While most shows take the summer off, there is no shortage of excellent television to get you through the long, empty summer days that lie ahead.

“Hannibal”

Admittedly, the second season of “Hannibal” is already halfway over, but its finale will air during the summer and it is a fantastic show so I am including it.

The show is beautifully shot, with haunting imagery for both its landscapes and inventive murder scenes. Mads Mikkelsen portrays Hannibal in such a creepy, perfect way that you will forget all about Anthony Hopkins.

Even though it is on NBC, “Hannibal” is structured and produced more like something you would find on HBO or even AMC. It is an amazing, eerie and tense network show that puts other dramas to shame. 

“BoJack Horseman”

This is a Netflix original series that will premiere sometime in August. “BoJack Horseman” is Netflix’s first foray into adult animated programming, starring Will Arnett and Aaron Paul.

The show follows BoJack, star of a hit television show in the ‘90s, as he tries to make his triumphant comeback in the entertainment industry. Yes, BoJack is an anthropomorphic horse with the voice of Will Arnett.

The show was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, who is unknown by most but made a splash years ago in the sketch comedy group Olde English. The group recently released an excellent film/documentary called “The Exquisite Corpse Project” which is a good place to find the cocktail of humor and emotion that Bob-Waksberg will surely inject in his show. 

“Orphan Black”

Tatiana Maslany made a splash last year as the star of this Canadian show, playing several different roles. All of Maslany’s characters are very different in personality, appearance and even accent, and she plays them all perfectly.

This showcase of acting talent is set against a science fiction backdrop, with Maslany’s characters discovering they are clones. They set about trying to figure out how and why they were created, and what implications this has on their future.

Season two kicked off on April 19 and can be seen every Saturday on BBC America, while you can stream the first season for free with an Amazon Prime account.