It’s the doldrums of August, but there are still quite a few good new TV shows streaming on Netflix this month that are well worth checking out. There’s a YA mystery, cheeky comedy and a shocking great drama series about the making of reality TV. Plus, AMC and Netflix are teaming up once again for the mega-streamer to host seasons of some of the network’s biggest shows, so now’s the perfect time for us to convince you why you should be watching “Interview with the Vampire.”
Check out our picks for the best new shows on Netflix in August 2024 below.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Based on the bestselling novel by Holly Jackson, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” has been lighting up Netflix’s Top 10 charts since it first debuted early in the month. The story follows a smart young girl named Pip Fitz-Amobi (played by “Wednesday” actress Emma Myers) who is dissatisfied with the police’s investigation into the murder of a schoolgirl. She decides to investigate the case herself, but is the real killer hot on her tail? This British series also stars Zain Iqbal, Anna Maxwell Martin and Gary Beadle. – Adam Chitwood
Interview With the Vampire
AMC’s luxuriant, addictive “Interview With the Vampire” adaptation pulses with lust, blood lust — and at the same time, it is every bit as pensive and philosophical as Anne Rice’s definitive vampire novels. A true adaptation, “Interview With the Vampire” pulls the very best of Rice’s characters and quandaries, faithfully brings them to life … and then reinvents them. Assertively written for the screen, with a love of the page and the stage, “Interview With the Vampire” is just gorgeous television; elegantly crafted at every stage of the creative process and breathlessly acted by a down-the-roster phenomenal cast led by Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe Du Lac and Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt.
They are a magnetic and deplorable duo, endlessly fascinating and completely absorbing. Then there’s the series brilliant reinvention of the interviewer himself, played by a wise-cracking Daniel Molloy. See, “Interview With the Vampire” gets it all right, but it will also surprise you. If you haven’t had a chance to dive in yet, you can catch the first season on Netflix right now — and after you burn through that, good news: Season 2 is already completed and every bit as excellent. You won’t find Season 2 on Netflix, but it is available to stream on AMC+. – Haleigh Foutch
The Terror
“The Terror” is the perfect series to get you ready for Spooky Season. Season 1 of this anthology series stars Jared Harris and is basically a “lost at sea” monster story that follows the crew of two ships in the mid 1800s who get stuck in ice during their crossing of the Northwest Passage. Stranded, the men are then terrorized by some kind of creature or force that begins killing them violently. Season 2, which takes place in a Japanese internment camp, is available on AMC+. – AC
A Discovery of Witches
If witches are more your speed, all three seasons of the Deborah Harkness adaptation “A Discovery of Witches” are streaming on Netflix this month. The story follows a reluctant witch (played by Teresa Palmer) who discovers and unlocks an ancient manuscript that makes her the target of any number of supernatural beings, all while she strikes up a relationship with a vampire (played by Matthew Goode). Given that witches and vampires are sworn enemies, this complicates matters, but what’s ultimately a love story twists and turns through time and space throughout its three seasons. It’s a fun one. – AC
UnREAL
One of the best shows about reality television, “UnREAL” was something of a sensation when it premiered on Lifetime in 2015. The series stars Shiri Appelby as a producer who returns to a popular reality dating show after having a breakdown. As pressure mounts, she works to manipulate the contestants to get the best TV possible. It’s a compelling inside look at how reality shows are really made, and all four seasons are on Netflix now. – AC
Preacher
“Preacher” is absolutely wild. The AMC series ran for four seasons and is based on the comic of the same name from Garth Ennis, who also created “The Boys.” In “Preacher,” Dominic Cooper plays Jesse, a preacher from Texas who discovers a new superpower: he has the voice of God and can command others to do as he pleases. The story only gets weirder from there as this violent, darkly funny show basically changes its setting every season. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg helped get the series off the ground, directing the first two episodes of the first two seasons and bringing a dusty Western vibe to the entire proceeding. – AC
Kevin Can F**k Himself
It’s safe to say there’s nothing else on television like Valerie Armstrong’s “Kevin Can F**k Himself.” When the bumbling, go-lucky Kevin (Eric Petersen) and his nag of a wife Allison (Annie Murphy) are together, it’s all bright lights and laugh tracks as the series takes on the cadence of a typical sitcom. But when Allison is alone, the truth of her lonely and loveless marriage is revealed. This AMC original expertly turns the classic sitcom on its head, repainting its hopeless sitcom husband as a manipulative monster who uses his unexpected charm to bend everyone to his will in a series that darts between slapstick comedy and bleak, gut-wrenching drama. – Kayla Cobb
