From the first ever Alien series to the new run of Netflix's Addams Family spin-off and a true-crime drama about Amanda Knox.

Jason Momoa used his Aquaman clout to get this colourful historical epic made. He co-created and co-wrote the series, and plays Ka'iana, a warrior in 18th-Century Hawaii who is trying to unify the islands before colonists take control. If the subject is unexpected from the star of mainstream commercial films including the recent hit The Minecraft Movie, the action is on brand. Combining large-scale battle scenes with history is a formula that worked for Shogun, and Chief of War has a similar dynamic, and a grounding in authenticity. The cast is mostly Polynesian, and Momoa, who was born in Hawaii, had to speak the Hawaiian language, Olelo, for some scenes. Learning it, he told GQ, was "The hardest thing I have done in my life." The series co-creator, Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, has said, "We actually had this idea a good 10 years ago," but, he added, "We knew that in order to pull off something like this, Jason needed to bring his star power up".

Chief of War premieres 1 August on Apple TV internationally

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler's production company is behind this latest Marvel animated series, which fits neatly into that film's universe as it follows Wakandan warriors at various points in history. Traveling the world, they put themselves at risk to retrieve artifacts containing the rare, powerful metal vibranium – that energy-absorbing material that has caused such a fuss in so many Marvel movies – stolen from Wakanda. Each of the four episodes has a different story and setting. The one set in ancient Greece has a disgraced former member of Wakanda's all-female army, the Dora Milage, tracing a man known as the Lion, who attempts to build a kingdom on the strength of stolen vibranium treasure. Todd Harris, the series' showrunner, told EW that his ambition was to create "a giant spy-espionage story that reverberates through time".

Eyes of Wakanda premieres 1 August on Disney internationally

In the second season of Jenna Ortega's breakout hit, young goth Wednesday Addams, returns to Nevermore Academy, and there are some starry additions to the cast. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman are back as Wednesday's loving parents, Morticia and Gomez. Among the added characters, Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) plays Morticia's mother, who has the Dickensian name Hester Frump (she is not a frump; she's glam). Billie Piper plays a music teacher, Isadora Capri, who is mentor to Wednesday's best friend, Enid (Emma Myers) – appropriate since they are both werewolves. And Steve Buscemi plays the school's oddball new headmaster, Barry Dort. He is featured in the show's best teaser, which plays off Buscemi's classic meme from 30 Rock, "How do you do, fellow kids", so you can see that the show's mordant wit is intact. Tim Burton directed several episodes. The season's second half drops in September and you'll have to wait until then for Lady Gaga's guest appearance.

Wednesday premieres 6 August on Netflix internationally

The wildly........

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