The Best New TV Shows of August 2025

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In the past, television shows, psychotherapists, and European populations have all been known for taking extended vacations during August. However, this year, contrary to that reputation, TV has been working tirelessly to produce fresh content throughout the month. Among the many offerings are a highly-anticipated remake of a well-known horror series, a couple of new animated programs, and two documentaries that provide insightful perspectives on their respective subjects.

Alien: Earth (FX)

FX’s exceptional “Alien: Earth” – a prequel to Ridley Scott’s film and the first live-action “Alien” series – is an impressive accomplishment, but not entirely unexpected. With acclaimed adaptations of Coen brothers’ “Fargo” and Marvel’s “Legion” on his resume, creator Noah Hawley has earned a reputation for breathing new life into challenging intellectual properties, using deep understanding to make stories from the past resonate with today’s audience. In this case, themes like artificial intelligence and corporate greed offer plenty of material for thought-provoking sci-fi horror that mirrors the concerns of 2025 society. [Read the full review here.]

Long Story Short (Netflix)

In the Netflix series titled “Long Story Short“, the creator of BoJack Horseman, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, bends time through animation’s flexibility, visiting a unique Jewish family multiple times from the 1990s to 2022 (and also in 1959). Humorous, quirky, philosophical, and heartwarming, albeit at times more emotionally charged than some BoJack fans might prefer, it weaves together generational tales of love and resentment to form a complex network of characters and connections. [Read the complete review here.]

Magic City: An American Fantasy (Starz)

Fans of the provocative, dramatic, and thought-provoking Starz series “P-Valley“, set in a beleaguered strip club in Mississippi’s Delta region, have been eagerly anticipating its third season for over three years now. To keep our excitement fueled, the network has introduced a captivating documentary series instead, centered on an actual Southern strip club – Atlanta’s famous Magic City. This TV-MA rated series boasts executive producers including Drake, Future, and Jermaine Dupri, with interviews from celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and Nelly. “Magic City: An American Fantasy ” is a high-profile salute to an enduringly popular venue.

The show is not just ordinary; it presents a complex depiction of an extraordinary institution that holds significant influence within Black culture. Creator Cole Brown and director Charles Todd intertwine the life story of the club’s visionary owner, Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, with the rise of prosperity among Black communities in Atlanta, the attraction of popular musicians to Magic City as Southern hip-hop grew, and the emergence of stripper aesthetics alongside third-wave feminism. What truly sets this series apart is its focus on the perspectives of past and present dancers, highlighting their autonomy, creativity, and the demanding nature of their profession while acknowledging both its allures and potential hazards within this exclusive realm of high-end sex work.

Women Wearing Shoulder Pads (Adult Swim)

In simple terms, the past month has been quite entertaining for adult animation. Among Hulu’s excellent revival of “King of the Hill,” and another series, the standout is “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,” created by Gonzalo Cordova and animation studio Cinema Fantasma. This short-form, stop-motion, Spanish-language show is set in 1980s Ecuador and has a campy feel like a telenovela. All characters are women, and the tone is often playfully queer. The shoulder pads are quite stylish, as is the rest of the vibrant, textured production design. The plot revolves around guinea pigs, or “cuyes,” specifically whether they should be sold as food or kept as pets. There’s also a character who battles giant “cuyes” like a matador. This show might not appeal to everyone, but if the concept sparks your curiosity, you may find it as entertaining as I did.

The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO)

In the HBO docuseries, The Yogurt Shop Murders, Sonora Thomas muses that the key story isn’t about identifying the culprit (whodunit), but rather conveying the profound and lasting impact these nightmares from true crime have had on numerous lives for generations. She emphasizes that this is not something easily moved past or recovered from, as it’s a tale of far greater importance. As a therapist and the younger sister of Eliza Thomas, a 17-year-old victim killed along with three friends in 1991, she has unique insight into this heartrending reality.

In simple terms, the director of the moving four-part documentary, Margaret Brown, deeply considered the subjects’ experiences. The cold case of a quadruple homicide at an Austin, Texas yogurt store remains unsolved despite earlier convictions that were later overturned. Instead of focusing on resolving the case entirely, Brown revisits decades of unsuccessful investigations to highlight the numerous people who suffered as a result, including the families of the victims, who are portrayed with sensitivity and detail; the detectives, who were under immense pressure leading some to develop PTSD; and the ordinary townspeople who often become suspects or targets of conspiracy theories when investigations stretch on for too long. Unlike many books about true crime, The Yogurt Shop Murders also shows how sharing such painful stories can lead to healing.

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2025-08-30 14:06