New to Neon in August

Emperor of Ocean Park (August 1) concerns the impact of a judge’s death on his family, who suspect his ‘heart attack’ may have been foul play.

Graham Coleman (the yet-to-stream here Lawman: Bass Reeves), Forest Whitaker and Tiffany Mack (Jessica Jones) star.

Among the early reviews was this verdict from roger.ebert.com:

The Emperor of Ocean Park feels most like a rumination on empire and dynasty within the realms of America’s wealthiest, and how that looks from a Black lens. Too bad, then, that those interesting ideas get lost in a soup of petty personal dramas, cheap conspiracy-thriller antics, and a time-hopping structure that messes mightily with the show’s pacing. And when stretched across an agonising ten-episode The Emperor, I’m afraid to admit, has no clothes.

But Variety argued: “Though the tone and pacing of the 10-episode series initially stumbles, when it finds its footing in Episode 4, the narrative soars, taking the audience on a unique journey of a family divided by political ideology, secrets and vengeance.”

Also new are S3 of high-stakes finance Industry (August 12), the documentary Wheel Blacks: Bodies on the Line (August 18) and every season of ’90s courtroom sensation Murder in the First (August 29).

Here’s the full slate of TV newcomers in August:

Leading the movie highlights are Anyone But You, Mean Girls (2024), Migration and The Iron Claw. Here’s the full line-up: