For us kiwis, July means the middle of Winter. The cold has surely hit us which means the couch becomes a safe haven. And as well all know, kiwis are nocturnal, known to construct blanket forts, basking in the glow of their television screens.

Here are five shows to watch out for, on five different platforms. Because if you want the good stuff you’ll have to go hunting.

New NBC series Good Girls stars Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Retta (Parks and Recreation), and Mae Whitman (Parenthood). From the trailer alone it looks to be one of those crime comedies like The House where everyday protagonists after a bit of money one day get in over their heads. But this is a series and I just don’t know how dark it’s going to go. Is this another Breaking Bad/Ozark or more a happy-go-lucky crime spree? It does appear there is some vehicular mayhem so take that as you will.

Taking the slot of Funny Girls after it wrapped its third season, The Spinoff TV debuted two Friday’s ago on Three. As it’s a news show I don’t know how long it will be on the air for, and by that, I mean scheduling-wise and not that it’s going to be canned. Will it be on reliably every week like Jono & Ben or does it have a shelf life? I hope it stays on because it is an entertaining media product and gives a platform to people that aren’t Mark Richardson. Lead by Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden it aims to dissect the last week in NZ media with some clever asides, my favourite being the segment where comedy trio Frickin’ Dangerous Bro review white people things, in the first episode that’s Lush bath bombs.

I’ve been ambivalent towards Preacher in the past. It does some really creative and cool looking things on telly but spends so much time spacing out the plot that for the most part I just get bored. Season 3 started last week and since I’ve come this far I may as well see it through and just pray the good stuff lasts. We finally get to the part of the comics where Jesse, the eponymous preacher, comes face to face with his past and his not-so-normal family.

Another Kiwi production hits the small screen in this adaptation of the Little Empire podcast. Hosts Chris Parker and Eli Matthewson are hugely charismatic and entertaining and when they both break out in laughter you can’t help but be swept up in it all. They also cover sexuality topics that most shows shy away from and this is something we all need right now, to educate ourselves in the form of this friendly and positive webseries. It’s just a shame this didn’t hit network TV.

Now that Westworld has finished its tumultuous third season, HBO’s Sunday night slate is sorely lacking. Make room for new miniseries Sharp Objects, based on the book by Gillian Flynn, and starring Hollywood powerhouse Amy Adams (Arrival, Nocturnal Animals). Created by Marti Noxon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, UnREAL) Sharp Objects is an eight-episode limited series about a reporter returning to her tiny hometown to investigate the murders of two girls. Perhaps not the warmest of Winter viewing.