Turn up the heat on your summer TV faves! Summer may be fun, but it’s not always light and breezy. The Watch With Us team is recommending three drama series full of shocking twists and emotional upheaval that still capture the spirit of the warmer months.
With hit shows available on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Hulu, there’s something for everybody in this list of summer drama shows.
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ (2022-Present)
16-year-old Isabella “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) has always spent the summers in Cousins Beach with her mother Laurel (Jackie Chung) and brother Steven (Sean Kaufman). They stay at a beach house belonging to Laurel’s best friend Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard), who has two sons: Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
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But this summer, something feels different. While Belly finds herself in a love triangle between the two Fisher brothers, Laurel and Susannah deal with their own personal demons. Hard truths come out and lives are forever changed in this summer romantic drama.
Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video.
‘The White Lotus’ (2021-Present)
Warm weather causes blood to boil on this HBO anthology drama series. Each season takes place at a luxury White Lotus resort in a different country with a different cast of characters. So far, creator Mike White has taken us to Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand — all of which are captured beautifully in this stunningly filmed show.
If you’re craving a summer vacation from the comfort of your couch, you might want to check into The White Lotus — but be warned, the hijinks of the wealthy visitors to these fine establishments have led to deadly results in the past.
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The series mixes comedy and tragedy, creating fascinating character studies of people who feel real and layered. The list of stars included in the three seasons of this series is long, but notable actors have included Aubrey Plaza, Sam Rockwell and Jennifer Coolidge.
Watch The White Lotus on HBO Max.
‘Revenge’ (2011-2015)
New York’s wealthy elite typically spend their summers in the Hamptons. That’s where Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) is headed in Revenge, an ABC thriller series inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo. The sexy, soapy drama that follows Emily as she attempts to take down the people who framed her father for a crime he didn’t commit, leading to his imprisonment and eventual death.
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Emily’s number one target is Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), the wealthy and manipulative matriarch of the influential Grayson family. While Emily hides her identity from Victoria, the latter knows not to trust her, and the rivalry between the two women forms the thrilling core of this dramatic show.
Watch Revenge on Hulu.
