dating series “Down For Love” and the return of “Nailed It” with an all-time baking challenge.
In July, IndieWire’s TV team assembled our best of the year so far — best shows, best new shows, and best episodes, and each month we’ve put together a list of brand-new shows to check out (January, February, March, April, May, June, and July). The list spans networks, genres, and languages, and though returning shows aren’t listed, keep an eye out for our coverage. It might be the last you hear about some of these shows from us, but the first taste of a shared viewing experience. If you want to look further ahead, our Most Anticipated TV of 2023 has a little of everything through the end of the year — but those dates could change as the strike continues to affect production.
Here are 17 new TV shows premiering in August 2023.
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August 4: “The Big Nailed it Baking Challenge” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Terence Patrick/Netflix Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres (and producer Wes!) return to turn a group of 10 aspiring bakers “from OH NO to PRO.” With the help of established pastry chefs Jeanne McDowell and Robert Lucas, and focused training, they’ll have the chance to watch their dreams rise as high as those cakes — or at least eat the results if they miss out on the cash prize.
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August 4: “The Marriage Pact” (Roku)
Image Credit: Roku “If we’re both single when we’re 40, let’s get married.” Agreements like this this are the core of Colombia’s “The Marriage Pact,” a reality series in which five couples test their relationships to see whether they will fulfill or break that famous pact. Participants will undergo “romantic and difficult situations” that test the boundaries of friendship and romance. The series is hosted by author and intimacy expert Shan Boodram, who has worked on Netflix’s “Too Hot to Handle.”
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August 8: “Zombieverse” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Netflix Oh, you like reality TV and a good zombie apocalypse? Netflix Korea has this one handled. “Zombieverse” starts out as a reality dating show, but is quickly derailed when contestants find themselves in the middle of a zombie outbreak in Seoul. As much as it promises horror and action, “Zombieverse” finds humor in its cast’s predicament, response, and scheming as they try to survive the nightmare we’ve all imagined.
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August 8: “Superfan” (CBS)
Image Credit: CBS It’s a rite of passage for famous singers to guest judge on reality TV shows, but what if the competition is all about them? This series puts contestants in front of their favorite artist as they compete to see who’s the biggest fan. Each episode focuses on a different artist among Kelsea Ballerini, Gloria Estefan, Little Big Town, LL Cool J, Pitbull, and Shania Twain.
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August 8: “Women on Death Row” (A&E)
Image Credit: A&E As the title suggests, this series goes deep into the cases and backgrounds of multiple women convicted of murder and awaiting the death penalty. Featuring interviews with the convicted women, witnesses, family members of victims, family members of the convicted women, attorneys, and law enforcement officials, the series also examines legal proceedings like appeals and resentencing, as well as the reality of women’s prisons.
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August 9: “Moving” (Hulu)
Image Credit: Disney This supernatural Korean drama is an adaptation of Kang Full’s webtoon, about three high school students with superpowers whose parents find out their secret. Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Zo In-sung, Cha Tae-hyun, Ryoo Seung-bum, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Jung-ha, Go Youn-jung, and Kim Do-hoon star.
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August 9: “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix In the decades that hip hop music has gone from niche to mainstream, female artists have been integral to the genre’s rise. This four-installment series spotlights prominent women in hip hop as well as journalists, stylists, and members of the music industry. Current stars reflect on their careers and influences and pay tribute to legends passed, reframing hip hop history through a female lens. “MC Lyte begat Da Brat, Nicki begat Tierra, and the women of today will shape the women of tomorrow,” the producers wrote in a Netflix statement.
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August 10: “Painkiller” (Netflix)
Image Credit: KERI ANDERSON/NETFLIX A dramatic retelling of America’s opioid crisis from the creator of “Friday Night Lights?” Consider us nervous but in. Based on the “New Yorker” article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain” by Patrick Radden Keefe, “Painkiller” spotlights the intertwined victims and perpetrators behind the rise of OxyContin. Peter Berg directs and executive produces the series created and run by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, with fellow executive producers Eric Newman and Alex Gibney. Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, and John Rothman star in the six-episodes limited series.
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August 13: “Telemarketers” (HBO)
Image Credit: HBO The Safdie brothers stamp this dark comedy docuseries about two office mates who learn the truth about their call center jobs and then decide to use it against the telemarketing industry. Dani Bernfeld, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Danny McBride, Greg Stewart, Brandon James, Adam Bhala Lough, and Sam Lipman-Stern also executive produce, with Lough and Lipman-Stern directing.
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August 16: O Escolhido (The Chosen One) (Netflix)
Image Credit: Emiliano Capozoli/Netflix When a new form of Zika virus breaks out in South America, three doctors visit the Pantanal region to treat locals, only to be shunned. Instead, the young medical professionals find themselves remote, isolated, mistrusted, and gradually realizing that there is more than meets the eye to the community they came to help — especially its mysterious leader.
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August 16: “Depp v. Heard” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix This three-part docuseries revisits Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s highly public, highly engrossing defamation case, especially the social media element that exploded over TikTok. Netflix’s media site claims the series will be the first to show both testimonies side-by-side as it dissects the nature of truth and perception.
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August 18: “Mask Girl” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Netflix This Korean drama stars Ko Hyun-jung as Kim Mo-mi, an ordinary woman working an office job but moonlighting on the internet behind a mask. Her livestreaming side gig and run-of-the-mill day job are both threatened when an unexpected incident thrusts her dangerous new territory.
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August 23: “Ahsoka” (Disney+)
Image Credit: Suzanne Tenner / Lucasfilm Ltd. Set after the events of the original “Star Wars” trilogy (but before the 21st-century sequels), Dave Filoni’s “Ahsoka” follows the Jedi who once apprenticed to Anakin Skywalker as she crosses the galaxy in search of an old friend and daunting enemy. Rosario Dawson reprises her role from “The Mandalorian,” while the rest of the cast brings beloved characters from “Star Wars: Rebels” to live-action for the first time; Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger.
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August 25: “Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn” (Apple)
Image Credit: Apple This docuseries tells the story of Michelin, Renault, and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who went from one of the world’s top executives to a notorious fugitive. The four-part series debuts all at once and will be the second documentary focused on Ghosn within a year, after Netflix’s “Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn.”
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August 31: “Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake” (Max)
Image Credit: Max Based on the world and characters of “Adventure Time,” this 10-episode series picks up with alternate universe versions of Finn and Jake: Fionna and Cake. The duo venture through the multiverse and come up against a frightening new enemy, but also cross paths with old friends that “Adventure Time” fans will delight to see again. Adam Muto, Fred Seibert, Sam Register executive produce the series, which features the voices of Madeleine Martin, Roz Ryan, Tom Kenny, Andrew Rannells, Donald Glover, Kayleigh Mckee, Sean Rohani, and more.
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August 11: “Down for Love” (Netflix)
Image Credit: TVNZ/Netflix Netflix expands its reality dating slate with this New Zealand series focused on individuals with Down Syndrome, which originally aired on TVNZ. 10 people living with Down Syndrome navigate the highs and lows of modern dating over five episodes.
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August 31: “Spellbound” (Hulu)
Image Credit: Nicolas Velter/Hulu 15-year-old Cece Parker Jones (Hailey Romain) moves to France to study at the Paris Opera Ballet School, but she’s about to have a lot more to think about than the day’s choreography. Cece uncovers a spellbook and the family secret: that she’s descended from of powerful witches, and has significant magical power herself. The discovery ends up summoning a dangerous enemy as Cece balances school, crushes, and concealing her identity from everyone around her.
