Summer TV Preview: 20 Shows to Watch This Summer

May 23: Premiere calendar updated with many new dates and times.

Take a chance on these shows

It's good that Bad's back

No longer a wasteland of reruns and failed pilots, the summer television season brings a surprisingly large lineup of new and returning programs. Sure, there's plenty of lighter fare, like the breezy dramas that populate TNT and USA, and the reality programs found on every other network. But there are also shows like Breaking Bad and Louie that repeatedly take chances and have them pay off in the form of some of the best television you'll find at any time of the year. This summer will also see the long-awaited return of HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, the debut of a promising new sci-fi series in Falling Skies, the final seasons of Entourage, The Closer, and Rescue Me, and the arrival of an intriguing new FX comedy, Wilfred.

Below is a listing of key new and returning shows arriving between now and mid-August, followed a complete calendar of summer TV premiere dates.

Key new and returning programs

Alphas
(Syfy, Mondays at 10p starting July 11)

Okay, so Heroes didn't turn out so well after all, but it did start strong, so you can forgive NBCUniversal for returning to the concept once again on cable, where it might play out better. Syfy's new Alphas centers on a team of investigators with extraordinary mental and physical powers -- such as increased strength, immunity from pain, and the ability to influence the actions of others -- who use them to stop threats that the government is unable to prevent. David Strathairn and Malik Yoba star; the pilot was directed by Jack Bender (Lost), and the series was created by veteran screenwriter Zak Penn.

Breaking Bad
(AMC, Sundays at 10p starting July 17)

Bryan Cranston has won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his performance as chemistry teacher-turned-meth-manufacturer Walter White, but we can guarantee he won't win a fourth straight trophy ... only because the fourth season of Breaking Bad doesn't begin until after the eligibility cutoff date. Though the beautifully shot drama series seems to enter darker territory with each successive season, it also somehow gets even better each year (with Metascores of 74, 85 and 89 for its three seasons), and has been heralded by many critics as one of the best shows on television. (We concur.) Season 4, which will likely be the penultimate season for Breaking Bad, picks up immediately after the events of the shocking third season finale and introduces a shocking new development of its own, while later in the year, Walt will face a new competitor in the form of Gus' biochemist brother, Max.

The Closer
(TNT, Mondays at 9p starting July 11)

Though it doesn't get the same level of press as some other cable shows, TNT's long-running crime series is cable's highest-rated drama, and last year star Kyra Sedgwick earned an Emmy for her performance as head of the LAPD's Major Crimes Division. The upcoming 21-episode seventh season of The Closer will be the series' last, though only 10 episodes will actually air this summer; expect five more in the winter and the final six episodes of the series next summer. Joining the cast as a full-time regular is Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), who has appeared sporadically in the past and could potentially star in a rumored spin-off series when The Closer ends next year.

Commercial Kings
(IFC, Fridays at 10p starting June 24)

Based on the website ilovelocalcommercials.com, IFC's new "docu-comedy" series follows comedians Rhett (McLaughlin) and Link (Neal) around the country as they film low-budget commercials for local small businesses. Given that it's a comedy series, expect the businesses to be especially small and quirky (a one-man trash hauling company, a "green" burial service, a company called Make Me a Pro Wrestler, etc.), and the commercials especially wacky.

Curb Your Enthusiasm
(HBO, Sundays at 10p starting July 10)

It has been 18 months since we last checked in with our wood-respecting hero, but not only is Larry David back, he's heading to New York for the first time in the series. The 10-episode eighth season of HBO's acclaimed comedy will split time between Manhattan and its usual home base of Los Angeles and feature guest stars like Michael J. Fox, Ricky Gervais, Rosie O'Donnell, Michael McKean, and former Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.

Damages
(DirecTV, Wednesdays tbd starting July 13)

The good news for fans of the intricately plotted legal drama Damages: not only will there be a fourth season this summer, but season 5 will arrive in 2012. The bad news: if you have cable, you won't be seeing either season. Rescued by DirecTV after it was canceled by FX, the acclaimed series will air commercial-free exclusively on the satellite provider's 101 Network. Emmy winner Glenn Close returns along with Rose Byrne, while newcomers include John Goodman, Griffin Dunne, Bailey Chase, and Judd Hirsch, and the story involves a lawsuit over an incident involving a military contractor in a war zone.

Entourage
(HBO, Sundays at 10:30p starting July 24)

Only eight episodes remain in HBO's long-running "comedy" series, which might come as a relief to fans who have stuck with the show through its entire run, only to watch it slowly run out of ideas and momentum. Perhaps a short season and the need to bring about some sort of conclusion will produce an inspired batch of episodes, but then again, maybe not; a big-screen movie with the Entourage characters is reportedly in the works. Christian Slater, Alex Rodriguez, and possibly Charlie Sheen are among the cameos you can expect in the coming episodes, which will show Vince emerging from rehab while Johnny Drama works on his cartoon series, Turtle attempts to open a restaurant with Carmelo Anthony, and Eric signs a new client (The Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki, playing a version of himself).

Falling Skies
(TNT, Sundays at 10p starting June 19 at 9p)

Take the post-apocalyptic landscape of The Walking Dead and combine it with the evil alien invaders of V and you have Falling Skies, TNT's new sci-fi series. Six months after militaristic aliens have arrived on Earth and wiped out most of the population, history professor Noah Wyle leads a group of survivors in resistance. Steven Spielberg is an executive producer, while writers on the effects-heavy show include Graham Yost (Justified) and series creator Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan). The network is reportedly so high on the series that they are close to renewing it for a second season; in fact, they have just hired Caprica co-creator Remi Aubuchon to run the show if it comes back for another year.

Futurama
(Comedy Central, Thursdays at 10p starting June 23)

Good news, everyone! Summer is now the official season of Futurama, with batches of 13 new episodes arriving not just this June, but also in the summers of 2012 and 2013. At this rate, perhaps the once-canceled show will last until the year 3000. One of the two episodes airing on the June 23 premiere night finds Bender with the power to self-replicate (while Patton Oswalt guests as "Unattractive Giant Monster"), and if reports from last year hold true, the final episode of this season will consist of three mini stories each told in a different style of animation.

The Inbetweeners
(BBC America, Saturdays at 11p starting June 18)

A critically acclaimed hit in the UK, The Inbetweeners also impressed American critics when its first two seasons aired on BBC America last year. Now, it's our turn to get the six-episode third season, which aired on Britain's E4 last fall. Often labeled the British equivalent to Freaks & Geeks, the half-hour show follows the (mis)adventures of four high school friends, and it is a bit raunchier than what you'd find on TV in the States, though MTV is currently developing an Americanized version.

Jon Benjamin Has a Van
(Comedy Central, Wednesdays at 10:30p starting June 15)

You may not recognize him by sight, but H. Jon Benjamin is the voice behind some of TV's most memorable animated characters, from the titular spy on Archer to the titular burger-flipper on Bob's Burgers as well as Coach McGuirk on Home Movies and Ben on Dr. Katz Professional Therapist. After appearing in numerous non-animated sketches on Important Things with Demetri Martin, Benjamin now gets his own eponymous show on the same network, Comedy Central. Produced by Funny or Die, the 10-episode series is a fake newsmagazine that finds the comedian traveling across the country "reporting" on stories ranging from hard news to human interest.

Louie
(FX, Thursdays at 10:30p starting June 23)

Sure, on paper, comedian Louis C.K.'s eponymous show sounds like Seinfeld: comedic situations drawn from real life interspersed with portions of a stand-up routine performed at a comedy club. In execution, however, Louie is unlike any show we've ever seen, both funny and fearless, and the result in last year's first season was a program that wound up on numerous critic top ten lists at the end of 2010. Unafraid to jump into dramatic territory, experiment with different styles and formats, and ignore continuity when needed to better tell its stories, Louie has a unique voice, thanks to its star's total involvement (he writes, edits, and directs in addition to appearing in nearly every second of footage). The upcoming second season will include 13 new episodes, which will see co-star Pamela Adlon (Californication) returning.

NTSF:SD:SUV (and Childrens' Hospital)
(Adult Swim, Thursdays at Midnight starting July 21 and June 2, respectively)

A spinoff of the live-action Adult Swim comedy Childrens' Hospital, National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle, or NTSF:SD:SUV for short(ish), is a spoof of primetime crime procedurals. Paul Scheer stars, writes, and produces, and the cast also includes Kate Mulgrew, Martin Starr, Rebecca Romijn, and Rob Riggle. Meanwhile, Childrens' Hospital will also return this summer with a fresh batch of 14 episodes; returning cast members include Rob Corddry, Henry Winkler, Megan Mullally, Lake Bell, and Ken Marino, and guests will include Sarah Silverman and Jon Hamm.

Platinum Hit
(Bravo, Mondays at 10p starting May 30)

While nearly every reality competition show these days has amateurs trying to out-sing one another, no show has asked its contestants to write the songs in the first place ... until now. Hoping to do for songwriting what Project Runway did for fashion design and Top Chef did for the culinary arts, Platinum Hit features a dozen aspiring songwriters competing for a publishing deal and a cash prize of $100,000. Singer-songwriter Jewel hosts the 10-week series, while guest judges will include Donna Summer and Jermaine Dupri.

Rescue Me
(FX, Tuesdays at 10p starting July 12)

The seventh and final season of Rescue Me, FX's long-running drama starring Denis Leary as a New York City firefighter, will include just nine episodes, culminating in the series finale on September 6. That gives Leary's troubled Tommy Gavin character little time left to find the redemption that he seeks.

Teen Wolf
(MTV, Mondays at 10p starting Sunday June 5 at 11p)

Though the 1985 Michael J. Fox movie on which this new series is based took a lighthearted approach to lycanthropy, MTV's Teen Wolf promises to be a darker, more serious affair, with a bit of high school drama thrown in for good measure. OK, so it's really just Twilight in series form. (Why the network needed to associate the show with a goofy movie that no MTV viewer has ever seen still escapes us.) Tyler Posey stars as Scott McCall, a newly bitten werewolf dealing with his newly acquired powers, which make him stronger, faster, more attractive to women, good at lacrosse, and prone to going shirtless. Presumably, he also has some problems.

Torchwood
(Starz, Fridays at 8p starting July 10)

Titled Torchwood: Miracle Day, the fourth season of the hit BBC sci-fi series -- originally, a spinoff of Doctor Who -- is now officially a joint US-UK production, and will take place largely in Los Angeles, though it's not quite a full series reboot. Retaining the serialized, miniseries format of previous season Children of Earth, Miracle Day will spend its 10 episodes unfolding a story that begins when, for unknown reasons, the human population stops dying. Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, and Lauren Ambrose star alongside Torchwood veterans John Barrowman and Eve Myles.

True Blood
(HBO, Sundays at 9p starting June 26)

HBO's hit vampire series returns for a 12-episode fourth season based, appropriately enough, on the fourth novel (Dead to the World) in Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries. As in the book, the season begins when vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) loses his memory -- all 1,000 years of it -- though the big story of the season will be the witches who arrive in Bon Temps and pose a threat for the town's other supernatural inhabitants.

Web Therapy
(Showtime, Tuesdays at 11p starting July 19)

While HBO gave us In Treatment, Showtime takes a much more lighthearted approach to psychotherapy in Web Therapy, which marks the return to the small screen for Lisa Kudrow. (Originally, the show aired on an even smaller screen online, but those episodes have now been edited together into 30-minute installments.) The former Friends star (who had a previous pay cable show in The Comeback) takes the lead as Dr. Fiona Wallice, who has a unique approach to her practice: she sees her patients in three-minute sessions, once a week, via webcam. Fortunately for us, those patients will include comedy veterans like Jane Lynch, Courteney Cox, Rashida Jones, and Bob Balaban, who are given free rein to improvise during their "sessions."

Wilfred
(FX, Thursdays at 10p starting June 23)

Yet another TV comedy about an introverted man who sees his neighbor's real-life dog as a man dressed in a dog suit, Wilfred is a remake of the Australian series of the same name. (OK, so it's the only such comedy, and the early word from industry observers is that it has one of the funniest pilots in recent years.) Elijah Wood stars, and creator Jason Gann reprises his role as the dog Wilfred from the original. Ed Helms, Rashida Jones, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Kaczmarek, and Lost's Nestor Carbonell will guest.

Calendar of premiere dates

Week of May 22, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Mon 5/23	8p	The Bachelorette	Reality competition	ABC
Tue 5/24	12:30a	Soul Quest Overdrive	Animation/comedy	Adult Swim
Thu 5/26	9p	4th & Forever	Reality	Current TV
Thu 5/26	8p	So You Think You Can Dance	Reality competition	Fox

Week of May 29, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Mon 5/30	8p	Basketball Wives	Reality	VH1
Mon 5/30	9p	Single Ladies	Drama/comedy	VH1
Mon 5/30	10p	Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition	Reality	ABC
Mon 5/30	10p	Platinum Hit	Reality competition	Bravo
Mon 5/30	10p	Surprise Homecoming	Reality	TLC
Tue 5/31	9p	America's Got Talent	Reality competition	NBC
Tue 5/31	10p	Love Handles	Reality	Lifetime
Tue 5/31	10p	Million Dollar Decorators	Reality	Bravo
Wed 6/1	9p	Franklin & Bash	Drama	TNT
Wed 6/1	9p	Man vs. Food Nation	Reality/food	Travel Channel
Wed 6/1	9p	Haunted Collector	Reality	Syfy
Wed 6/1	10p	Hollywood Treasure	Reality	Syfy
Wed 6/1	10p	Sand Masters	Reality	Travel Channel
Wed 6/1	10p	Love in the Wild	Reality competition	NBC
Wed 6/1	10p	Men of a Certain Age	Comedy/drama	TNT
Wed 6/1	10p	The World According to Paris	Reality	Oxygen
Thu 6/2	10p	Love Bites	Drama/comedy	NBC
Thu 6/2	10p	NY Ink	Reality	TLC
Thu 6/2	Midnight	Childrens' Hospital	Comedy	Adult Swim
Fri 6/3	9p	Whale Wars	Reality	Animal Planet

Week of June 5, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 6/5	9p	The Next Food Network Star	Reality competition	Food Network
Sun 6/5	9p	Ice Road Truckers	Reality	History
Sun 6/5	10p	Mancations	Reality/travel	Travel Channel
Sun 6/5	10p	The Glades	Drama	A&E
Sun 6/5	10p	The Real L Word	Reality	Showtime
Mon 6/6	8p	Masterchef	Reality competition	Fox
Mon 6/6	8p	My Yard Goes Disney	Reality	HGTV
Mon 6/6	8:30p	House Hunters on Vacation	Reality	HGTV
Mon 6/6	9p	HGTV'd	Reality	HGTV
Mon 6/6	9p	Switched at Birth	Drama	ABC Family
Mon 6/6	10p	Teen Wolf	Drama	MTV
The first episode also airs the night before (6/5) at 11p.
Tue 6/7	9p	White Collar	Drama	USA
Tue 6/7	10p	Covert Affairs	Drama	USA
Wed 6/8	9p	Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman	Science	Science
Thu 6/9	10p	Ridiculousness	Comedy	MTV

Week of June 12, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 6/12	9p	The Glee Project	Reality competition	Oxygen
Sun 6/12	10p	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	Reality	E!
Sun 6/12	10:30p	Ice Loves Coco	Reality	E!
Tue 6/14	8p	Pretty Little Liars	Drama	ABC Family
Tue 6/14	9p	The Nine Lives of Chloe King	Drama	ABC Family
Tue 6/14	9p	Memphis Beat	Drama	TNT
Tue 6/14	10p	Gene Simmons Family Jewels	Reality	A&E
Tue 6/14	10p	Hawthorne	Drama	TNT
Wed 6/15	10p	Rocco's Dinner Party	Reality competition	Bravo
Wed 6/15	10p	Toddlers & Tiaras	Reality	TLC
Wed 6/15	10p	Hot in Cleveland	Comedy	TV Land
Wed 6/15	10:30p	Happily Divorced	Comedy	TV Land
Wed 6/15	10:30p	Jon Benjamin Has a Van	Comedy	Comedy Central
Sat 6/18	9p	Outcasts	Sci-fi	BBC America
Sat 6/18	11p	The Inbetweeners	Comedy	BBC America
Sat 6/18	11:30p	Come Fly With Me	Comedy	BBC America

Week of June 19, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 6/19	9p	Drop Dead Diva	Drama	Lifetime
Sun 6/19	9p	Falling Skies	Sci-fi	TNT
The first episode is two hours and begins at 9p; subsequent episodes will air at 10p.
Sun 6/19	10p	Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals	Reality	OWN
Sun 6/19	Midnight	Mongo Wrestling Alliance	Animation/comedy	Adult Swim
Mon 6/20	8p ET	Countdown with Keith Olbermann	News	Current TV
Mon 6/20	9p	RuPaul's Drag U	Reality competition	Logo
Tue 6/21	8p	History Detectives	Documentary	PBS
Tue 6/21	9p	101 Ways to Leave a Game Show	Game show	ABC
Tue 6/21	10p	The Hot Zone	Drama	ABC
Tue 6/21	10p	POV	Documentary	PBS
Wed 6/22	9p	I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant	Reality	TLC
Wed 6/22	10p	The Real World/Road Rules Challenge	Reality competition	MTV
Thu 6/23	8p	Wipeout	Game Show	ABC
Thu 6/23	9p	Burn Notice	Drama	USA
Thu 6/23	9p	Expedition Impossible	Reality competition	ABC
Thu 6/23	10p	Rookie Blue	Drama	ABC
Thu 6/23	10p	Futurama	Animation/comedy	Comedy Central
Thu 6/23	10p	Suits	Drama	USA
Thu 6/23	10p	Wilfred	Comedy	FX
Thu 6/23	10:30p	Louie	Comedy	FX
Fri 6/24	10p	Commercial Kings	Reality	IFC
Fri 6/24	10:30p	Young, Broke & Beautiful	Reality	IFC
Sat 6/25	10p	Carson-Nation	Reality/fashion	OWN

Week of June 26, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 6/26	9p	Leverage	Drama	TNT
Sun 6/26	9p	True Blood	Drama	HBO
Sun 6/26	10p	The Marriage Ref	Reality	NBC
Mon 6/27	10p	Weeds	Comedy	Showtime
Mon 6/27	10:30p	The Big C	Comedy/drama	Showtime
Wed 6/29	8p	Melissa & Joey	Comedy	ABC Family
Wed 6/29	8:30p	State of Georgia	Comedy	ABC Family
Wed 6/29	9p	Royal Pains	Drama	USA
Wed 6/29	10p	Behind the Music	Music	VH1
Wed 6/29	10p	Necessary Roughness	Drama	USA
Thu 6/30	10p	Extreme Chef	Reality/food	Food Network
Thu 6/30	10:30p	Ugly Americans	Animation/comedy	Comedy Central

Week of July 10, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 7/10	9p	Tough Love	Reality competition	VH1
Sun 7/10	10p	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Comedy	HBO
Sun 7/10	10p	Famous Food	Reality competition	VH1
Mon 7/11	8p	Eureka	Sci-fi	Syfy
Mon 7/11	9p	Warehouse 13	Sci-fi	Syfy
Mon 7/11	9p	The Closer	Drama	TNT
Mon 7/11	10p	Rizzoli & Isles	Drama	TNT
Mon 7/11	10p	Alphas	Sci-fi	Syfy
Mon 7/11	10p	HGTV Design Star	Reality competition	HGTV
Tue 7/12	10p	Rescue Me	Drama	FX
Wed 7/13	9p	Ghost Hunters International	Reality	Syfy
Wed 7/13	9:30p	The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants	Reality	Showtime
Wed 7/13	10p	Legend Quest	Reality	Syfy
Wed 7/13	tbd	Damages	Drama	DirecTV
Thu 7/14	11p	The Green Room with Paul Provenza	Talk	Showtime
Fri 7/15	10p	Haven	Sci-fi	Syfy

Week of July 17, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 7/17	10p	Breaking Bad	Drama	AMC
Tue 7/19	9p	Hell's Kitchen	Reality competition	Fox
Tue 7/19	11p	Web Therapy	Comedy	Showtime
Thu 7/21	Midnight	NTSF:SD:SUV	Comedy	Adult Swim

Week of July 24, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 7/24	9p	Same Name	Reality	CBS
Sun 7/24	10:30p	Entourage	Comedy	HBO
Sun 7/24	11:30p	The Venture Bros.	Animation/comedy	Adult Swim
Wed 7/27	8p	Are We There Yet?	Comedy	TBS

Week of July 31, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Tue 8/2	9p	Take the Money and Run	Reality competition	ABC
Fri 8/5	10p	Whisker Wars	Reality	IFC
Sat 8/6	11:30p	Friday Night Dinner	Comedy	BBC America

Week of August 7, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Mon 8/8	8p	Bachelor Pad	Reality competition	ABC
Mon 8/8	10p	Karaoke Battle U.S.A.	Reality competition	ABC

Week of August 14, 2011

Date	Time	Show	Type	Network
Sun 8/14	9p	The Great Food Truck Race	Reality competition	Food Network
Sun 8/14	9:30p	In the Flow with Affion Crockett	Comedy	Fox
Tue 8/16	9p	Downsized	Reality	WE

Still Unscheduled But Expected in Summer

Expected	Show	Type	Network
tba	Against the Wall	Drama	Lifetime
tba	Bar Rescue	Reality	Spike TV
July	Big Rich Texas	Reality	Style
June	Billy the Exterminator	Reality	A&E
tba	Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew	Reality	VH1
tba	Deadliest Warrior	Reality	Spike TV
tba	Fearless Kitchen	Reality	OWN
August	Flipping Out	Reality	Bravo
tba	Forever Young	Reality	TV Land
tba	Friends with Benefits	Comedy	NBC
tba	Garo Unleashed	Reality/fashion	Sundance
July	Giuliana & Bill	Reality	Style
tba	The Hour	Drama	BBC America
tba	Inkmasters	Reality	Spike TV
July	Iron Man	Animation/action	G4
tba	It's Worth What?	Game show	NBC
August	LA Ink	Reality	TLC
tba	Ludo Bites America	Reality/food	Sundance
August	Man vs. Wild	Reality	Discovery
tba	Million Dollar Mind Game	Game show	ABC
tba	Moonshiners	Reality	Discovery
tba	Most Lethal	Reality competition	Spike TV
tba	Mountain Men of Alaska	Reality	Discovery
tba	Oliver Stone's Secret History of America	Documentary	Showtime
tba	Project Runway	Reality competition	Lifetime
tba	The Protector	Drama	Lifetime
tba	Quirky	Reality	Sundance
August	The Rachel Zoe Project	Reality	Bravo
tba	Rollin' Around the World	Travel	OWN
tba	Shoebox Sessions	Reality	Sundance
tba	Ton of Cash	Reality competition	VH1
tba	Who's Still Standing?	Game show	NBC
July	Wolverine	Animation/action	G4
tba	Work of Art: The Next Great Artist	Reality competition	Bravo

All times are ET/PT unless otherwise indicated.