By Ishani Nath

Every month, Ishani Nath, pop culture expert, journalist and the most avid tv-watcher I have ever met, is sharing her top picks for new shows, movies and documentaries to stream on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, CBC Gem, Crave, Disney+ and Netflix Canada, plus the one older release she thinks you should check out. Here’s what she’s recommending this month.

It’s summer and for the first time in what feels like decades, normal seems within reach. Canadians are being vaccinated at record-breaking rates and across the nation, restrictions are lifting. Like... actually lifting. Not just easing so you can see people outdoors, from a distance and with masks. For those who are fully vaccinated, we can now hug. 

I’ve spent the past few weeks seeing close friends I haven’t seen in literal years, meeting babies who were born amid this chaos and yes, squeezing loved ones real tightly. It’s been magical. But don’t be fooled, I’m still staying on top of the latest and greatest shows and movies.  

The show I can’t shut up about: HBO’s The White Lotus is like if Knives Out met Forgetting Sarah Marshall. And if that doesn’t hook you, just take a look at the all-star ensemble cast. This six-part series includes the fantastic Jennifer Coolidge, everyone’s favourite power mom Connie Britton, a surprisingly vulnerable Alexandra Daddario, a cameo appearance by Molly Shannon and the always chilling Sydney Sweeney. The beautifully shot miniseries comes from writer-director Mike White, known for his early 2000s hits like School of Rock and Orange County, and follows visitors and staff at an upscale resort in Hawaii during a vacation week that turns deadly. But this series is more than a classic whodunnit. It’s also a deep dive into issues of race, class and privilege—and while it has some flaws, there are scenes that I still can’t stop thinking about. Episodes drop Sundays on Crave and tbh, I want you all to watch it because I need to talk about it. 

If you’re like me and having a bit of a tough time adjusting to having a social calendar again (seriously, how did I have time to do laundry, work and hang out with friends in The Before? It’s delightful but exhausting?!), don’t worry. There’s plenty of great shows coming to Canadian streaming services this August for those times when it’s not mandated to stay home, but you kinda want to anyway.

Apple TV+

Mr. Corman (Premieres August 6) 

Written, directed, produced by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception, Don Jon), Mr. Corman follows the days and nights of Josh Corman, an artist at heart but not by trade. Things haven't been going his way lately—his lifelong dream of a career in music didn't pan out and he finds himself teaching fifth grade at a school in the San Fernando Valley, his ex-fiancé Megan has moved out and his high school buddy has moved in. Aware that he still has a lot to be thankful for, Josh struggles nevertheless through universal feelings of anxiety, loneliness and self-doubt. Darkly funny, oddly beautiful and deeply heartfelt, this relatable comedy-drama speaks for our contemporary generation of 30-somethings—rich with good intentions, poor with student loans and working to become grown-ups sometime before they're senior citizens.

CODA (Premieres August 6) 

Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family—a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.

Truth Be Told, Season 2 (Premieres August 20) 

From acclaimed writer, showrunner, and executive producer Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Truth Be Told is an NAACP Image Award-winning series that provides a unique glimpse into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts. Starring and executive produced by Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, the new season of the anthology drama also stars Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson in her first lead role in a television series. In season two, investigative reporter turned true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Spencer) dives into a new case that deeply involves her childhood friend, media mogul Micah Keith (Hudson). As developments unfold, their lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Amazon Prime Video

Modern Love, Season 2 (Premieres August 13)

The second season of Modern Love continues to tell stories of love and relationships in all their complexities and beauty, inspired by the New York Times column of the same name. Joining the anthology series in season two are Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Deuce); Susan Blackwell (Madam Secretary); Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody); Tom Burke (Mank); Zoë Chao (Love Life); Maria Dizzia (Orange is the New Black); Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver (Cinderella); newcomer Grace Edwards, Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah); Tony Award nominee Kathryn Gallagher (Jagged Little Pill); Emmy Award nominee Kit Harington (Game of Thrones); Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound) and many more.

Nine Perfect Strangers (Premieres August 20)

Based on The New York Times bestselling book from Australian author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers is set at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation. The series follows nine stressed city dwellers who are trying to get on a path to a better way of living with a ten-day retreat. Watching over them is the resort’s director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine strangers have no idea what is about to hit them. The  cast also includes Luke Evans, Tiffany Boone, Bobby Cannavale, Melvin Gregg, Regina Hall, Manny Jacinto, Asher Keddie, Michael Shannon, Grace Van Patten and Samara Weaving.

Annette (Premieres August 20)

Set in Los Angeles, Henry (Adam Driver) is a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor who falls in love with Ann (Marion Cotillard), a world-renowned opera singer. Under the spotlight, they form a passionate and glamorous couple. The birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny, will turn their lives upside down.

CBC Gem

FreeUp! Emancipation Day (Premieres August 1)

Hosted and created by Ngozi Paul (Da Kink in My Hair), this special "variety show" episode will feature notable Black Canadian artists expressing what freedom means to them through music, poetry, performance and dance. It will feature several segments including a Canadian Afro-Indigenous dance performance that includes an artistic land acknowledgement and powerful performances by Canadian legend Kardinal Offishall, Polaris Prize winner Haviah Mighty, and celebrated mono-dramatist d’bi.young anitafrika, with young artist-activists such as Anyika Mark, poet laureates Randell Adjei and Peace Akintade, and Juno-nominated artists Silla + Rise to share what freedom means to them through their chosen artistic expression. This episode will invite Canadians to join in a coast-to-coast-to-coast celebration of freedom. From Toronto’s Little Jamaica to Africville, Nova Scotia and the fields of Saskatoon, Canadians will enjoy fresh new art interwoven with long-established heritage.

Crave Canada

Street Gang: How we got to Sesame Street (Premieres August 2) 

The new documentary from Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom), Street Gang: How we got to Sesame Street, takes audiences inside the minds and hearts of the artists, writers, and educators who created one of the most influential and enduring children’s programs in television history. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, the film focuses on the first two decades of Sesame Street—an experimental and groundbreaking period for the show. Its original creators, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, tell viewers in their own words about how “the gang” came together, how they stayed committed to their original mission — fighting educational gaps caused by racism and poverty — through eras of political and social change, and how they approached each obstacle with a wicked sense of humour and joy. 

Anne Boleyn (Premieres August 6) 

For 500 years, audiences have been spoon-fed a story about Anne Boleyn: the cold-hearted scheming seductress who bewitched Henry VIII into marrying her, before sleeping with his best friend and her own brother. In the ground-breaking new, three-part drama series, Anne Boleyn, Jodie Turner-Smith leads a diverse cast in shining a feminist light on her demise. After years of silence and suppression, viewers finally hear her voice.

The L Word: Generation Q, Season 2 (Premieres August 8) 

The new season of The L Word: Generation Q kicks off in the aftermath of Sophie’s (Rosanny Zayas) decision at the airport as she, Dani (Arienne Mandi), and Finley (Jacqueline Toboni) are all left to pick up the pieces. Meanwhile, Bette’s (Jennifer Beals) personal and professional pursuits force her to reexamine her roots—something Angie (Jordan Hull) also questions and explores in her own way. The L Word: Generation Q is a revival set 10 years after the original groundbreaking drama series, which premiered in 2004 and ran for six seasons, all of which are available for streaming on Crave.

Sister, Sister, Seasons 1-6 (Premieres August 27) 

Tia Landry (Tia Mowry) and Tamera Campbell (Tamara Mowry) are twins who were separated at birth, with each being adopted by a different parent. One day, the teens have a chance encounter while shopping at a clothing store in the mall. After the families meet, Tamera's adoptive father reluctantly allows Tia and her mother to move into his home so the girls can be together. But just because they’re twins doesn't mean Tia and Tamera are identical in any way other than looks.

Disney+

Vacation Friends (Premieres August 27) 

In this raw and raunchy comedy, straight-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico.  Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after their walk on the wild side, Marcus and Emily are horrified when Ron and Kyla show up uninvited at their wedding, creating chaos and proving that what happens on vacation, doesn’t necessarily stay on vacation.

Only Murders in the Building (Premieres August 31) 

From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

Netflix Canada

Pray Away (Premieres August 3) 

Survivors and ex-leaders of the so-called "conversion therapy" movement speak out about its harm to the LGBTQ community and its devastating persistence. 

Cooking With Paris (Premieres August 4) 

With an anyone-can-cook attitude, Paris Hilton adds her own flair to every dish. Fun is just one edible glitter bomb away on this unique cooking show.

AlRawabi School for Girls (Premieres August 8) 

The bullied outcasts at prestigious Al Rawabi School for Girls plot a series of risky takedowns to get back at their tormentors.

The Kissing Booth 3 (Premieres August 8) 

It’s the summer before Elle heads to college, and she’s facing the hardest decision of her life: whether to move across the country with her dreamy boyfriend Noah or fulfill her lifelong promise to go to college with her BFF Lee. Whose heart will Elle break?

The Chair (Premieres August 20) 

At a major university, the first woman of colour to become chair tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department.

Clickbait (Premieres August 25) 

In this thriller series, eight different points of view provide tantalizing clues to the perpetrator of a gruesome crime fueled by social media.