In case you can't tell by my farmer's tan, zinc oxide on my nose, and BBQ grill marks on my arm, summer is officially here! And with summer comes the wasteland of new television programming. Wait, that's not right! This summer has been pretty good, actually! In previous years, all we had to look forward to on television during the hot months was celebrities jumping in a pool, fake-celebrities living fake lives, and domes. But now? I can list off five shows right off the top of my head that I'm having a blast watching.

So I ask you, dear reader, what do you think has been the best show of the summer so far? To help you out, I've cobbled together a few candidates below. And if there's a show on this list that you haven't seen, then get on it!

(Note: for the purposes of this article, I've made any show that premiered after the traditional broadcast season eligible. That's late May, or thereabouts. Also, the shows listed below are just the obvious candidates. Please let us know what shows you liked in the comments!)





The Bachelorette

One of the most interesting seasons of ABC's franchise owes it all to the woman in the middle of it all, Kaitlyn Bristowe. She had a sex with a dude! And didn't even give one F about it... well, until later. The fallout has provided plenty of drama, as did the sneaky addition of former contestant Nick, who was universally hated by all of the other guys. Grab some popcorn; Kaitlyn chooses the lucky dude of her dreams—dreams = three more weeks, probably—next Monday.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: Chain of Fools





BoJack Horseman





Netflix's animated comedy seems like a goofy show about talking animals in Hollywood, but behind the puns and silly animalized celebrity names is a dark look at depression and the soul-crushing pursuit of fame. Much smarter and emotional than you'd think, BoJack Horseman is unlike anything else on TV right now.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: Don't Look a Drunk Horse in the Mouth



Dark Matter





Syfy's latest space drama shows us what happens when six people wake up on a spaceship with no clue who they are or how they got there. Hint: a lot of head-scratching, some murder, and some casual sex. It's been a bit uneven at times, but that's pretty routine for a Syfy show, isn't it?

TV.com's review of the series premiere: Syfy's Next Great Series or More Space Garbage?





Hannibal







Its viewership is hitting lows. It's been moved to Saturdays. It's even been canceled. But NBC's Hannibal still remains one of the best and most unique series on television no matter what the numbers say. As long as the mad psychiatrist is chewing up people's psyches and spitting them out (and chewing up other things, as well) and Bryan Fuller is in charge of the show, Hannibal should be on everyone's "Best of" menu.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: The Italian Job





Humans





AMC's co-production with Channel 4 looks at an alternate reality where synths—lifelike androids—are bought and sold to make life easier for us flesh-and-blood lazy people. Buuuuut these 'bots aren't always used for their intended purposes (18+ Adult Options!), and there may even be a few who can feel. I've enjoyed what I've seen, but I also wonder if it peaked in the first episode as not a whole lot has moved the conversation since.

TV.com's review of the series premiere: We Welcome Our New Robo-Overlords



Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell





BBC America's adaptation of Suzanna Clarke's fantasy-ish book about magic in Victorian England has killer style and impressive effects. The eight-part miniseries wraps up this weekend, and it'll be worth watching just to see Eddie Marsan do his thing as Norrell. I'm still catching up after watching the first few episodes, but I liked what I saw.

TV.com's review of the series premiere: We've Got Magic to Do



Mr. Robot





USA's look at the redistribution of wealth quandary through the eyes of a possibly schizophrenic hacker is one of the biggest surprises of the year and probably tops on my list as the best show of the summer. Slick presentation, a rebellious point of view, and stellar acting make this a complete show.

TV.com's review of the series premiere: USA Arrives With a Game-Breaking New Drama





Orange Is the New Black





Oh, just another stellar season of Netflix's women's prison drama, that's all. In Season 3, we got to know the women of Litchfield even better as backstories were spread all over the prison population. Gone was the villain of the season in order to deliver more character stories, which is the show's strength.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: All the Mom Dramabombs





Penny Dreadful





With the prologue that was Season 1 out of the way, Penny Dreadful got down to it in Season 2 through fantastic character moments and relationships that really brought together the show's monster-mash premise. Add in some naked and bald witches, some gorgeous cinematography, and, of course, Eva Green, and you got yourself one of the better shows of the season.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: Here There Be Witches!





Rectify





If you could capture a warm summer day on film, it would be SundanceTV's gorgeous and meditative Rectify. If you could bottle up the energy of a Southern thunderstorm, it would also be the powerfully emotional Rectify. Season 3 continues the examination of Daniel Holden's life after he's released from death row for the murder of a 16-year-old girl 19 years ago, and life ain't taking too kindly to him.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: Unfinished Business





Sense8





The Wachowskis put together this spiritually ambitious series about eight people who share a self, including knowledge, memories, and abilities. Filmed all over the globe, Sense8 is one of the weirdest, and possibly most satisfying, Netflix series to date. Either that, or it's a pretentious mess. You decide!

TV.com's review of the series premiere: What Did I Just Watch?





Teen Wolf





Shirtless dudes wolfing out and fighting monsters? Continue doing what you're doing, Teen Wolf.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: Lightning and Full Throttle



True Detective





Season 2 has received lots of flack for not being as good as Season 1, but it's still a hard-boiled cop drama with some great acting performances (except for maybe the miscast Vince Vaughn) and the occasional intense, heart-stopping action sequence. The move to Los Angeles may have changed the backdrop, but the darkness inside is still on the forefront.

TV.com's review of the season premiere: This Is My Least Favorite Life





UnReal





Another big surprise of the summer, Lifetime's examination of the business of reality television is shocking, salacious, and seriously good. Turns out conducting evil in the name of business and the almighty dollar works great as a drama.

TV.com's review: You Need to Watch Lifetime's UnReal Whether You Love or Hate The Bachelor





Wayward Pines





Set in a small town loaded with secrets, an odd real-estate game, and schools that trust the kids more than the adults, Fox's Wayward Pines is a perfect example of what event television should be. The flat-out insane miniseries from producer M. Night Shyamalan has dialed down the crazy juuuuust a tad in its second half in favor of charging toward the finish line with a satisfying conclusion. The finale airs this week, I dare you to jump on in and try and make sense of it all.

TV.com's review of the series premiere: Do Fence Me In





What do you think has been the best show of the summer so far?

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