It’s safe to assume you made a lot of new friends this summer — but not like, real ones. Television ones! Summer is the perfect time to catch up on shows you might have missed during the regular TV season, or indulge in some steamy summer dramas that are bringing the heat in more ways than one. There’s a reason summer TV is often in a league of its own.
But with so many shows to watch over the summer, only one can be THE ultimate summer show. We’ve each got our own personal list of the series that completely won the summer over for us, the one that consumed the most time and is now taking up the most space in our hearts. While we’ve all got different favorites, we’ve got a list of the most tracked shows for the season, but all these are winners in their own rights.
From brand new seasons to final seasons, to even some of us that clearly rewatched a few favorites along the way, here are all the shows that completely won us over this summer.
20. Supernatural
Why it won the summer: Now at 15 seasons strong (!!) and one last season to go, there are somehow still things for Sam and Dean to defeat out there in the world. And whether it be one episode or 20, we’ll never stop loving the Winchester boys.
19. Masterchef (US)
Why it won the summer: There’s something oddly soothing about watching Gordon Ramsey yell at someone else over a botched food dish, which is why Masterchef is a great series to get lost in.
18. The Boys
Why it won the summer: These aren’t your average superheroes. They’re The Boys, and they’re here to take names, kick some butt, and make sure the real superheroes get what’s coming to them.
Why it won the summer: We’ll never have another hard-drinking and hard-punching hero like Jessica. While the third season ended on a down note (with Trish in prison), at least we know Jessica is still around to fight another day in NYC. What more could we want?
Why it won the summer: Yes, we need more zombies during the summer and Fear the Walking Dead completely fills that void.
15. Mindhunter
Why it won the summer: After two long years, Holden Ford and Co. are finally back and they’re tracking some even bigger serial killers this time. This binge might leave you sleeping with the lights on.
14. Friends
Why it won the summer: Sometimes you just want to hang out with your friends at your favorite spot. Your friends being Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, and Ross and your favorite spot being your couch.
13. Big Little Lies
Why it won the summer: Big Little Lies is the perfect summer show, with its dreamy seascapes, muted earth tones, a killer soundtrack, and HOT drama. Though it’s probably done forever now, we’ll always have Renata screaming about money.
12. Lucifer
Why it won the summer: He’s back and he’s badder than ever — which is just the way we like him. With the jump to Netflix, Lucifer is living his best life as the "Lord of Hell."
11. Grey's Anatomy
Why it won the summer: Though more often than not it’ll make you cry, Grey’s Anatomy is the perfect comfort show as we follow the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. If you think your life is sometimes falling apart, have you met Meredith?
10. The Office
Why it won the summer: Listen, re-watching The Office is never going out of style. And knowing that it’ll eventually be leaving Netflix for another streaming platform just means we have to watch more of it right now. Why wants to go to the beach when you can just watch “Dinner Party” five times in a row?
Why it won the summer: Space, time-travel, aliens, shape-shifting aliens, saving the world, The Snap, and maybe (or maybe not) dead Agent Coulson is just half of what S.H.I.E.L.D. has covered over the past six seasons. With only one more season to go before the series concludes, we’re excited to see how these agents save the world one last time.
8. The 100
Why it won the summer: The show had a pretty good summer, but know who had an even better summer? Stars Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley who got married in real life, and our hearts!
Why it won the summer: Tears were shed, both happy and sad, because we had to say goodbye to Jane and her telenovela. It was the perfect ending to a near-perfect love story.
Why it won the summer: At long last, she’s back, Marshmallows! Veronica is now older, wiser, but still as sassy as ever. Just don’t ask us to talk about how the season's end...
Why it won the summer: Will the kids at Liberty High every be able to catch a break? Probably not, and we’ll continue to be way too invested in their lives up until the very end — even without Hannah Baker hanging around.
Why it won the summer: Handmaid’s Tale is shocking, scary, and sometimes hits a little too close to home which makes it required summer viewing.
3. Big Brother
Why it won the summer: Sometimes you just need a quick escape from reality, and there’s nothing better than checking in on the Big Brother housemates. If you think you have awful roommates, think again.
Why it won the summer: After seven years in Litchfield, it’s time to say goodbye. The long-running Netflix show wrapped up just about every major storyline for each character, giving most of them some sort of happy ending, both in and out of prison. Orange forever.
Why it won the summer: Hello, it’s Stranger Things. The series overall is a force to be reckoned with, but now add in the fact that we love each and every single kid on the show, and Joyce and Hopper, and Season 3 ended on a major cliffhanger. Is Season 4 out yet??
