The wall between pay-TV and cable will lower slightly this summer.
Two shows that have already streamed will have weekly runs on basic cable. “Titans” (shown here) starts July 5 on TNT, with “Love Life” July 31 on TBS; both promise “limited commercial interruptions.”
For “Titans” – based on the “Teen Titans” comics — it’s the third stop in a journey through the Warner Brothers world. The first two seasons were on DC Universe, a streaming service that produced six scripted series before folding … its third was on HBO Max, where the fourth is also expected … and now its second slides to TNT.
“Love Life” has had a simpler route – two seasons, with different characters in each, on HBO Max. The first season reran on TBS last August; now the second is part of the summer “tNets” plan:
–June 19: “Animal Kingdom,” a series about tough guys in a crime family, starts its sixth and final season on TNT.
–July 5: “Titans” reaches TNT. This second season adds new heroes (Hawk, Dove, Wonder Girl) and a new villain (Esai Morales as Deathstroke).
— July 7: “The Big D” debuts on TBS. The dating show brings 10 divorced couples to a resort, where they look for new mates. The hosts are JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, who say they are marrying this month … six years after they became engaged on “The Bachelorette.”
— July 11: “Chad” starts its second season on TBS. Nasim Pedrad created the show and continues her role as a boy struggling through the uncertainties of teen life. Chad will soon encounter a scandal in his class-presidency; also, his disapproving grandmother arrives from Iran.
— July 14: “101 Places to Party Before You Die” debuts on truTV. It sends two long-time pals for three-day weekends in fun places – Portland and Puerto Ricco; Maui, Miami and Moab; plus Atlanta, Denver and Richmond.
— July 31: “Love Life” brings its second season to TBS … and joins the channel’s summer focus on divorce. William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”) plays a guy who realizes his marriage is crumbling and works to rebuild his life.