Even though it’s August, Hulu’s Furious, which premiered in late July, might be my favorite show on television. The new crime drama has already captivated my attention. Add it to your list, especially if you enjoy cat-and-mouse thrillers.
As for August, two long-running television shows return with brand-new episodes. One is an adult-animated comedy, while the other is an iconic Philadelphia-centric sitcom. Other highlights this month include a new Ryan Murphy teen thriller, an X-Files movie, and a Gen Z comedy. All six projects on this list can be streamed in the U.S.
The shows and movies on this list are presented in release order.
Futurama season 14
Matt Groening’s “other” animated comedy
Futurama refuses to take no for an answer. I can’t think of another animated show that has aired on three networks and returned after cancellation twice. It’s actually quite impressive that Futurama has survived this long, considering its first episode aired in 1999.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Coming to Hulu in August 2026
Trivia challenge
From alien conspiracies to robot consciousness — how well do you know Hulu’s
August lineup?
Sci-FiComedyThrillerActionDrama
Begin
In Futurama, what is the name of the delivery company where Fry works after being
frozen for 1,000 years?
AOmicron DeliveriesBMom’s Friendly Robot CompanyCPlanet ExpressDInterStellar Transit Authority
Correct! Planet Express is the intergalactic delivery company owned by
Professor Farnsworth, Fry’s distant descendant. The ragtag crew, including Leela and Bender, hauls cargo
across the universe while getting into spectacular trouble.
Not quite — the answer is Planet Express. Fry stumbles into the job
after being thawed out in the year 3000, and the company’s motto (‘Our crew is replaceable, your package
isn’t’) pretty much sums up the whole show’s humor.
Continue
The Shards, Hulu’s limited series, is based on a novel by which author?
AGillian FlynnBBret Easton EllisCDonna TarttDTana French
Correct! Bret Easton Ellis, best known for American Psycho, wrote The
Shards as a semi-autobiographical thriller set in 1980s Los Angeles. The novel and series follow a
teenager who suspects a new classmate may be connected to a serial killer.
Not quite — The Shards is based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the
author of American Psycho. Ellis described it as his most personal work, blending real memories of his
Beverly Hills high school years with a darkly fictional murder mystery.
Continue
In The X-Files: I Want to Believe, what is the central supernatural element of the
film’s plot?
AAlien abductions in rural AlaskaBPsychic visions from a disgraced priestCA government-run supersoldier programDSpontaneous human combustion cases
Correct! The 2008 film centers on former FBI agent Fox Mulder and Dana
Scully being drawn back into a case involving Father Joseph Crissman, a convicted pedophile priest who
claims to have psychic visions about missing women. It was intentionally a standalone
‘monster-of-the-week’ style story.
Not quite — the supernatural core of the film involves a disgraced
priest with psychic visions. Writer and director Chris Carter deliberately kept the story separate from
the alien mythology of the TV series, focusing instead on a more grounded psychological thriller.
Continue
In It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, what is the name of the bar owned by the main
characters?
APaddy’s PubBMcPoyle’s TavernCSunny’s Bar and GrillDThe Dive
Correct! Paddy’s Pub is the South Philadelphia dive bar co-owned by the
‘Gang’ — Dennis, Mac, Charlie, Dee, and Frank. The bar serves mostly as a home base for their
increasingly deranged schemes rather than as a functioning business.
Not quite — the bar is called Paddy’s Pub. The McPoyles are actually a
recurring family of villains on the show, not bar owners. Paddy’s Pub has become iconic in TV history as
perhaps the least successful bar ever depicted on screen.
Continue
In the original Jurassic Park, which dinosaur is responsible for the famous kitchen
scene where two children hide from hunting predators?
ADilophosaurusBPterodactylCVelociraptorDCompsognathus
Correct! The tense kitchen scene features two Velociraptors stalking Lex
and Tim through the park’s kitchen. It remains one of the most iconic horror-tinged sequences in
blockbuster history, and director Steven Spielberg cleverly used the raptors’ reflections in the
stainless steel surfaces.
Not quite — the kitchen hunters are Velociraptors. Interestingly, the
raptors in the film are scientifically inaccurate in size; real Velociraptors were turkey-sized. The
creatures depicted are closer to Deinonychus or Utahraptor, but author Michael Crichton preferred the
name ‘Velociraptor.’
Continue
In Men in Black, what is the name of the device that erases people’s memories of
alien encounters?
AThe FlasherBThe NeuralyzerCThe Mind WiperDThe Obliterator
Correct! The Neuralyzer is the sleek silver gadget that MIB agents use
to erase civilian memories, followed by planting a cover story. It became one of the most memorable
props in 1990s sci-fi, and the iconic image of Agent K pointing it at someone became a pop culture
staple.
Not quite — the memory-erasing device is called the Neuralyzer. After
wiping a memory, agents replace it with a false one, usually something mundane. The Neuralyzer’s design
was inspired by a camera flash and became one of the most recognizable sci-fi props of the decade.
Continue
In Ex Machina, what is the name of the AI robot that programmer Caleb is asked to
evaluate?
AAriaBAvaCAdaDAlexa
Correct! Ava is the eerily compelling humanoid AI created by tech
billionaire Nathan in Alex Garland’s 2014 psychological thriller. Actress Alicia Vikander’s performance
as Ava was widely praised, and the film raised profound questions about consciousness, manipulation, and
what it means to be human.
Not quite — the AI’s name is Ava. Alicia Vikander brought her to life in
a performance that earned widespread critical acclaim. Ex Machina was writer-director Alex Garland’s
directorial debut and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for its seamless depiction of Ava’s
translucent robotic body.
Continue
In She’s the Man, which Shakespeare play is the film loosely based on?
AA Midsummer Night’s DreamBAs You Like ItCTwelfth NightDThe Taming of the Shrew
Correct! The 2006 comedy starring Amanda Bynes is a modernized retelling
of Twelfth Night, in which a girl disguises herself as her twin brother to play on a rival school’s
soccer team. Shakespeare’s original play similarly features cross-dressing and mistaken identity as
central comedic devices.
Not quite — She’s the Man is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The
play’s themes of gender disguise and mistaken identity translate surprisingly well to a teenage soccer
rom-com. Amanda Bynes’ physical comedy while pretending to be a boy became one of the defining
performances of mid-2000s teen cinema.
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Created by Matt Groening (yes, the same man who created The Simpsons), Futurama is a sci-fi animated sitcom centered around Philip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West), a delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself in a cryogenic pod and awakens at the turn of the 31st century. The show then follows Fry and his coworkers at Planet Express, a delivery service. At its core, Futurama is a satire that pokes fun at the mundane aspects of life.
The first two episodes of Futurama season 14 are now streaming.
Futurama
Release Date
March 28, 1999
Network
FOX, Comedy Central, Hulu
Showrunner
Matt Groening
The Shards
Murder and mystery in the 1980s
Is there a better creative team for a provocative and stylish thriller than Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis? The duo is a match made in heaven thanks to Murphy’s experience in the Monster franchise and Ellis’ novel American Psycho. The Shards is a fictionalized account of a teenage Ellis’ senior year of prep school.
It’s 1981 in Los Angeles. Bret (Igby Rigney) and his wealthy friends believe in a lifestyle of excess and abundance. However, two things put a wrench in those plans: new student Robert Mallory (Homer Gere) and a serial killer known as The Trawler. With Murphy and Ellis at the helm, I’m expecting exquisite taste, colorful characters, and twisted violence.
The first two episodes of The Shards begin streaming at 9:00 p.m. ET on August 5.
The Shards
Release Date
August 5, 2026
Network
FX, Hulu
Directors
Max Minghella, Crystle Roberson Dorsey, Michael Uppendahl, Ryan Murphy
Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear
A more intimate look at the man behind the drum kit
As someone who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, I’m quite familiar with Blink-182, arguably the most successful pop punk band of that era, with hits like “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” I always forget that Travis Barker joined Blink-182 in 1998 after replacing drummer Scott Raynor.
These days, Barker has been in the news for his marriage to Kourtney Kardashian. However, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear is more interested in Barker’s struggles over trauma and guilt, especially after he survived the 2008 plane crash that killed four people. I’ve seen Barker behind the drum kit. Now, I want to see what happens when he steps offstage.
Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear premieres on August 13.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $10/month
Live TV
Yes, various plans available
The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn
Mulder and Scully back for another adventure
In 2008, Chris Carter co-wrote and directed The X-Files: I Want to Believe, the second movie in The X-Files franchise. Carter, who created the hit television show, set out to make a Frankenstein movie set in his X-Files universe. The movie would reunite Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) for another mission that involves a kidnapped FBI agent and a fallen priest who claims he sees visions.
The movie did OK financially and received mixed reviews. However, it’s not the movie Carter wanted to make. The studio and the Motion Picture Association reportedly told him that the movie was “too scary” and that he needed to recut it. Therefore, Carter’s original vision never saw the light of day … until now. The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn might change the perception of those who were disappointed by the theatrical cut.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn streams on August 14.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18
The gang returns for more comedic mayhem
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is now the longest-running American live-action sitcom. I remember when this show had little fanfare on FX. Now, it’s a comedic staple on television. The best part is that it hasn’t lost a step when it comes to wit and ingenuity. IASIP still knows how to showcase its favorite gang of narcissists: Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito).
Speaking of Frank, when we last saw him, he asked Sam (Carol Kane) to marry him, and she said yes. The wedding kicks off season 18, but I’m expecting it to go wrong in hilarious fashion. Here’s to more comedic failures from the gang.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18 premieres on FXX, FX, and Hulu on August 17.
Adults season 2
Time to (try to) grow up
FX and Hulu are quickly cornering the market on comedies about twenty-somethings navigating the challenges of the “real world.” In June, Mindy Kaling released her New York City-based comedy Not Suitable for Work, which felt like a Gen Z version of Friends. This month, Adults, another New York City comedy, returns for its second season.
The five friends at the center of Adults are Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Paul (Jack Innanen), Issa (Amita Rao), and Anton (Owen Thiele). Living together in Queens, the quintet constantly finds itself in precarious situations and debates over politics, sex, and work. The strength of Adults is the laid-back nature of the show—you just want to hang out with the group every week.
All eight episodes of Adults season 2 will stream on August 27.
Adults
Release Date
May 28, 2025
Network
FX, Hulu
Directors
Anu Valia
What else should you watch on streaming?
You’re seemingly never going to run out of new options on streaming services, especially at the beginning of the month. Netflix has two movies, The Last House and The Whisper Man, that should be added to your watchlists. For fans of superhero movies, head to Disney+ to check out all the live-action Spider-Man movies.