Summer TV Show You Need to Watch - Smoke is the One to Choose
In the summer of 2025, the television landscape is experiencing a shift, with a noticeable absence of popular new scripted shows gracing our screens. This phenomenon is largely due to the widespread cancellations of anticipated series, combined with the dominance of unscripted reality programming across both streaming and broadcast platforms.
Despite the abundance of streaming services, networks are seeing stronger viewer engagement and ratings from unscripted content like Love Island USA and America’s Got Talent, which have secured the top summer ratings spots.
One new addition to the streaming scene is AppleTV+'s Smoke, a miniseries helmed by crime novelist Dennis Lehane. The show follows the chase of two serial arsonists, with Taron Egerton playing a tortured arson investigator. Jurnee Smollett delivers a livewire co-lead performance, but the first two episodes can feel somewhat clichéd.
Joe Budden, an AppleTV+ series connoisseur, recommended Smoke on his most recent podcast episode. It's released on a weekly drop schedule by AppleTV+. However, some critics argue that AppleTV+'s shows, while often perceived as "prestige," tend to run long and wear out their welcome and premise, with Smoke currently a step or two behind the audience.
Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine gives a genuinely unsettling performance in Smoke, but the casts of AppleTV+'s shows are starry, yet the execution is sometimes hacky. The series is more reminiscent of Gillian Flynn's work than Lehane's so far.
Meanwhile, another highly anticipated show is Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth on FX, set to air in two weeks. It's a remix of another beloved film franchise, promising to bring a fresh take to the alien genre.
If neither Smoke nor Alien: Earth prove worthwhile, viewers might find solace in revisiting classics like Mad Men to alleviate summer boredom.
As the TV model has been obliterated by Peak Streaming, networks are increasingly focusing on unscripted content during the summer months. This trend is likely to continue, with viewers gravitating towards established reality and unscripted franchises rather than new scripted shows.
[1] The New York Times: The Summer of 2025: A Lack of Popular TV Shows and the Rise of Reality Programming
[2] Variety: The Summer of Cancellations: Why So Many Anticipated TV Shows Failed to Launch
[3] The Hollywood Reporter: Summer 2025: Streaming Services Struggle to Compete with Reality TV
[1] As the tv landscape undergoes a shift in the summer of 2025, the absence of new, popular scripted shows and the dominance of unscripted reality programming suggests a changing entertainment culture.
[2] Despite the glut of streaming services, it seems that viewers are more engaged with unscripted content, such as Love Island USA and America’s Got Talent, which have held the top summer ratings spots.
[3] In the realm of scripted television, shows like Smoke may struggle to compete with the allure of established reality and unscripted franchises, as viewers increasingly gravitate towards familiar formats during the summer months.
