TV Guide: The very best summer shows to stream this weekend

Summer 2022 blessed us with some standout shows that became instant classics. From long awaited book adaptations finally gracing our screens to star-studded Netflix series that seemed to pop up overnight, there was no shortage of great shows to stream.

If you’re looking for some inspiration for what to watch this weekend, here’s a list of our favourite summer shows available to stream now.

The Sandman, Netflix

Based on the 1989-1996 DC comic series written by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman is an American fantasy show starring Tom Sturridge, Jenna Coleman and Gwendoline Christie. The story follows Morpheus (Sturridge) who, after years of imprisonment, embarks on a journey across the worlds to restore his power. During the course of his imprisonment, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever.

Conversations with Friends, Hulu

Come on, how did you miss this one? Doubtlessly one of the biggest and most talked about television shows released this summer, Conversations with Friends is the eagerly-awaited Sally Rooney adaptation that had huge shoes to fill. The story follows college students Frances and Bobbi as they find themselves unexpectedly entangled with an older married couple. The faltering dialogue of Normal People is evident, and Lenny Abrahamson’s magic touch is all over every frame.

The Great (season two), Hulu

Described as a wry, quirky take on the rise of Russia’s Catherine the Great (played by Elle Fanning), the second series of Hulu’s The Great picked up shortly after the season one finale as a pregnant Catherine gains the upper hand in her war against her husband. Peppered with hilarious dealings with advisors, fallouts with former friends and the arrival of her mother, the comedy-drama is already confirmed for a third season.

The Staircase, HBO Max

Starring Colin Firth in the role of Michael Peterson and Toni Collette as his wife Kathleen, The Staircase is a dramatised series based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s documentary that was acquired by Netflix in 2018. The story follows a man accused of killing his wife after she’s found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Throughout the course of the series, a number of different causes of death are played out on screen, and leave the viewer in a state of uncertainty.

Everything I know About Love, BBC iPlayer

If you’re a fan of Dolly Alderton, female friendship and love stories for the ages, you need to dive into Everything I Know About Love right now. Based on Alderton’s book of the same name, the BBC adaptation tracks the ups, the downs, the bad dates and heartaches of making it through your 20s (relatively) unscathed. Described as Sex and The City for millennials, what’s not to like?

Uncoupled, Netflix

In Netflix’s Uncoupled, Neil Patrick Harris takes on the role of Michael, a gay New York real estate agent whose partner of 17 years walks out on him unexpectedly. Forced to navigate heartbreak, single life, and the New York sex scene as a middle-aged man whose been out of the game for quite some time, this is one series that you could devour in one sitting, if you’re feeling up to the task.