in Amazon's The Boys, Karl Urban plays Billy Butcher, the leader of a vigilante group whose mission is to hold the "supes" accountable. Photo / Supplied
in Amazon's The Boys, Karl Urban plays Billy Butcher, the leader of a vigilante group whose mission is to hold the "supes" accountable. Photo / Supplied
OPINION:
Picking a new show to watch can be a daunting process for even the biggest television aficionado.
Some of the best ones are already six seasons in and who has that kind of time? Where do you start? And like any good relationship, will the commitment be fruitful?
This year has been jam-packed with TV shows new and old, and the upcoming months will see even more fan favourites returning to our screens.
But with so many streaming services all clamouring for our attention, it's become harder than ever to decide which shows to jump aboard.
Whether you're looking to finally catch up on those titles your friends have been raving about, or are just wanting something fresh and different, here are five soon-to-return shows that will reward you with guaranteed entertainment bliss.
Stranger Things
Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobbie Brown and Noah Schnapp in season four of Stranger Things. The show is currently on a month-long hiatus before it airs the final two episodes. Photo / Netflix
The newest season of Stranger Things seems to be all anyone is talking about these last few weeks, and the fan discourse has only been amplified by Netflix's decision to split the season in half.
Netflix shows traditionally drop all at once but, by delaying the final two episodes, they've given fans 30-days to theorise and anticipate the incoming finale. It also gives viewers who may not have the time to binge an entire season of television within 24 hours the chance to catch up and join the fun.
Fittingly, this season is the best yet, balancing a massive cast with all the engaging mysteries viewers have come to expect.
Stranger Things returns to Netflix on July 1.
Better Call Saul
From its very first episode, Better Call Saul has had complete mastery over nearly everything it set out to achieve.
The slow pace initially frustrated Breaking Bad fans expecting drug deals and gun fights but BCS was never trying to replicate the intensity of its predecessor.
The descent of Jimmy McGill into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman is an even more complex - and sympathetic – arc than Walter White's and is made all the more compelling by his pairing with the equally complicated Kim Wexler.
Now in its final season, all the deliberate character-building has fully paid off and the writers have been able to deliver scene after scene of astonishing drama.
The season is currently on a month-long break, which makes now the perfect time to combine both shows and immerse yourself in it.
Better Call Saul returns to Neon on July 11.
The Crown
Gillian Anderson as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - one of Queen Elizabeth's two rivals for centre stage in the 1980s. Photo / Des Willie / Netflix
The Crown has a reputation as one of Netflix's most consistent originals.
Each season chronicles a different tumultuous period in the life of Queen Elizabeth II, with the latest season expected to cover the 1990s and most notably, the death of Princess Diana.
While some have criticised the series for deviating from history, the series has never claimed to be anything more than a historical drama. It features all the elaborate sets, luscious costuming and political backstabbing viewers expect from the genre.
There's never been a better time to catch yourself up on all the complex interworkings of Her Majesty's 70-year reign.
The Crown returns to Netflix in November.
The Boys
While hyper-violent superhero satires are all the rage nowadays, when the Boys premiered it was seen as something genuinely fresh.
Season two was where the show really took off and saw the writers doubling down on their critiques of capitalistic corporations, media manipulation and the corruption absolute power results in.
The gross-out humour and excessive violence were still there but it was finally entrenched in a strong foundation, and the cast – led by kiwis Anthony Starr and Karl Urban – fully came into their own.
Push past the slightly juvenile first season and you'll stumble upon one of the best pieces of superhero fiction currently airing.
The Boys' newest season is currently airing on Amazon Prime.
What We Do in the Shadows
Oftentimes, the longer we get into a sitcom's run the increasingly lazy the writers get.
WWDITS appears to have the opposite problem - it's bursting at the seams with creative plotlines and seemingly won't let even a single season go by without blowing up the status quo a few times.
The show brilliantly builds upon the groundwork of the original film, introducing underground vampiric societies and centuries of well-thought-out mythology - all brought to life by one of television's funniest casts.
