As much as I love summer – the sunshine, the heat, the trips to the beach – I do long for new episodes of my favorite television shows. Because of DVR, I don’t miss any episodes during the year, so I can’t use the summer as a catch-up time. Instead, I use the summer to find programs to start watching once it’s time for the new seasons to start up.
So far on my list, I’ve got The Good Wife and Pretty Little Liars. I’m also looking forward to another season of So You Think You Can Dance, which will be finished by the fall but is always a welcome signal that summer is upon us.
There are quite a few new shows, both scripted and reality, coming out over the next few weeks. Here’s a look at some I plan on catching and others (cough*Love in the Wild*cough) I will avoid like the plague:
Franklin & Bash: OK, so Clueless is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I can recite the plot of every Saved by the Bell ever produced. Obviously, I am going to check out TNT’s Franklin & Bash, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer as a pair of lawyers constantly on the prowl for new clients. As I write this, the show hasn’t premiered on the West Coast, but a friend on the East Coast said it’s hilarious. If it’s as funny as it’s supposed to be, then I hope it doesn’t get cancelled because I need more Zack Morris Mark-Paul Gosselaar on my television! Premiered June 1.
Wilfred: Elijah Wood stars in this FX comedy as Ryan, a regular guy who forms a friendship with his neighbor’s dog, Wilfred. According to the FX website, “Everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog, but Ryan sees a crude and somewhat surly, yet irrepressibly brave and honest Australian bloke in a cheap dog suit.” I like Elijah, and the Australian show that Wilfred is based on was a hit, so I expect good things. Premieres June 23.
Love in the Wild: I am not a fan of shows like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette or anything else having to do with complete strangers expecting to fall in love and get married within 12 episodes. For those who enjoy that sort of thing, though, there’s NBC’s Love in the Wild, which throws single people into the jungle, where they are expected to go on first dates and participate in challenges. Sounds like a demented I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Premieres June 23.
Falling Skies: Sci-fi lovers, here’s a show for you. TNT’s Falling Skies stars Noah Wyle, who is dealing with the death of his wife and capture of his sons following an attack by aliens. He is one of very few survivors, and joins forces with the others to take back the world. Alien shows kind of freak me out (blame it on a scary movie I saw when I was young), but this one sounds promising. Premieres June 19.
State of Georgia: Raven-Symone is back on ABC Family in State of Georgia. She plays Georgia, an aspiring actress who moves to New York City with her science loving BFF (Majandra Delfino). It’s executive produced by Jennifer Weiner of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes fame. Premieres June 29.
Tell me, what shows are you planning on watching this summer?
26 replies on “What’s New on the Tube This Summer”
I gotta talk about Almost Heroes; it’s on Showcase here in Canada. It’s about two brothers ( one of whom was separated from Jeff Winger at birth) whose dad recently died and they are trying to save the comic book store he used to run. It’s kind of like Jeff from Community and Raj from Big Bang Theory opening a store together. Jeff-guy ( I can’t remember his real name) also has an old friend who has gotten stuck working at Sassitude since high school. She’s hilarious, and not typically actress skinny. The show is hilarious; I strongly recommend!
That sounds like a great show!
I’m ridiculously excited for the return of True Blood – fingers crossed for Sookie staying away from Bill, who is, without a doubt, THE WORST.
I’m also looking forward to the return of Covert Affairs, which was last summer’s super fluffy TV candy of choice. And fun fact: Piper’s no longer long lost love is played by one of the hyena teens from the first season of Buffy, while Auggie was in the season 2 episode as the ghost of a 50s high school student with an unhealthy attachment to I Only Have Eyes For You, by The Flamingos.
(Which, granted, is an excellent song.)
Finally, I’m really excited for the fourth season of Damages. Maybe now that Rose Byrne has graced the big screen as one of Bridesmaids‘ bridesmaids, the show will get the kind of attention it deserves. Plus, Glenn Close.
Oh! Also, the new BBC America series, The Hour, mainly because 1. period drama from BBC and 2. Dominic West, aka The Wire‘s McNulty.
I’ve only seen True Blood once, and that was two years ago while on vacation in Costa Rica (so it was in Spanish, which I don’t speak!). I interned at a magazine obsessed with the show, though, so I feel like I know more about it than I probably should, and really, I should try to follow along this season by finding episodes online.
That’s Christopher Gorham, who was also on Popular, a vastly underrated show that you can get on Netflix. Check out the first season — it’s fantastic.
I will most definitely be tuning in to Franklin & Bash (I so wish it would’ve been Seth Green and Breckin, but I’ll live with
Zack, I mean Mark-PaulSeth Green would also have worked well, but I love Mark-Paul! :)
Ahhh, I am SO excited for the summer line-ups. I FINALLY have some down time to not only watch shows as they premiere, but also catch up/start series that I’ve been meaning to watch. My list:
1. True Blood. TRUE BLOOD. That’s all that needs to be said.
2. I need to catch up on Game of Thrones. The tail end of the first season is going on right now, and I’m stoked. Also? Martin needs to get a move on the last two books. SERIOUSLY.
3. Covert Affairs. I have a major crush on Auggie (played by Christopher Gorham!).
4. White Collar. I was into it when it first started and then stopped watching it. Now that it’s starting up again, I NEED TO CATCH UP. I love Neal and Peter. Their chemistry is, by far, some of the best I’ve seen on television.
5. Ugly Betty. HENRY. Unf.
6. I’m going to start Merlin, and I’m so excited to lay my eyes on the perfection that is Bradley James’ face.
7. Buffy. I have never watched this series (*gasp* I know…I KNOW) since I was only 6 when it came out, but a marathon is in order!
8. Everything else of Joss Whedon’s.
My summer TV time will be FABULOUS.
Your enthusiasm is endearing. Enjoy Merlin, shield yourself for cringeworthy “jokes” and easy-ways-out.
Haha, I just read over this, and realized how many exclamation points I have in my comment. It’s a bit embarrassing and I actually have a rule to take out exclamation points depending on the length of a certain response/message/email. I obviously didn’t utilize such measure with that comment, but I’m SO EXCITED FOR FREE TIME.
I have heard that Merlin is cheesy, and will brace myself! But what also caught my eye was the fact that they have an bi-racial actress playing Gwen. I LOVE that, and it’s comforting to see in the midst of so much white-washing (I’m looking at you, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Dragonball: Evolution, Prince of Persia, etc.). And from what I’ve heard, Merlin has more characters like that.
Also! slightly related: this awesome video from MovieBob.
Merlin is great entertainment with some stellar eye-candy. As long as you’re willing to overlook the idiosyncracies that seem to come with any story about Merlin/King Arthur, you’ll be amused if nothing else.
You know, I might watch some Buffy, because I tuned in when it originally aired but I honestly don’t remember that much of it…it’ll be like a new show!
Then you can join us in the Buffy rewatches, every Friday. :)
Yes!!!!
Oh, I should add White Collar to my list. I caught the first few episodes one day when I was sick, and I liked it!
Come and visit us over in the Buffy recapps when you’re working on the show. I’m always really interested in hearing what new viewers think of the series.
I’ve watched Big Brother every summer since it first started airing (I say this with a mixture of pride and shame, haha), so I look forward to that every year. And I really enjoy So You Think You Can Dance – I just love watching people learn all different styles of dance and wear fun costumes.
Haha, yeah, Big Brother is just too much for me to handle! It does seem like the perfect show for summer, though.
There’s nothing I look forward to more on tv during the summer than I Think You Can Dance.
Let me get my list..
But as these are all American shows, it might be ‘What’s new on my Internet this Autumn’ instead of ‘Tube/summer’. Sadly enough.
First of all:
True Blood. I know I should expect fuckuppery (excusez le mot), but still.
Torchwood. Guilty Pleasure. I hope for a lot of Jack Harkness and little Gwen.
Teen Wolf sounds like the perfect ‘I’m bored – what am I gonna do?’ time waster.
I’m probably forgetting a few, but I guess that means the others don’t matter so much.
I watched the first 8 minutes of Teen Wolf, after the season finale of Real World: Las Vegas, and I hold a similar view for the show as well (I forgot to put that on my list, haha).
I kind of forgot what went on last season with TB, so I’m going to have a marathon leading up to the viewing. How about you?
I sorta marathoned last month, through season 1,2 and 3.
I’ve never seen Torchwood…what’s it about?
Do you know Doctor Who? It’s a spin-off of it, so sci-fi, monsters, aliens. Also an immortal, omnisexual leader (Captain Jack Harkness), loads of silliness and sexual innuendos.
Put it in the category: guilty pleasure.
I had no idea it was a spin off of Doctor Who! That’s another show I need to check out.