We're half-way through the year, but that never stopped the TV networks (or streaming giants) from churning out quality shows for us to binge. From compelling documentary series, revamped versions of classic favorites, or the continued off-the-wall brilliance of Donald Glover's creative reign, this year's television offerings prove that it'll take a lot of work to clear our DVRs—and our streaming queues.
1. ATLANTA
After earning two Golden Globes and two Emmys for its first season, Donald Glover had both credibility and a lot to live up to going into the second season of Atlanta. Yet, if anything, that critical acclaim gave Glover even more freedom to create. The groundwork he laid in Season One was only a foundation to the boundaries he was willing to push. From a 45-minute horror short inspired by Michael Jackson with Glover in whiteface, to a reinvention of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” to an absolutely spot-on critique of the lame white millennial, Glover’s Atlanta continues to start conversations around race, identity, poverty, and popular culture in ways that have never been done before. —Matt Miller
2. GLOW
The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are back for the second season of Netflix's pitch-perfect comedy series. On this second bout, the stellar ensemble cast shines as the individual women see their stories develop. But that doesn't mean co-leads Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin don't slip into the shadows, which their ongoing relationship getting fresh complications. Most brilliantly, the series handles the #MeToo movement with a sense of urgency that doesn't feel forced (or, because of its '80s setting, out of place). And at ten 30-minute episodes, GLOW is refreshing in our current heavy and overwrought TV climate—proving that it's able to cover wide ground in brilliantly tight stories. —Tyler Coates
3. THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
The first season of American Crime Story set an impossibly high bar for later editions of Ryan Murphy’s latest anthology series. While The Assassination of Gianni Versace seemed like the perfect follow up to The People v. O.J. Simpson, the former never quite lived up the hype of the latter. That is essentially a shame—and perhaps its misleading title is to blame. While the 1997 murder of the Italian fashion designer does kick off the season, it’s hardly its focus; instead, serial killer Andrew Cunanan is the leading player as the show follows him on his three-month murder spree across the United States. Darren Criss delivers a phenomenally unhinged performance as Cunanan, bringing humanity to the sociopathic character who left behind little explanation of his motives. —Tyler Coates
4. KILLING EVE
“You should never tell a psychopath that you’re a psychopath. It upsets them,” says the psychopathic half of BBC America’s new anti-buddy-cop drama. The eight-episode first season, which kicked off in early April, follows MI5 agent Eve (Sandra Oh) and psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) in a cat and mouse game across the world. With neither women having much they’re worried about losing, they become obsessed with each other, resulting in deadpan (and sometimes disturbing) comic moments that wrangles you in. Showing so much promise that it’s already been renewed for a second season, Killing Eve is worth it just to watch Oh and Comer bat back and forth at each other—and, of course, to see if they’re able to survive it.—Justin Kirkland
5. POSE
Ryan Murphy's latest—co-created with his writing/producing partner Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals—is a major departure from the brutal visions of American Horror Story and American Crime Story. Set in New York City in 1987, Pose follows the world of the Harlem ball scene (as seen in the seminal doc Paris Is Burning), seen through the eyes of the members of House Evangelista. MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, and Indya Moore lead an astonishing ensemble cast that roam through the various social circles and hierarchies at the height of the AIDS epidemic, Reaganomics, and the rise of Trumpian social politics. Unlike any other show or film about the subject, Pose boasts the largest transgender cast ever assembled and offers a compelling look at gender identity with stories told by trans artists. —Tyler Coates
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