“Orange Is The New Black”
Synopsis: Convicted of a decade old crime of transporting drug money to an ex-girlfriend, normally law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to a year and a half behind bars to face the reality of how life-changing prison can really be.
What You Need To Know: The first season (two seasons maybe) of “Orange is the New Black” are some of the greatest seasons of television in the last decade, furiously laying out a landscape for stories not often told with this level of specificity. The supporting cast offered some of the best performances on television at the time and the story was gripping, one of the best utilizations of the Netflix “binge” format as once you started, it was impossible to stop. Since then stories have gotten sillier, more contrived or, in some cases, seemingly needlessly devastating, but even going into its sixth season it remains one of the most strictly entertaining shows currently airing.
Release Date: July 27 on Netflix
“Casual”
Synopsis: A bachelor brother and his newly divorced sister are living under one roof again. Together, they coach each other through the crazy world of dating while raising her teenage daughter.
What You Need To Know: In the time of shows such as “Bojack Horseman,” “You’re the Worst” and “Catastrophe,” Hulu’s “Casual” should have been easy company in the “sad comedy” genre. However, it never quite hit the ground running like it’s contemporaries or built similar fan followings, but it’s quietly been one of the most intriguing character studies for the past two seasons. What makes it so interesting is how it allows the lead characters with Val (Michaela Watkins), Alex (Tommy Dewey) and Laura (Tara Lynne Barr) realize over time how much of a role they play in their failures, losses and general unhappiness, each one choosing different means to deal with that realization. Season four will be its last and hopefully, we’ll leave this aggravating family a little happier than we found it.
Release Date: July 31 on Hulu
