New in streaming August 2023: Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Prime Video, NOW, ITVX

Although it’s a liberated blessing for teen shows like Euphoria and Sex Education to exist, their heavy eroticism can be oppressive at times. Heartstopper provides a sweet escape for the genre, prioritising love and affection between young LGBTQ+ characters. Series one made stars out of its core cast – especially the trans actress Yasmin Finney, who’s playing a significant role in the regenerated Doctor Who.

Moving through exams, proms and a school trip to Paris, the second series further explores the blossoming relationship between the reclusive Charlie (Joe Locke) and popular rugby lad Nick (Kit Connor). The latter isn’t ready to come out yet and he struggles through that process. The will-they-won’t-they between Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Finney) also grows, potentially risking their friendship.

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The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is the latest project from Made Up Stories, the company responsible for popular (if trashy) American series like The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers as well as Australian films like The Dry.

Sigourney Weaver stars as June, the head of a flower farm that also serves as a refuge for traumatised women. Granddaughter Alice (Alyla Browne and Alycia Debnam-Carey) is taken to live on the farm after her parents perish in a mysterious fire. Over decades, Alice uncovers buried secrets about her family.

2021 was like the morning after a hazy night, the hangover of Covid-19 still present as people emerged from their homes. Hardly surprising that it's the year when Only Murders in the Building – a sleuth comedy set inside a posh, New York apartment block – became an instant hit across the world. Returning old comedy favourites Steve Martin and Martin Short to the spotlight and mixing them with former Disney star Selena Gomez seems a bizarre, incongruous idea on paper. But their collective, hilarious chemistry as wannabe true-crime podcasters works wonderfully together and shows no signs of slowing down.

At the end of season two, director Oliver (Short) puts on a new Broadway show – starring his podcast pal Charles (Martin) and affronted actor Ben (Paul Rudd). But as Oliver sits in the audience with Mabel (Gomez), the third and youngest member of their true-crime team, Ben suddenly – literally – dies on stage. The trio’s investigations have left their Arconia building and now explode onto Broadway, where cast and crew are now suspects. Also stars Meryl Streep and Ashley Park.

In the crude and brilliant adult animation Rick and Morty, blue creatures called the Meseeks are summoned to sort out any small issues that humans have. When they're done, they disappear. But keep them around too long and they become life-hating monsters, desperate to die. It’s hard not to compare the blueness of the Meseeks and that of the absurd aliens in Strange Planet, the new cartoon from Rick and Morty creator Dan Harman.

Based on the graphic novel by Nathan W Pyle, the comedy series drops into an existential world where these aliens endure versions of our own strange, day-to-day traditions. Voices include Danny Pudi (Community) and Hannah Einbinder (Hacks).

Recalling Édith Scob’s performance in Eyes Without a Face, Mask Girl looks rather disturbing. Behind that fixed countenance is Kim Mo-mi (Go Hyun-jung), an insecure office worker who’s uncomfortable about how she looks. When night rolls around, she puts on the mask and live-streams to an audience – keeping her face and identity anonymous. Little does she know that her office colleague Ju Oh-nam (Ahn Jae-hong) has a crush on her.

But as Mo-mi continues being a broadcasting jockey, she becomes entangled in an incident that sets her (and Oh-nam) on a road of weird twists, black comedy, and fierce messages about lookism.

Tuesday 1 August
Untold: Jake Paul The Problem Child (Netflix)

Wednesday 2 August
Physical, season 3 (Apple TV+)
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough (Netflix)
Poisoned: The Dirty Truth about your Food (Netflix)
Departure, season 3 (NOW)

Thursday 3 August
Life and Limb: Missing Millionairess (ITVX)
The Secrets of the Krays (ITVX)
Vanishing Act (ITVX)
Head to Head (Netflix)
Heartstopper, season 2 (Netflix)
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Netflix)
Hot Yachts: Miami (Paramount+)

Friday 4 August
The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing & Vanderpump (Disney+)
The Big Nailed It! Bake Off Challenge (Netflix)
Fatal Seduction (Netflix)
The Hunt for Veerappan (Netflix)
Margaux (Paramount+)
The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart (Prime Video)

Monday 7 August
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, season 2 (NOW)

Tuesday 8 August
Only Murders in the Building, season 3 (Disney+)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh, Part 2 (Netflix)
Starstruck, seasons 1-3 (Netflix)
Untold: Johnny Football (Netflix)
Zombieverse (Netflix)

Wednesday 9 August
Strange Planet (Apple TV+)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, season 4 (Disney+)
Moving (Disney+)
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Netflix)

Thursday 10 August
The Case Against Cosby (ITVX)
Marry My Dead Body (Netflix)
Painkiller (Netflix)

Friday 11 August
Jagged Mind (Disney+)
Heart of Stone (Netflix)
Love in Taipei (Paramount+)
Cruel Summer, season 2 (Prime Video)

Saturday 12 August
Billions, season 7 (NOW/Paramount+)

Tuesday 15 August
Untold: Hall of Shame (Netflix)

Wednesday 16 August
Miguel Wants to Fight (Disney+)
At Home with the Furies (Netflix)

Thursday 17 August
Sanditon, season 3 (ITVX)
The Upshaws, Part 4 (Netflix)

Friday 18 August
Derry Girls, season 3 (Netflix)
Mask Girl (Netflix)
The Monkey King (Netflix)
FBI: Most Wanted, season 4 (NOW)
Harlan Coben’s Shelter (Prime Video)

Sunday 20 August
Joe Pickett, season 2 (Paramount+)

Tuesday 22 August
The Devil Judge (Netflix)
Lighthouse (Netflix)
Untold: Swamp Kings (Netflix)

Wednesday 23 August
Invasion, season 2 (Apple TV+)
Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney+)
Squared Love: Everlasting (Netflix)

Thursday 24 August
Reel Britannia (ITVX)
Who Is Erin Carter? (Netflix)

Friday 25 August
Vacation Friends 2 (Disney+)

Tuesday 29 August
Star Trek: Lower Decks, seasons 1–3 (Paramount+)

Thursday 31 August
Choose Love (Netflix)
One Piece (Netflix)