Time Bandits, the final season of Elite and more new TV this week

The big agenda item for anyone following the entertainment media this week is, of course, San Diego Comic-Con, which starts on Wednesday and runs all weekend. That will give us plenty of tantalizing plans for TV, movies, comics, games, and more that lie ahead (ranging from “things coming out next week” to “things we won’t see for a few years, if they ever come out”). There’s going to be a lot to process, I say.

But in the meanwhileThere are some good TV premieres this week, and a diverse selection too. Here are the best new TV series to add to your watchlist this week.


New series on Netflix

Elite season 8

Genre: Teen soap
Date of publication: July 26 with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Carlos Montero and Dario Madrona
Form: Mina El Hammani, Omar Ayuso, Valentina Zenere and more

Everyone’s favorite soapy teens are back for their final season. If you haven’t gotten on board with this Netflix behemoth by now, well, there’s no better time than now to catch up on all seven(!) previous seasons. But if you’re in, you’re all in at this point, and you know what a mess these guys make. Luckily Elite Day for everyone who celebrates it!

Scammers in Tokyo

Genre: Crime drama thriller
Date of publication: July 25
Showrunner/creator: A Hitoshi
Form: Ayano Go, Toyokawa Etsushi, Koike Eiko and more

Real estate prices are rising in Tokyo and a small group of criminals try to exploit the situation by committing real estate fraud. With the police hot on their heels, it is a three-way confrontation between the investigators, those who have been defrauded and those who commit the fraud.

The Decameron

Genre: Comedy from that time
Date of publication: July 25 with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Kathleen Jordan
Form: Amar Chadha-Patel, Tony Hale, Tanya Reynolds and more

In an attempt to escape the bubonic plague, a group of Italian nobles (and their servants) retreat to a lavish villa. What could possibly go wrong?

New shows on Apple TV Plus

Time Bandits

Genre: Family Friendly Timeless Adventure
Date of publication: July 24 with two episodes
Showrunner/creator: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
Form: Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Sarah Darkin and more

Based on the 1981 Terry Gilliam film of the same name, Time Bandits follows a young boy who discovers that his bedroom is a time travel portal. When the titular Time Bandits encounter him, they decide they can’t kill him, so they take him along on their misadventure-filled journey.