The Skinny: Upcoming Summer TV

This is how I watch TV in the summer.

Happy Friday, friends! I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been feeling a little lost now that many of my favorite TV shows are on hiatus. Wow—did that sound as pathetic to you as it did to me? Maybe “lost” is being melodramatic, but it is a little sad not to have those pick-me-ups to look forward to throughout the week. Bates Motel to get me through Monday, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to anticipate on Tuesday, Arrow and pretty Stephen Amell to watch on Wednesday, etc. Now that summer is here, it’s all about working for the weekend and whatever new movies come with it.

But here’s the good news: starting next month, we’ll see a whole slew of new and returning TV shows! I hadn’t really thought there was much to get excited about this summer, but there might be a few diamonds in the rough. Today, I give you the skinny on nine shows that I will be paying attention to:

#1: Suits (June 11)

Synopsis: “On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: Admittedly, this isn’t one I’ve kept up with very well (I usually only catch the occasional episode), but I’ve wanted to go back and watch it from the beginning for some time because I hear only excellent things. On its fourth season, Suits is clearly one of USA’s best original series. Slick, well-performed, and riddled with humor amidst the drama, it’s a pretty fun lawyer show. Check out a promo for season four on USA’s website.

#2: True Blood (June 22)

Synopsis: “Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: While I’ll admit that HBO’s True Blood has been declining in quality since season four, I’m still very interested in seeing how season seven goes—because it’s the last season. I’ve read most of the books that the TV series is based on, but the plot has changed so much from the original story that I have no idea what’s going to happen. We’ll see if that’s a good or bad thing. Either way, I’ve grown very fond of some of these characters (two of them are even among my biggest TV Crushes), so I sincerely hope the show ends as well as it began. Check out the trailer here.

#3: Falling Skies (June 22)

Synopsis: “Survivors of an alien attack on Earth gather together to fight for their lives and fight back.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: This is a show that I kept up with for a while (I think I even watched all of the first season), but for whatever reason it lost my interest somewhere along the way. However, the fact that this TNT show is on its fourth season makes me wonder if I gave it up too soon. There were definitely some interesting threads in it. I think it just premiered during a time when aliens were a little oversaturated in TV and film. The trailer sure does look exciting! Watch it here.

#4: Tyrant (June 24)

Synopsis: “Series tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: It seems like FX has been hitting homerun after homerun with its originals series lately, and Tyrant has an interesting enough premise that it might just be outta the park, too. The trailers vaguely remind me of Khaled Hosseini’s novels, which often deal with characters who grew up in the Middle East (for example, The Kite Runner, which is one of my all-time favorite books). I know Hosseini has nothing to do with this show, but if it’s anything like his stuff, we’ll be dealing with something very intense, emotional, and culture-rich. Check out this little trailer and see what you think.

#5: The Leftovers (June 29)

Synopsis: “Revolves around mysterious disappearances, world-wide, and specifically follows a group of people who are left behind in the suburban community of Mapleton. They must begin to rebuild their lives after the loss of more than 100 people.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: I actually read the novel this HBO series is based on while I was in college. Though it has a really fascinating premise, I think the novel ultimately doesn’t reach its full potential. It just leaves you with a hollow feeling, which maybe is the point, but…meh. I’m hoping to see HBO dig deeper into this idea. In fact, the idea might just be better suited to a TV series because I think the trailer looks great. Watch it here and see if you agree.

#6: Under the Dome (June 30)

Synopsis: “An invisible and mysterious force field descends upon a small fictional town in the United States, trapping residents inside, cut off from the rest of civilization. The trapped townsfolk must discover the secrets and purpose of the ‘dome’ and its origins, while coming to learn more than they ever knew about each other.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: I have yet to see the first season of this show, but it is on my list. Starting its second season on CBS this summer, Under the Dome is based on a Stephen King book, so I figure it’s bound to be interesting. Have any of you guys seen it and/or read the book? Frankly, I’d love to get more feedback on the show; what I’ve heard it positive, but I haven’t really heard much. Anyway, here’s the trailer for season two, but fair warning—it does contain mild spoilers.

#7: Extant (July 9)

Synopsis: “An astronaut returns home from a year long solo mission in space. She tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: And here’s another CBS show! This is one I’m a little uncertain about. The core idea is really, really cool, but it could very easily become overly complicated, as there seems to be a lot going on at once. Also, Halle Berry’s acting has never really blown me away. Nonetheless, the trailer is too intriguing to pass this series up. See what you think by watching it here.

#8: The Bridge (July 9)

Synopsis: “Two detectives work together to take down a serial killer operating on both sides of the Texas-Chihuahua border.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: I learned something about this show a while back: apparently, it’s based on a Danish/Swedish series of the same title. And as if two shows weren’t enough, the premise has also inspired a British/French version called The Tunnel. Yeesh. Can’t anybody come up with new ideas anymore? Honestly though, I saw most of the first season of The Bridge last year, and I thought it was pretty good. The lead actors (Demian Bichir and Diane Kruger) have excellent chemistry, and they’re both fascinating characters. I’m very interested in seeing where this show goes. This teaser doesn’t show much, but here you go.

#9: The Strain (July 13)

Synopsis: “A thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Centerfor Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself.” –www.imdb.com

Why I’m Interested: Aaaand last but not least, another FX show! I did say FX was on its game, didn’t I? Has anyone read the book series this show is based on? I haven’t, and given how little the teaser trailers have revealed thus far, I’m still not entirely sure what we’re dealing with here, but it has my interest. Vampires are pretty dead at this point (pun intended), but this looks much weirder than most recent vampire stuff—and I think that could be a really good thing. Here’s a teaser trailer for your consideration.

So there are the ones I’ll be paying attention to, but what about you guys? Any summer shows you’re anticipating? If you have any recommendations, I’m all ears! 🙂