The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, and More in August 2023

Ready to go see a Star War? The next Disney+ Star Wars series, Ahsoka, puts the focus on Rosario Dawson's live-action Ahsoka Tano, who's already become a fixture on the Baby Yoda show, which is technically the Grogu show, which is actually The Mandalorian. It's the latest big title in a month that's sort of slow but not without notable highlights, like the final season of must-watch comedy Reservation Dogs, a Meryl Streep-ified season of Only Murders in the Building, and the last season of Billions. Later in the month, Netflix's buzzy manga adaptation One Piece wraps it all up.

Our guide to the best TV in August is divided into three sections: the best shows and movies to watch this month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it below. 

Last month's guide: The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, and More in July

The best shows and movies to watch in August

Reservation Dogs Season 3 (Aug. 2, Hulu)

If you know, you know: Despite the Emmys' ignorance, Reservation Dogs is one of the best shows on TV. Sterlin Harjo's indie-style FX comedy about teens on the rez moves and feels like nothing else on television, punctuating its dry, low-key sense of humor with strong emotion and spiritual meditation. Season 3 — which will be the show's last — picks up in the aftermath of the group's cathartic but chaotic trip to California, following Bear (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Elora (Devery Jacobs), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis), and Cheese (Lane Factor) on a journey home that takes longer for some of them than it does for others. However this show wraps up, we'll be missing the coolest teens on TV when they're gone. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Heartstopper Season 2 (Aug. 3, Netflix)

The first season of Heartstopper, an adaptation of Alice Oseman's graphic-novel series, was extremely sweet, and also very much bait for TikTok fancams. Season 2, which finds Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) exploring their new relationship, is already stirring up enthusiastic buzz online. If you've seen Season 1, you know why — it's pretty adorable! -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 (Aug. 8, Hulu)

Has anyone ever heard of this Meryl Streep woman? Apparently she's talented enough to join Only Murders in the Building Season 3, which picks up in the aftermath of the Season 2 finale, which found Paul Rudd's character dying in the middle of the play Oliver (Martin Short) directed. The new season picks up in the aftermath of that shocker, and it catches us up on what went down in the year between solving Bunny's murder and opening night of Oliver's play. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Billions Season 7 (Aug. 13, Showtime)

Billions is cashing its last check. The hit Showtime drama about financial crime will end with its seventh season, and it's going out in style — Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) is back, baby. And while Axe, who fled to Switzerland in the Season 5 finale, returns for what we have to assume will be a dazzling final showdown with Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) is running for president. That should be enough to keep Chuck busy. (Note for everyone who can't wait: The Season 7 premiere will be available to stream Aug. 11 on Paramount+ with Showtime before airing Aug. 13 on Showtime.) -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Ahsoka (Aug. 23, Disney+)

Rosario Dawson's live-action Ahsoka Tano has already appeared on The Mandalorian, where she burst everyone's bubble by revealing that Baby Yoda's real name is Grogu. Now, she gets her own Disney+ Star Wars show, set in the same timeline as The Mandalorian Season 3, following Ahsoka as she investigates a threat to the galaxy after the fall of the Empire. The trailer plays it coy, but there's no getting around the big headline here: The series has long been reported to feature the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker — somehow. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

One Piece (Aug. 31, Netflix)

A live-action adaptation of the manga One Piece, the series follows Luffy (played here by Iñaki Godoy), a young man who sets off on a journey to find the treasure One Piece and become the Pirate King. While live-action anime and manga adaptations have not historically been successful, there's a lot to be excited about with this one. Here's everything to know about the series. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

What's on Netflix, Max, Hulu, Amazon, and more in August

Netflix's best new shows and movies in August

If you need more proof that Netflix's approach to greenlighting TV pitches is "We'll take it!" then look no further than our picks for what to watch from Netflix's new releases in August. On one end of the spectrum, you have the beautifully romantic series Heartstopper, about two British teens crushing on each other. On another end of the spectrum, you have the wackadoodle Korean reality series Zombieverse, which throws contestants into a simulated zombie apocalypse. And on another end of the spectrum (lots of ends of spectrums here this month) is the big action espionage thriller film Heart of Stone, starring Gal Gadot as a superspy. And elsewhere, there's the highly anticipated (and highly dreaded) live-action adaptation of One Piece, the super popular manga. It's a veritable smorgasbord of wildly varied mixed bags! Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in August, plus everything coming to and leaving Netflix in August.

More on Netflix:

• The best shows on Netflix right now
• The best movies on Netflix right now
• The new TV shows and movies on Netflix in July

HBO and Max's best new shows and movies in August

It's all sports all the time over on HBO and Max in August. The biggest premiere of the month is Season 2 of the maximalist period piece Winning Time, which will chronicle the lead-up to the rematch between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. For even more sports, there's a new season of Hard Knocks, set at the Aaron Rodgers-occupied New York Jets training camp. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on HBO and Max in August, plus everything coming to HBO and Max in August.

More on HBO and Max:

• The best movies on Max right now
• The best shows on Max right now
• The new TV shows and movies on HBO and Max in July
• HBO Max review 2022: Everything to know about the streaming service

Hulu's best new shows and movies in August

There are dozens and dozens of shows that claim to be the best show on TV, but there are only a select handful that rightfully have that claim. One of those shows is returning to Hulu this month: Reservation Dogs, Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi's coming-of-age comedy about Indigenous teens in an Oklahoma reservation coping after the death of their friend. It's an amazing series, and the rare show that sticks out in a sea of television that looks like everything else. If you're more of a fan of classic comedy and/or pop stars who also act, there's the third season of the comforting mystery Only Murders in the Building, starring the unlikely trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. The big news for the new season? Meryl Streep is joining the already stacked cast. Also coming this month to Hulu are the final season of Breeders, several days of Lollapalooza livestreams, the Korean superhero series Moving, and the indie thriller film How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in August, plus everything coming to Hulu in August.

More on Hulu: 

• The best TV shows on Hulu right now
• The best movies on Hulu right now
• The new TV shows and movies on Hulu in July
• How much does Hulu cost? Plans, pricing, channels, and more in 2022

Amazon Prime Video's best new shows and movies in August

On Amazon Prime Video, the month of August is all about coming of age. New shows hitting the streaming service this month include The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which follows a young girl who goes to live with her grandmother on a flower farm after the deaths of her parents, and Harlan Coben's Shelter, about a teen boy whose investigation into the disappearance of his classmate leads to the discovery of dark secrets. At the other end of the tonal spectrum is the rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue, which is set in a world where Uma Thurman is president and her son falls in love with a British prince. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in August, plus everything coming to Prime Video in August.

More on Amazon:

• The best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now
• The best shows on Amazon Prime Video right now
• The new TV shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in July
• The best early Prime Day 2023 deals available now
• Amazon Prime Video pricing, channels, and deals in 2022
  

The best new shows and movies everywhere else in August

Every month is Star Wars month if you want it to be. Live-action Star Wars series Ahsoka is dusting off its lightsabers for an Aug. 23 debut, and we're hopeful for big things from this show. It's joined on Disney+ by something completely different: the final season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, premiering Aug. 9. Over on Apple TV+, Physical returns for its third and final season on Aug. 2, and if you're enjoying the headlines about the aliens, you can check out Invasion Season 2 starting Aug. 23. Paramount+ has a pair of music documentaries, Mixtape (Aug. 1) and Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback (Aug. 15). And save space on your watchlist for Season 2 of Killing It, an under-the-radar gem, premiering Aug. 17 on Peacock.

More on Apple TV+, Peacock, Disney+, and Paramount+:

• The best shows and movies on Apple TV+ right now
• The best shows on Peacock right now
• The best movies on Peacock right now
• The best shows on Paramount+ right now
• The best shows on Disney+ right now
• The best movies on Disney+ right now
• How to get a Paramount+ free trial and deals

August TV calendar highlights

Tuesday, Aug. 1
Mixtape (Documentary, Paramount+)
Untold (Season 3, Netflix)

Wednesday, Aug. 2
Big Brother (Season 25, CBS)
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough (Documentary, Netflix)
Physical (Season 3, Apple TV+)
Reservation Dogs (Season 3, Hulu)

Thursday, Aug. 3
Heartstopper (Season 2, Netflix)
The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 2 Part 2, Netflix)

Friday, Aug. 4
The Big Nailed It Baking Challenge (Season 1, Netflix)
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Limited Series, Prime Video)

Sunday, Aug. 6
The Chi (Season 6, Showtime)
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (Season 2, HBO)

Tuesday, Aug. 8
Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the New York Jets (Season 18, HBO)
Only Murders in the Building (Season 3, Hulu)
Zombieverse (Season 1, Netflix)

Wednesday, Aug. 9
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 4, Disney+)
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Limited Series, Netflix)
Strange Planet (Season 1, Apple TV+)
Superfan (Season 1, CBS)

Thursday, Aug. 10
The Challenge: USA (Season 2, CBS)
Fight to Survive (Season 1, The CW)
Painkiller (Limited Series, Netflix)

Friday, Aug. 11
All Up in the Biz (Documentary, Showtime)
Down for Love (Season 1, Netflix)
Heart of Stone (Film, Netflix)
Men in Kilts (Season 2, Starz)
Red, White & Royal Blue (Film, Prime Video)

Sunday, Aug. 13
Billions (Season 7, Showtime)
Telemarketers (Docuseries, HBO)

Monday, Aug. 14
Solar Opposites (Season 4, Hulu)

Tuesday, Aug. 15
The Love Experiment (MTV)
Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback (Documentary, Paramount+)

Wednesday, Aug. 16
Miguel Wants to Fight (Film, Hulu)

Thursday, Aug. 17
Killing It (Season 2, Peacock)
Tracy Morgan: Takin' It Too Far (Special, Max)
The Upshaws (Season 4, Netflix)

Friday, Aug. 18
Harlan Coben's Shelter (Season 1, Prime Video)
The Monkey King (Film, Netflix)
Puppy Love (Film, Freevee)
Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie (Special, Apple TV+)

Sunday, Aug. 20
The Winter King (Season 1, MGM+)

Wednesday, Aug. 23
Invasion (Season 2, Apple TV+)
Star Wars: Ahsoka (Limited Series, Disney+)
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Season 2, Netflix)

Thursday, Aug. 24
Ragnarok (Season 3, Netflix)
Who Is Erin Carter? (Season 1, Netflix)

Friday, Aug. 25
Vacation Friends 2 (Film, Hulu)
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn (Docuseries, Apple TV+)
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (Film, Netflix)

Monday, Aug. 28
The Conversations Project (Season 1, Hulu)

Tuesday, Aug. 29
A Murder at the End of the World (Limited Series, Hulu)

Wednesday, Aug. 30
Archer (Season 14, FXX)

Thursday, Aug. 31
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (Season 1, Max)
Choose Love (Film, Netflix)
One Piece (Season 1, Netflix)