Now that we’re in the early days of the Summer TV season, it’s slightly easier to forget about the May cancellation bloodbath that left so many shows without a future. (Though Magnum P.I. fans are doing their damnedest to bring the show back after its demise at CBS.) And while there have been a handful of other cancellations in the interim, audiences definitely have something to be excited about even before June hits its midway point. A variety of top-notch series across both linear TV and streaming have been renewed by their respective platforms, including Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO and more.
Let’s take a closer look at 8 of the biggest TV renewals that have been officially confirmed so far in June, starting with Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi’s beard-heavy streaming comedy.
Our Flag Means Death Season 2
Historical fiction tends to fall more on the drama side of the spectrum than other genres, but People of Earth creator David Jenkins brought a slew of laughs and romantic emotions to the world of pirates with his HBO Max original Our Flag Means Death. With a cast headed by Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi and more hilarious actors, the swashbuckling streamer also boasts some excellent guest stars, including Leslie Jones, Will Arnett and Nick Kroll. Critics were kind to Our Flag Means Death, which has garnered praise for its LGBTQ+ elements, and HBO Max must have been impressed with the viewership turnout, as it officially renewed the show for Season 2 on June 1. Fans can presumably expect it to debut in 2023.
A Black Lady Sketch Show Season 4
Anchored by the brilliant verbal and physical comedy of its creator Robin Thede, HBO’s gut-busting A Black Lady Sketch Show could air a new episode every week of the year and never outstay its satirical welcome. Season 3, which featured a cameo return from Season 1 star and Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson, seemed to conclude the sketch comedy’s overarching narrative centering on stars Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, Skye Townsend, and Ashley Nicole Black. Whether that’s what actually happened or not, HBO apparently wasn’t eager to join in on the concluding, as the network renewed A Black Lady Sketch Show for Season 4 on June 2. Seeing as how Season 3 just wrapped on May 13, we’ll definitely be waiting close to another year before new episodes arrive.
What We Do In The Shadows Seasons 5 & 6
The second Taika Waititi-related series to hit this list, FX’s horror-tinged comedy What We Do in the Shadows has delivered all manner of hilarious vampiric lore to viewers across its first three seasons. (Thanks in part to some of the most unpredictable guest stars on TV.) The cable network proved that it loves the show — plus stars Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch — as much as fans do by officially announcing a two-season renewal on June 6, more than a month ahead of Season 4, debut. As such, fans can now look forward to both Season 5 and Season 6 sinking their teeth into our necks in the near-to-distant future.
Masters Of The Universe: Revolution Follow-Up
On top of its other fare tied to He-Man and She-Ra, Netflix delivered Kevin Smith’s anime-inspired series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, which was received quite favorably by both critics and viewers. (And with Mark Hamill lending his vocal talents as the show’s Skeletor, it’s probably no surprise.) Despite some complaints about the show’s tone and handling of its characters, this latest chapter in the MOTU franchise clearly drew enough Netflix subscribers for the service to officially announce a new season in the form of the sequel series Masters of the Universe: Revolution during its Geeked Week promotion.
American Rust Revived For Season 2
Based on the Philipp Meyer novel of the same name, American Rust debuted on Showtime in September 2021, bolstered by a talented cast led by Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney. Unlike most other shows on this list, however, the Rust Belt-set crime drama fare very well with critics upon its release. Plus, its nightly airings on Showtime failed to bring in more than 400,000 viewers for any of its nine episodes, with the premium cable channel eventually cancelling American Rust in January 2022. That cancellation wasn’t permanent, clearly, as it was picked up for a second season by Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) on June 9, as it continues building up its list of original projects.
The Boys Season 4
Currently in the midst of its third season, which has now fully brought Supernatural vet Jensen Ackles into the chaos, The Boys has been one of Amazon Studios’ most attention-worthy hits, thanks in part to its bloody superhero mayhem, and also for its effort to be the most extreme TV show out there. (That Termite scene, amirite?) With lots of comic book source material still left to pull from for showrunner Eric Kripke & Co., the darkly comedic Prime Video series was officially renewed for Season 4 on June 10. Given how effects-heavy the show is, it’s hard to tell when the next batch of episodes will arrive, nor when the upcoming spinoff series will debut.
Schmigadoon! Season 2
TV musicals are usually limited to one-off specials as opposed to episodic series, but recent years have seen such norms changing. Apple TV+ delivered a sub-genre winner with the surreal romance-focused comedy Schmigadoon!, with Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong leading a stellar cast through its love letter to 1940s musicals. Thankfully, the streaming service went public on June 10 with news that Schmigadoon! will return for a second season that will spoof musical projects from the ‘60s and ‘70s as the couple visits “Schmicago.” Fans don’t even have to wait to hear about new cast members, which will now include Titus Burgess and Patrick Page as series regulars. The majority of Season 1’s co-stars, including Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming, will also return.
Squid Game Season 2
The world was a different place during the first half of September 2021, before Hwang Dong-hyuk’s horror-fueled thriller Squid Game became arguably the biggest TV show of the streaming era. With billions upon billions of minutes viewed by millions of fans around the globe, Squid Game is inarguably one of Netflix’s marquee series, so the lack of renewal news that followed its worldwide success was quite surprising to say the least. Especially since early development on future episodes was teased by the studio and the show’s creator, all while the show became one of the streaming service’s most merch-friendly originals. But there’s no need for waiting anymore, as the series was officially renewed on June 12 for Season 2, which will introduce Young-hee’s boyfriend Cheol-su.
With any luck, even more celebration-worthy series renewals are on the way, but you can head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows will be arriving on the small screen soon.
