I’m a TV critic and this week I’m bingeing a jaw-dropping series

Metro’s TV Editor Sabrina Barr reveals her top TV picks for July.

I don’t know about you, but at this time of the year, when there are no weekly viewings of Strictly, Bake Off and The Traitors, I’m in a constant need of streaming recommendations.

This month, there are several series launching on Netflix and Disney Plus that I can’t wait to binge, including one this week that set tongues wagging when the raunchy trailer dropped.

As a TV critic, I flit between watching shows for work and for enjoyment in my free time – but luckily, most of the time these cross over anyway.

With Lena Dunham’s Too Much launching in just a few days, Eric Bana’s Untamed coming soon and Sterling K Brown’s Washington Black arriving on Disney Plus imminently, there’s an abundance of brilliant TV to sink our teeth into this July.

Here are my five top choices for the month – I hope you’re looking forward to watching them too!

My new rom-com obsession – Too Much, Netflix

I haven’t even seen it yet, but I just have a feeling that Too Much is going to tick all of the boxes for me when it comes out on Netflix this week.

In my eyes, it’s a recipe for success – Lena Dunham in charge as the creator, having previously helmed the TV masterpiece that is Girls, a show that I inhaled during my university years.

I don’t personally know much about the lead of Too Much, Meg Stalter, but people who’ve watched her in Hacks have claimed that she’s a comedy phenomenon, and I have a feeling that she’ll live up to the hype.

And then, the premise of the series – a young American woman called Jess (Meg) trying to find her feet in the UK after moving across the pond (hello Notting Hill, The Holiday, What A Girl Wants and Wild Child).

An archetypal bad boy arrives in the form of Felix (The White Lotus star Will Sharpe), who left viewers gagging (in a good or bad way, you be the judge) when he spit in Jessica’s mouth during an intimate moment teased in the trailer.

All 10 episodes are coming out in one go, and I can’t wait to devour every minute of it.

Too Much launches on Thursday July 10 on Netflix.

Exploring the terrifying wilderness – Untamed, Netflix

At the first glimpse of Eric Bana in the trailer for Untamed, I realised that it’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve seen him on screen.

He hasn’t been inactive by any means, but it blew my mind when I realised that the last role I’d seen him in was as Henry in the 2009 adaptation of The Time Traveller’s Wife (a personal favourite of mine).

So, I was beyond excited to see him show up in Untamed as the protagonist Kyle Turner, a special agent who becomes embroiled in the mysterious case of a brutal death discovered in Yosemite National Park.

Despite his recent roles, plenty of people commenting on the trailer on YouTube agreed with me that he deserves more of a spotlight, and is a severely underrated actor.

‘Eric Bana is an underrated actor that deserves more credit. He killed it in Troy and Hanna,’ one comment from @TheHyena-ru8bz read, while @TheonlyLarssNelson wrote: ‘I love Eric Bana, put that man to work more often!’

‘You had me at Eric Bana,’ @abrarmullan1 added. Well said.

On top of the allure of Eric, he’s joined in the cast by cinematic legend Sam Neill, another powerhouse talent.

Untamed launches on Thursday July 17 on Netflix.

Losing myself in another world – The Sandman

When the first season of The Sandman was released three years ago, I was immediately enraptured by the stunning world that was presented on screen in the Netflix epic.

Not only was it visually beautiful, but my mind was left buzzing by the philosophical debates that the series sparked, as well as the gripping portrayals of characters including Dream, Desire and Death.

The release of the second season has been marred by allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against Neil Gaiman, who wrote the comic book on which it was based and was heavily involved in the creation of the TV adaptation.

The voices of the women who have made allegations against the writer – which he denies – are of far greater importance than a TV show.

There is also so much more to The Sandman than Gaiman. Many people behind the scenes brought this TV masterpiece to life, and they deserve recognition for their incredible work.

I’m yet to catch up on the second season, but I’ve heard that the first part knocks it out of the park yet again, with the final batch of episodes set to drop later this month.

The Sandman season 2 part 1 is available to stream on Netflix, while part 2 launches on Thursday July 24.

Discovering new TV talent – Washington Black, Disney Plus

Ever since This Is Us left me bawling my eyes out, I’m always immediately drawn to anything starring Sterling K Brown.

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about his next TV project, Washington Black, an eight-part TV series based on the book of the same name by Esi Edugyan.

Knowing nothing else about the story, I came for Sterling… but after watching the trailer, he is far from the only reason why I can’t wait to watch this series when it launches on Disney Plus.

The drama tells the tale of a young boy, George Washington ‘Wash’ Black (Ernest Kingsley Jr, and Eddie Karanja for the younger version of the character), who has an extraordinary scientific mind and is forced to flee the sugar plantation in Barbados where he was born.

Ernest previously starred in one episode of The Sandman, and two episodes of War of the Worlds – and now, I can’t wait to discover his talent in his first lead role.

The trailer for the series currently has six million views on YouTube, with one person called @ResellerGeorge commenting: ‘The book is amazing! I’m so glad it’s been adapted.’

Another called @lyza69 remarked: ‘I know 0 thing about this, but this trailer sold me. It looks like an incredible story full of adventure and emotions!’

Washington Black launches on Wednesday July 23 on Disney Plus.

When a TV show feels like a hug – Abbott Elementary, Disney Plus

One of my ultimate comfort watches, I was so relieved to find out that the rest of Abbott Elementary season four was finally being released on Disney Plus this month.

Considering the season wrapped up at the end of April in the US, it’s been a long wait!

I first came across the show’s mastermind Quinta Brunson when she was producing videos in the heyday of BuzzFeed, and it’s been extraordinary to see her rise to become one of TV’s most in-demand creators.

Abbott Elementary is named after one of Quinta’s elementary school teachers, Joyce Abbott. That level of care and purity of heart at the core of the show is clear when you watch every single episode.

For anyone yet to check it out, Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary set in a fictional school in West Philadelphia.

The adult members of the cast are all scene stealers, including Tyler James Williams as the reserved but adorable Gregory, Janelle James as the charmingly egotistical headteacher Ava and Sheryl Lee Ralph as the legendary kindergarten teacher Barbara.

However, the children who star as the pupils also steal the show. One particular highlight was when a kid who’s dressed as Thanos in the Halloween episode goes wild and dishes out all of the candy early. In a nutshell, it’s TV gold.

Abbott Elementary season 4 is now available to stream in full on Disney Plus.

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