The approach of summer used to mean season finales of all your favourite shows, and a long two to three months full of repeated episodes, and reality shows you don’t want to admit you actually watch. Not everyone can get into Big Brother, and the 50th (?) season of talent search shows like So You Think You Can Dance, and America’s Got Talent. Luckily, networks are on the ball, and are now offering quality scripted TV during the summer months to tide you over until fall. So, if reality shows aren’t you thing, check out these new and returning shows this summer.
24: Live Another Day (May 5)
The 12-episode reboot of 24 may be coming to an end soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t binge watch (or rewatch) the entire season this summer. The show picks up 4 years after the eighth season finale and follows the same concept as the rest of the series, with the entire season covering a 24-hour period. What kind of trouble will Jack Bauer get into this time?
Orange is the New Black (June 6)
The second season of Netflix’s most buzzed about original series premiered June 6th, and it promises to be just as good as the first. The comedy-drama is based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, and follows her for the year she spent in a women’s prison. The mix of emotional, and comedic situations as well as the cast of eccentric characters makes the show a must-see.
The Leftovers (June 29)
HBO’s latest is based on a book of the same name about the state of the world 3 years after a mysterious “Rapture”. 2% of the world’s population vanished without explanation, and the story picks up with the people who remain, and how they are proceeding in the wake of the mysterious event. The show has just started its first season, and has garnered positive reviews so far.
Extant (July 9)
Halle Berry stars in this new science-fiction show for CBS as an astronaut who comes back to earth after a year alone in space only to find out she is inexplicably pregnant. Steven Spielberg is producing, so if you are into alien conspiracy theories, this one is for you.
Masters of Sex (July 13)
The second season of the Showtime series based on the real life studies of Dr. William Masters, gives us a glimpse into what sex used to be. Masters, and his partner Virginia Johnson (played by Lizzie Caplan) were pioneers in the area of human sexuality research, and the show, a black comedy, shows them breaking down boundaries and questioning taboos.
The Strain (July 13)
If horror is your thing, the new FX series (which was filmed partly in Toronto), should be exactly what you are looking for. Based on the novels co-written by Guillermo del Toro, The Strain is about a vampiric virus. And these vampires won’t be of the sparkling variety. Del Toro is also set to direct numerous episodes, so expect gory, disturbing visuals.
The Killing (August 1)
The AMC murder mystery was supposed to end after 2 seasons, but the network ended up renewing it for a third season. Netflix has picked the show up for the fourth and final season, consisting of 6 episodes, beginning in August. The last season focuses on the two main detectives from the first three seasons, but will be about a case completely separate from the other seasons. If you like a good detective story, this is the perfect summer viewing.
Under the Dome (June 30)
If you are looking for a good small-town-in-crisis story, Stephen King’s Under the Dome, is definitely that. After a town is trapped under a mysterious dome, the citizens have to figure out a way to survive. There is the requisite villain (played by Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris), and main characters are killed off left and right. The show just started its second season, so if you haven’t watched the first season yet, do it quick.
