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Ten New and Returning Shows to Watch on Netflix in August 2020

Lucifer, luxury real estate, and Cobra Kai's Netflix debut headline the streamer's August haul.
  • Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in Kobra Kai, Chrishell Stause in Selling Sunset and Tom Ellis in Lucifer. (Photos: Netflix)
    Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in Kobra Kai, Chrishell Stause in Selling Sunset and Tom Ellis in Lucifer. (Photos: Netflix)

    August is nearly upon us, which means new Netflix summer offerings are set to stream in, including several dystopian thrillers, the conclusion of Guillermo del Toro's animated fantasy trilogy, the return of the Devil, and a new teen comedy from executive producer Jenji Kohan. It isn't just the originals slate that is getting bolstered before Labor Day, either: Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a Netflix Top 10 staple this year, which bodes well for their recent acquisition of the sequel series, The Legend of Korra (debuting August 14).

    Here are the new arrivals we're most looking forward to:

    The Rain — Season 3

    If you're looking to fill the end-of-the-world hole left by German series Dark, the third and final season of this post-apocalyptic drama could be just the ticket. After a virus carried by rainfall decimated the population of Scandinavia, Danish siblings Simone (Alba August) and Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) survived the initial fallout and have since become embroiled in a battle against one another. Picking up after the events of Season 2, Rasmus wants to infect everyone with the version of the virus that turned him into a superhuman, whereas Simone is still looking for a cure. Who will triumph?
    Available August 6

    Selling Sunset — Season 3

    Netflix's first foray into docusoap territory has slowly but surely become a favorite reality binge. Three months after the release of Season 2, fans are getting their next lavish mansion fix. Diving into the cutthroat world of luxe real estate, Selling Sunset follows seven of Los Angeles' most successful women realtors. Competing for million-dollar commissions is always going to stir up drama, which Selling Sunset has in spades. The coming promises at least one super juicy storyline, as Chrishell Stause deals with her divorce from This Is Us star Justin Hartley.
    Available August 7

    High Seas (Alta Mar) — Season 3

    Traveling across the Atlantic on a luxury liner is a perilous affair in the late-1940s-set Spanish series High Seas. In Season 1, sisters Eva (Ivana Baquero) and Carolina Villanueva (Alejandra Onieva) became embroiled in a murder mystery while headed for Brazil after their father's death. Now they're sailing from Argentina to Mexico, but the journey quickly descends into danger as British spies, a deadly virus, and glamour are all aboard the Bárbara de Braganza.
    Available August 7

    Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (NEW series)

    Bringing Guillermo del Toro's Emmy-winning "Tales of Arcadia" fantasy to a close, this 10-episode limited series rounds out the trilogy that began in 2016 with Trollhunters. A star-studded voice cast, including Mark Hamill, Kelsey Grammer, Diego Luna, Lena Headey, and Steven Yeun return to the time travel adventure to take part in an apocalyptic battle to see who will take control of the magical world.
    Available August 14

    The Great Heist (El Robo del Siglo) (NEW series)

    No, this isn't a spinoff of the popular Spanish Netflix series Money Heist. This new Colombian drama is inspired by "the robbery of the century," which targeted the country's central bank. In October 1994, thieves stole $33 million from the Bank of the Republic, a crime which turned the entire country upside down.
    Available August 14

    3% — Season 4

    Set in the not-too-distant-future, individuals from the impoverished "Inland" are given the opportunity to undertake a rigorous testing process to join the privileged "Offshore" society — the title of the show refers to the percentage of candidates that succeed. The fourth and final season of the Brazilian dystopian thriller is set around an imminent war as the discord permeating this divided world comes to an explosive head.
    Available August 14

    Teenage Bounty Hunters (NEW series)

    Originally called "Slutty Teenage Bounty Hunters," this ten-episode comedy series from Kathleen Jordan has dropped the first part of the title, but the premise remains the same. Fraternal twins Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair Wesley (Anjelica Bette Fellini) are the titular teens teaming up with veteran bounty hunter Bowser Jenkins (Kadeem Hardison) while trying to break free from a buttoned-up community. The first episode is helmed by seasoned TV comedy director Jesse Peretz (Our Idiot Brother) with Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black) on board as an executive producer. One to watch for those missing Orange Is the New Black this summer.
    Available August 14

    Lucifer — Season 5A

    The devilishly charming Tom Ellis returns as Lucifer Morningstar for the first half of the former Fox series' fifth and penultimate season. Of course it wouldn't be a detective series without a will-they-won't-they dynamic, and this one is further complicated by the whole fallen angel aspect. Not to mention the big soap style twist that will shake up detective Chloe Decker's (Lauren German) professional and personal lives.
    Available August 21

    Hoops — (NEW series)

    Jake Johnson expands his already impressive voice acting résumé as a hot-headed, foul-mouthed high school basketball coach, who possesses little talent himself, but he believes he can transform his terrible team and turn his life around in the process. From the producers of the sadly canceled-too-soon The Last Man on Earth, this animated original was ordered to series in 2018 and is finally seeing the light of day.
    Available August 21

    Cobra Kai

    Making the switch from YouTube Premium, the first two seasons of Cobra Kai aren't technically original offerings, but the jump to Netflix will introduce this wildly popular Karate Kid spin-off to a whole new audience ahead of the release of Season 3 (which has already been shot). Set 34 years after the events of the first movie, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) owns a successful car dealership but is struggling to find balance without Mr. Miyagi's guidance. When former rival Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) reopens the Cobra Kai dojo, their paths inevitably cross once again. Mixing nostalgia with a heavy dose of subversive comedy, the series deals with redemption, loss, and missed opportunities.
    Available August 28

    Emma Fraser has wanted to write about TV since she first watched My So-Called Life in the mid-90s, finally getting her wish over a decade later. Follow her on Twitter at @frazbelina

    TOPICS: Netflix, 3%, The Great Heist, High Seas, Hoops, Lucifer, The Rain, Selling Sunset, Teenage Bounty Hunters, Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, Cobra Kai