Summer TV has kicked off with such series as “Orange Is the New Black,” which returned for a third season, and “Halt and Catch Fire,” which came back for its second. Additionally, there are new series to look forward to this summer. The title of this prequel series, a companion to “The Walking Dead,” pretty much answers its own question, doesn’t it? This AMC series features a new batch of characters in Los Angeles at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse and premieres in August.
Starting a new season (with new characters): HBO’s ‘True Detective,’ which moves to a California city and pries back its dark secrets. The show stars Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch as cops, with Vince Vaughn as a mobster. It premieres June 21.Based on the story by Lily Koppel, this series follows the spouses of NASA’s golden-boy astronauts in the early ’60s. It premiered on ABC on June 18.This adaptation of a Stephen King novel has been so successful, it’s now beginning its third season. The residents of Chester’s Mill are still trying to figure out how to cope with being cut off from the rest of humanity — or how to escape. The new season premieres June 25 on CBS.MTV’s attempt to update the successful late-’90s movie series — which sent up horror movies as much as it embraced them — debuts on June 30.If that eye in the poster for ‘Zoo’ looks sinister, it’s no surprise. The CBS series, based on a novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, concerns a change in behavior among wild animals: They’re starting to attack humans. The stars include James Wolk, who played the mysterious Bob Benson in ‘Mad Men.’ The show starts June 30.The highly praised Showtime series about sex researchers Masters and Johnson begins its third season July 12. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star.Leave it to Denis Leary to take on ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.’ The series stars the actor and comedian as Johnny Rock, the leader of a ’90s band called the Heathens that broke up on the verge of success. Twenty-five years later, his long-lost daughter insinuates herself in the musicians’ lives, prompting them to get back together … though there are some ch-ch-ch-changes. It premieres July 16 on FX.Along with Caitlyn Jenner’s coming out on the cover of Vanity Fair is ‘I Am Cait,’ a series about her new life. It premieres on E! on July 26.This Netflix show brings back the cast of the 2001 film ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ for a prequel to the movie — except that the characters are being played by the same actors. These teenagers REALLY look old. Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce and Paul Rudd are among the performers to return. Debuts July 31.
Upcoming Seasons and Notable Mentions
Netflix released season 3 of “Orange is the New Black” on June 11. Many viewers are still catching up with the colorful female residents of Litchfield Penitentiary. The hit show is set to return for a fourth season in 2016.
The third season of the critically acclaimed horror series “Hannibal” is underway, as Hannibal has fled to Europe to escape capture for his violent crimes. Tune in to see how this thrilling narrative unfolds on NBC Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET.
This summer promises to be exciting for television fans with a lineup filled with returning favorites and new premieres. Ensure you catch up on all the must-see shows!
