Summer is usually a season reserved for fun in the sun. But, hey, there’s only so much time you can devote to enhancing your tan, right? That’s why we’re offering these moviegoing and TV-viewing suggestions for those hours when you’re in the mood to beat the heat and enjoy quality time in the great indoors.

Moving Pictures

Gangland

Originally known as Keep Quiet — the title still attached to the film when it recently had its North American premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival — Gangland showcases a career-highlight performance by C&I reader favorite Lou Diamond Phillips (pictured above) Teddy Sharp, a Thunderstone Tribal Police Department cop dealing with a by-the-book new partner (Dana Namerode) and a vengeful ex-con. Elisha Pratt plays the prodigal bad boy, Richie, who’s newly released from prison and eager to reunite with fellow gang members while settling old scores. Meanwhile, Teddy wrestles with other demons from his past — and can never forgive himself for unwittingly inviting one into his community. (Opens in theaters July 10.)

The Isolate Thief

Mackenzie Foy (Interstellar), Odeya Rush (Corporate Retreat), Jack Kesy (The Killer), Ty Simpkins (The Whale), and Martin Sensmeier (Frybread Face and Me) join Joe Pantoliano (Bad Boys for Life) and Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings franchise) in a western from the producers of Old Henry and the forthcoming  The Rescue (starring Brandon Sklenar). The official synopsis: “One bitter-cold winter during the Civil War, a young woman becomes the lone caretaker of a remote Union Army outpost. When a stash of stolen gold falls into her lap, a gang of vicious outlaws comes looking for it. As they turn her home into a battleground, she must stay one step ahead of them in order to survive.” (Also opens July 10 in theaters.)

Last Train to Fortune

Malcolm McDowell stars as Cecil Peachtree, a conservative schoolmaster who misses the last train headed to his next assignment in the frontier town of Fortune. Cecil reluctantly befriends and strikes a deal with the outlaw Dooley, played by James Paxton, who agrees to take Cecil to Fortune in exchange for the teacher’s school stipend. (Trivia note: Paxton is the son of the late Bill Paxton, who was originally slated to play Dooley until his tragic death in 2017.) Other members of the cast include Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen (Melvin & Howard, Cross Creek) and Tony Award-winner Bernadette Peters (Annie, Mozart in the Jungle). (Opening date TBA.)

Television

Texas Two-Step

Every so often, the folks at Hallmark Channel treat us to a romantic comedy involving ranchers and/or country music. Here’s a new one that gives us a bit of both. What’s it all about? Olivia (Heather Hemmens, who you may remember as Melody Prescott from Season 1 of Yellowstone) returns to Texas to help her aunt with her country music bar that’s fallen on hard times. While there, she reconnects with Luke (Brendan Perry of Chesapeake Shores), her childhood sweetheart turned cowboy, and her passion for dancing. (June 13 on Hallmark Channel, then starting June 14 on Hallmark+.)

The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys

They’re baaaack! Season 3 of the popular docuseries about the McBee family and their Missouri farming empire finds the McBee brothers — Steven Jr., Cole, Jesse, and Brayden — as they balance family responsibilities with the demands of the farm. With Steve McBee being sentenced following the FBI investigation, Steven Jr. has fully taken over the responsibilities of running the ranch. But you just know it won’t be easy for him, right? Sure enough, new challenges will test the family’s unity, resilience, and determination to secure their legacy. (Premieres June 15 on Bravo, June 16 on Peacock.)

Little House on the Prairie

Netflix is so confident that their reboot of Michael Landon’s beloved TV series — based on the novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder — will be a smash hit, the streamer has already green-lit a second season for the show. For the benefit of those who tuned in late, Netflix has offered this logline: “Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semiautobiographical Little House books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.” (All eight Season 1 episodes will premiere July 9 on Netflix.)

Ransom Canyon

Also on Netflix: The eight-episode second season of Ransom Canyon, the contemporary western drama — inspired by the Jodi Thomas series of books — set in the Hill Country of Texas. According to the streamer: “Season 2 picks up six months after the events of the first season, with rancher Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) fighting to reclaim his legacy after being unseated as trustee of his family’s Double K Ranch, while musician Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly) must decide if her heart truly belongs in the small town she once tried to outrun or in the fast-paced world of New York City. Are they star-crossed lovers or fated to be together? In Ransom Canyon, true love stories are messy, complicated, and always worth the wait.” Well, we will be the judge of that. (All eight Season 2 episodes will premiere July 23 on Netflix.)

Anna Pigeon

For those of us who can’t wait until Season 2 of Untamed, here’s another mystery-drama about a crime-solving park ranger. Based on the best-selling book series by Nevada Barr, Anna Pigeon stars Tracy Spiridakos, late of Chicago P.D. and Revolution, as the title character, described by USA Network as “a former city slicker who became a park ranger after a devastating loss changed the trajectory of her life forever.” As Anna attempts to outrun her demons, “her focus turns to solving crimes that have taken place within national park grounds, no matter who or what gets in her way.” (Premieres August 7 on USA Network.)