What are the biggest TV shows and web series in July 2023? The second chapter of The Lincoln Lawyer leads the pack of new releases this month, alongside Good Omens season 2, which reunites the biblical duo of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. The former sees the iconic defence attorney Mickey Haller cruising around town, taking on a new diabolical murder case. It premieres July 6 on Netflix. Meanwhile, Good Omens brings a naked visitor, an archangel, into the story, stirring new trouble for our eccentric duo. This new arc is entirely based on some of Neil Gaiman’s plot ideas that never came to full fruition — so it’s basically never-seen-before material. Good Omens season 2 drops July 28 on Amazon Prime Video.
Bollywood legend Kajol fires things up on the local end, as a firm litigator returning from a 13-year-long hiatus to save her family in a time of peril. Suparn Verma (The Family Man) directs this Hindi adaptation of the Julianna Margulies-led The Good Wife. The Trial – Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha is up for streaming July 14 on Disney+ Hotstar. Amazon Prime Video has got a horror series lined up for us — a story of revenge and guilt that unfurls through two timelines set in 2022 and 2007 when a group of adults come together for a school reunion. Described as a supernatural horror, Adhura is out July 7.
It’s also worth mentioning that The Witcher season 3, which had been divided into two volumes, will resume its remaining three-episode run on July 27, denoting the last time you’ll see Henry Cavill in the role of the monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. In season 4 and beyond, The Hunger Games fame Liam Hemsworth takes his place. July also brings back Detective Danner to solve a new murder mystery in The Afterparty season 2. You can read more about all these TV shows and more below — and feel free to discover the complete list of upcoming web series at our entertainment hub. Regardless, this month is quite dry in terms of original releases from outside India, continuing the impending content drought we felt from when HBO’s Succession and Barry ended.
Barbie to Oppenheimer, the Biggest Movies Releasing in July
With that, here’s our TV guide to July 2023, covering releases on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, and Zee5.
The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2
When: July 6
Where: Netflix
Los Angeles’ most in-demand defence attorney Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is back for another wild ride in the second chapter of The Lincoln Lawyer. What separates him from other lawyers is that he does not operate from an office, and rather prefers driving around in his blue 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible, seamlessly handling his business from within. Season 2 draws from the fourth book in Michael Connelly’s book series, ‘The Fifth Witness,’ wherein Haller takes on a new murder case, representing Lisa Trammel, who is suspected of murdering the wealthy Mitchell Bondurant.
However, when the victim is found to have ties to organised crime and with some forensic evidence in favour of his client, Haller concentrates on establishing other suspects — long-standing enemies and such. To make things worse, Haller has started getting a little egotistical, thanks to the celebrity status he’s attained in the public eye — which seeps into his interpersonal relationships, as he keeps getting together with his ex-wives, criminal prosecutor Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell) and his legal aide Lorna Crane (Becki Newton). David E. Kelley reprises his role as the executive producer on The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, overseeing all writing duties.
The 10-episode-long The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 has been divided into two parts, with the first volume releasing July 6 on Netflix. The remaining episodes will drop on August 3.
Sweet Kaaram Coffee
When: July 6
Where: Amazon Prime Video
Reshma Ghatala, best known for co-writing Modern Love Chennai, is helming another Tamil-language drama series called Sweet Kaaram Coffee, which explores three women from different generations — all living under the same roof — liberating themselves from societal norms and rekindling their love for life and the scent of self-discovery. Lakshmi, Madhoo (Thalaivi), and Santhi Balachandran (Jalikattu) play the leading women who put themselves before others for once, which helps them realise their worth. Bejoy Nambiar (The Fame Game) directs some of the episodes, alongside Krishna Marimuthu and Swathi Raghuraaman.
All six episodes of Sweet Kaaram Coffee release July 6 on Amazon Prime Video.
Adhura
When: July 7
Where: Amazon Prime Video
In 2007, at a prestigious boarding school in Ooty, a group of bullies trapped a young Vedant (Shrenik Arora) inside a school locker, leaving him helpless for the entire night, until he got possessed by a vengeful wandering spirit. Fast forward to 2022, and it appears as though some of those bullies are back on campus for a nostalgic reunion, unbeknownst to the fact that the kid had been lurking about in the corridors since, waiting for sweet revenge. When their bodies start piling up mysteriously, a detective (Rahul Dev) is called to the scene, who prevents anyone from leaving the school, unknowingly trapping them all within the spirit’s reach.
The possessed body of Vedant does receive some support from two adults, played by Ishwak Singh (Rocket Boys) and Rasika Dugal (Mirzapur), who sympathise with him for being a quiet kid, presumably not knowing that he’s been causing physical disturbances within the walls — some of which are aimed towards them as well. Were they somehow involved in his bullying as well? That’s an answer that unfolds through two timelines in Adhura, as everyone in the school starts to die in the most heinous ways imaginable — contorting bodies, suicides, drowning, engulfing flames, and more. The series is co-directed by Ananya Banerjee and Gauravv K Chawla (Baazaar).
All seven episodes of Adhura will be available to stream July 7 on Amazon Prime Video.
The Horror of Dolores Roach
When: July 7
Where: Amazon Prime Video
Drawing from the scripted Spotify podcast of the same name, The Horror of Dolores Roach follows the titular ex-convict (Justina Machado), who finally returns home from 16 years in prison for illegal pot possession. But her old neighbourhood has changed and she’s unable to land a gig because of her history with the law and practically non-existent job prospects — that is until she reunites with an old buddy of hers, Luis Batista (Alejandro Hernandez), who runs a failing empanada shop. It seems as though Dolores has learnt some new tricks in jail, specifically the art of being a masseuse, and gets offered to run a parlour in the shop’s basement.
But when the landlord (Marc Maron) discovers the illegal business, Dolores’ newfound stability starts to crumble, with her being forced to massage his back — presumably to stay quiet — only to get sexually harassed in return. In shock, she murders him with her bare hands, drastically turning her life around, as she cannot afford to be locked up again. With some moral support from Luis, the pair chop up the body, repurpose it as meat for their empanadas, and watch in horror as the locals devour them. Mark Aaron, who directed the original fictional podcast, oversees the cannibalistic series and has also written the pilot.
All eight episodes of The Horror of Dolores Roach are out July 7 on Amazon Prime Video.
The Afterparty Season 2
When: July 12
Where: Apple TV+
Tiffany Haddish’s eccentric Detective Danner is summoned once more to solve a murder mystery — this time, at a wedding party, where the bridegroom Edgar (Zach Woods) was found motionless. Every guest is a suspect and they each have selfish motives to do so — Travis (Paul Walter Hauser), the bride’s ex-boyfriend has been trying to win her back, while Ulysses (John Cho) the fun-loving uncle loves to meander when giving his testimony — essentially, wasting time. To his credit, he’s asked to describe the events leading up to the murder as ‘mind movies’, and he takes the opportunity to over-dramatise it.
Writer Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) has depicted each suspect’s account through the lens of popular film genres and visuals to match the era. Joining Danner on the investigation are returning characters Aniq Adjaye (Sam Richardson) and Zoë Zhu (Zoë Chao), as they question family members, star-crossed lovers, and business partners. The Afterparty season 2 also stars Poppy Liu (Dead Ringers) as Zoë’s sister and the wedding bride, Ken Jeong (The Hangover), Elizabeth Perkins (Barry), and Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise).
The first two episodes of The Afterparty season 2 are out July 12 on Apple TV+, after which it will follow a weekly schedule until September 6.
The Trial
When: July 14
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
Noyonika’s (Kajol) unfaithful and corrupt husband (Jisshu Sengupta), a judge, is exposed and arrested for accepting sexual favours as bribes to change verdicts. With all of his assets frozen, it is now up to his heartbroken wife to become the sole breadwinner of the family — returning to her job as a litigator 13 years since retirement — and raise her two children, amidst scrutiny from the general public and her co-workers. If the premise sounds quite similar to CBS’ The Good Wife to you, that’s because The Trial – Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha is indeed an Indian adaptation of it, placing her back on the force as a junior lawyer envied by many of her colleagues.
She’s not alone in this fight though — joined by a junior lawyer Shiraj Paswan (Gaurav Pandey) and Sana (Kubbra Sait), a consultant with the firm. Adding fuel to the office drama is Noyonika’s close engagements with her former co-worker, now turned boss (Alyy Khan), who is suspected of hiring her for personal reasons rather than professional. Things still sail smoothly until she’s asked to defend her own husband in a courtroom battle, forming yet another conflict as she’s unable to decide whom to trust — the evidence, or someone she’s lived with for so long. The Trial marks Kajol’s debut in a web series, and is helmed by Suparn S. Varma, best known for directing The Family Man.
All episodes of The Trial will be up for streaming July 14 on Disney+ Hotstar.
Foundation Season 2
When: July 14
Where: Apple TV+
Following the slow burn that was the debut chapter, Foundation season 2 is hit with a massive time skip, jumping a century into the future. When Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) predicted the imminent collapse of the Empire, leading his devout followers on an interstellar journey to establish the Foundation and rebuild civilisation, the Cleon lineage — genetic clones — gets furious out of fear of eradication. Amidst that conflict, a vengeful queen plots to destroy the empire from within, while our heroes uncover a colony of Mentalics, adept at using psionic abilities.
Meanwhile, the Foundation has established a church-like status, spreading Seldon’s faith and teachings across the galaxy, which kickstarts the Second Crisis — an enthralling large-scale war with Empire. Lee Pace reprises his role as Brother Day, reigning as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire. Other returning cast members include Lou Llobell as Hari’s protégée Gaal Dornick, and Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin, the Terminus’ Warden. David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) resumes his showrunner status, overseeing and contributing to most of the writing in Foundation season 2.
Foundation season 2 premieres July 14 on Apple TV+, after which it will follow a weekly release schedule — dropping every Friday — until September 15.
Maya Bazaar for Sale
When: July 14
Where: Zee5
This Telugu-language sitcom chronicles the lives of a group of wealthy families, who move into premium villas in a gated community called ‘Maya Bazaar,’ hoping to live a luxurious and peaceful life. Those dreams are instantly shattered when the government declares the construction illegal, causing the community to get together and fight back, stalling for time when talking to the authorities and creating confusion when providing their details. Adding to the drama is an ongoing political campaign, some young romance, and an aimless, wandering cow that refuses to eat.
All seven episodes of Maza Bazaar for Sale are out July 14 on Zee5.
Good Omens Season 2
When: July 28
Where: Amazon Prime Video
After having saved the world from an oncoming doomsday, our favourite duo angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) return in this fresh tale from renowned author Neil Gaiman, which does not have a reference point. Unlike the initial arc which was adopted entirely from his novel, Good Omens season 2 uses unrealised plot ideas that Gaiman co-concocted with author Terry Pratchett back in the day. In it, the naked archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) with no recollection of his identity shows up at the renegade angel’s doorstep, complicating our duo’s lives, as both Heaven and Hell grow desperate to find the runaway. There also seems to be some romance brewing between Aziraphale and a human police officer, which spells more trouble.
The new season invites multiple new characters into the fold, albeit they’re played by returning actors: Miranda Richardson as demon Shax, and Maggie Service and Nina Sosanya appearing as neighbouring business owners. Additionally, we’ve got Derek Jacobi (Gladiator) as the Voice of God, Niamh Walsh (The Sandman) as the Nazi agent Greta Kleinschmidt, and Reece Shearsmith (Foundation) as the English playwright William Shakespeare. Gaiman returns as co-showrunner and co-writer on the concise six-episode series, with Douglas Mackinnon also returning to direct them.
All six episodes of Good Omens season 2 will be available to stream July 28 on Amazon Prime Video.