Netflix is heating up the second half of June with a handful of high-profile TV series coming next week that couldn’t be more different from each other — and there’s a good chance that at least one of the three we’re going to preview in this post will land squarely in your wheelhouse. Whether you’re in the mood for a Southern drama filled with crime and family secrets or a docuseries about one of the most famous professional cheerleading squads, we’re pretty sure there’s something here worth adding to your queue.
And if all else fails? At least Phil Rosenthal is back with another season of food-fueled globetrotting that’s practically comfort TV on demand.
Here’s a look at three new Netflix TV releases hitting the streaming giant over the next several days that we think are worth adding to your watchlist:
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – Season 2 (June 18)
High kicks, big hair, and AC/DC’s Thunderstruck blaring through AT&T Stadium? That all obviously means one thing — the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are back.
Season 2 of America’s Sweethearts on Netflix picks up right where Season 1 ended, dropping us back into the pressure cooker of open tryouts. Young women from all over are chasing one of the most coveted roles in cheerleading, and just because someone made the team last year doesn’t mean they’re safe this time around. Even returning fan favorites like Reece and Kelly V have to fight to keep their spots.
Directed by Cheer creator Greg Whiteley, the series once again looks behind the sparkle and pom-poms and into the real lives of the women wearing those iconic blue and white uniforms. We follow the cheerleaders not just through rehearsals and their intense routines, but through their private struggles with mental health, financial pressure, body image, and social media drama.
Somebody Feed Phil – Season 8 (June 18)
The world may be complicated, but one thing remains thankfully simple: Watching Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal eat makes everything seem better. At least for a little while.
The host of Somebody Feed Phil is back for his eighth season in this Netflix classic, bringing his infectious enthusiasm, dad jokes, and insatiable curiosity to a fresh batch of foodie adventures. As always, Rosenthal doesn’t just show up for the food; he’s there for the people, the culture, and the conversation around the table.
Season 8 promises more global exploration and unapologetic joy, as Rosenthal once again proves he’s the friendliest guy to ever dive face-first into a street taco or clink glasses in a higher-end setting. This one is the dose of feel-good TV that you’re looking for.
The Waterfront (June 19)
For this third of next week’s big Netflix releases, imagine a version of Succession that’s set in the South and mixes a family fishing empire with a criminal enterprise and a dark past that’s buried like a rusted-out pickup in a marsh. That, my friends, is more or less what you get with The Waterfront — creator Kevin Williamson’s part-Southern noir, part-family saga that’s set in a coastal North Carolina town.
The story is about the powerful Buckley family, which is fighting to stay on top while everything around them starts to rot. Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) plays Harlan Buckley, the patriarch whose health is fading. His kids, meanwhile, are scheming and switching their allegiances faster than the tide.
Jake Weary and Maria Bello play Cane and Belle, the son and matriarch eager to take the reins. But it’s Melissa Benoist as Bree, the black sheep daughter fresh out of rehab, who gives the show its emotional center. She’s trying to rebuild her life and reconnect with her son, but a dangerously toxic relationship threatens to drag her down, and the whole family down with her.
