5 of the most unmissable TV shows coming this July that’ll hook you straight away

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this excited about my next binge-watch.

After the horrendous heatwave made my flat feel like an oven, I’m relishing being able to cosy up in front of my TV without feeling as though I’m melting into my sofa (until the temperatures rise again). So what’s in store for July?

Hannah Waddingham is flexing her muscles as an assassin, giving me all of the gym motivation I need. She was made to be an action star, and her new series Ride or Die proves it.

Netflix is on the verge of releasing the Heartstopper finale as a feature-length film. I’m already preparing for Nick and Charlie to shatter my heart into a million pieces.

As if studying Latin at school didn’t already instil a fascination with Pompeii, Tom Hiddleston is delving into the eruption of Vesuvius, taking us on an enthralling trip through history. (Although honestly, I’d tune in to him simply reading the phone book from start to finish).

Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr gives her top 5 picks for TV series to binge this month. Which takes your fancy?

Who needs Bond when you have Hannah Waddingham?

The minute that I saw that Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer were starring in a TV show together, I was sold. These two have such phenomenal screen presence, that was all I needed to know to be invested.

But then, once I learnt the premise of Prime Video’s new high-octane TV series Ride or Die, it got even better.

Judith (Hannah) and Debbie (Octavia) have been best friends for 20 years, cackling whenever they’re together, sipping wine at book club, and digging through antique sales for rare vintage finds.

What Debbie doesn’t know is that Judith is an assassin and has been for 30 years, reporting to the boss of her agency, The Director (played by the incomparable Bill Nighy).

Ride or Die sounds like it’s going to be gripping and hilarious in equal measure, thanks to these talented women. It’s giving Thelma and Louise vibes, and I’m more convinced than ever that Hannah could take 007 in a fight.

Ride or Die premieres on Wednesday July 15 on Prime Video.

Nick and Charlie – please don’t break our hearts

Heartstopper won over our hearts when it premiered in 2022, adapted from Alice Oseman’s webcomic and graphic novel series of the same name. It was sweet and heartbreaking, capturing the innocence of young love in such a beautiful way.

At the start, Charlie (Joe Locke) developed a crush on Nick (Kit Connor), which he thought was unrequited, as he assumed that his classmate was straight. 

What followed was two teenage boys sharing their feelings for each other, while learning more about themselves as they evolved with their friends and went through relatable rites of passage.

Heartstopper is lightning in a bottle, and the whole fandom – myself included – is going to be gutted when it’s over. The finale is arriving soon as a feature-length film and is going to follow the characters as they experience major changes that’ll rattle their lives. 

I already know that I’m going to be a sobbing mess.

The Heartstopper finale premieres on Friday July 17 on Netflix.

What TV show are you most excited for this July? Have your say!Comment Now

Tom Hiddleston side-quests to find Pompeii survivors

Pompeii has always been a source of fascination for me. My best friend and I were so invested when we learnt about Caecilius in school, a man who perished in the eruption of Vesuvius (according to our Latin textbook).

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Tom Hiddleston – acclaimed actor, Night Manager and God of Mischief –has now taken it upon himself to look deeper into the devastation of the Roman city to see if he can learn about the stories of people who survived.

What makes this merging of worlds even more interesting is that in his show Loki, the character time-travels to the moment of the eruption.

This new docu-series, which includes dramatised depictions of people in Pompei, is produced by one of the creative minds behind the Marvel series. 

A collision of worlds I never expected, but welcome gladly.

Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres on Thursday July 23 on Disney Plus.

Elle Woods: The Origin Story

25 years after Legally Blonde was released, Elle Woods is back in her very own Amazon Prime series, revealing how her formative high school years shaped her identity before she conquered Harvard Law School.

In 2001, Elle taught us many valuable life lessons: how important it is to stay true to yourself. To rise above the condescension when others underestimate you. To trust your gut. To lift others, even if haters are trying to bring you down. And to never hold back from dreaming big.

This time, executive producer Reese Witherspoon has passed the mantle onto lead star Lexi Minetree, who filmed her own version of Elle’s Harvard admission video to convince the show’s bosses that she was born to step into those sparkling shoes.

In the eight-part series, 16-year-old Elle is a fish out of water when she’s forced to move with her parents out of their plush Bel-Air mansion to Seattle, where her classmates turn their noses up at her chirpy attitude and overly pink wardrobe.

We already know she’s going to end up being ok, but it’ll be intriguing to see how she overcomes these newfound obstacles.

Elle is available to stream on Prime Video.

Anya Taylor-Joy as a con artist? Count us in

Anya Taylor-Joy has always been a one-of-a-kind, chameleon of an actor. From Peaky Blinders to The Queen’s Gambit, The Menu, Mad Max: Fury Road, and her upcoming role in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, she’s one of the most exciting performers to watch on screen today.

Enter: Lucky, the Apple TV thriller in which she plays a con artist who’s forced to return to her scheming roots when a heist goes haywire.

Playing Luciana ‘Lucky’ Armstrong alongside co-stars including Annette Bening and Timothy Olyphant, the trailer has had almost six million views on YouTube since it was released a month ago.

‘I’ll watch anything from Anya Taylor-Joy,’ one fan called Orbmaxi commented underneath, while another called CNMBTLJN wrote: ‘Apple TV just doesn’t stop delivering. I’m so far behind I’m about to take vacation time and just stay home to binge.’

They’re right. Apple TV has been on a roll lately, with recent critically acclaimed hits including Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.

Let’s hope Lucky continues to raise the bar.

Lucky premieres on Wednesday July 15 on Apple TV.

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