In TV’s olden days, summer brought a slow slog through reruns. People had to settle for alternatives – friends and family, parks and playgrounds and such.
Not any more; summers have become fairly busy with new shows.
This is the season that spawned “Survivor,” “American Idol” and more; it’s still the time of “America’s Got Talent,” “The Bachelorette” and — returning after a two-year absence — “So You Think You Can Dance” (shown here). And now it also has a fairly good collection of new, scripted shows.
Here’s a sampling, with more announcements still coming. We’ll stick to the channels (broadcast or basic-cable) that most homes get. If you have premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz) and streamers (Netflix, Disney+, etc.), the list explodes. You might never reach the beach.
SCRIPTED SHOWS, new
— May 31: “Tom Swift” bears little resemblance to the old novels, except that Tom is an inventive chap at the edge of science fiction. Now his ship can propel his dad to Saturn. CW.
— July 13: “Everything’s Trash” is a comedy created by Phoebe Robinson. She stars as a podcaster whose life crumbles when her “perfect” brother runs for office. Freeform.
SCRIPTED SHOWS, returning
— Already here: “Duncanville,” the animated comedy produced by Amy Poehler, continues (7:30 p.m. Sundays, Fox) through June 26. “Breeders,” a comedy/drama, continues (10 p.m. Mondays, Fx) through July 5.
— May 31: “Fantasy Island” starts its second season; this reboot has Roselyn Sanchez as a descendant of Mr. Roarke, the island’s mastermind. Fox.
— June 6: “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark” are dramas, the first one sci-fi. CW.
— June 19: “Animal Kingdon” starts its final season, with tough-guy brothers and their nephew plotting some more heists. TNT.
— June 19: “Masterpiece: Endeavour” is back, but in a different form. This season has three movie-length stories, catching Morse in a depressive state, teetering toward alcoholism. On other summer Sundays, PBS is expected to have new seasons of “Grantchester” and “Miss Scarlet and the Duke.”
— June 21: “Motherland: Fort Salem” starts its final season, with three young women on the run from witch-hunters and from the White House. Freeform.
— June 22: “Wellington Paranormal” is a drolly funny New Zealand tale of cops who casually confront the bizarre. CW.
— June 30: “Devils” is a French drama (but with American star Patrick Dempsey in a supporting role) about corporate scheming. CW.
— July 5: “Titans,” from the now-defunct DC Universe streamer, switches networks. It adds new heroes – Hawk, Dove, Wonder Girl – and a new villain, with Esai Morales as Deathstroke. TNT.
— July 7: :Good Trouble” has the second half of its season, with young people – a lawyer, techie, comedian, teacher, more – facing complicated lives in Los Angeles. Freeform.
— July 11: “Chad” is a comedy-drama created by Nasim Pedrad; she plays a boy struggling with teen life. Now he’s class president, facing a scandal and a disapproving Iranian grandmother. TBS.
— July 11: “Better Call Saul” has the second half of its final season; the first half concludes May 23.
— July 20: “Grown-ish” starts its season, keeping the Johnsons (from “Black-ish”) alive. Zoey has graduated from this fictional college; now her brother, Andre Jr., is a freshman. Freeform.
— July 31: “Love Life” is a comedy/drama that has a different story unfold each season. This one has William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”) trying to rebuild his life, after his marriage fades. TBS.
— ALSO: Unlike other networks, CW has many of its shows spill partly into summer, often providing lead-ins for the summer shows. This year, “Charmed” concludes June 10; “Kung Fu,” June 15; “Superman & Lois,” June 21; “Walker,” June 23; and “The Flash,” June 29.
REALITY SHOWS and COMPETITIONS (new)
— May 31: “Dancing With Myself” has people trying the sort of moves that have thrived on TikTok, with guidance from Shakira, Nick Jonas and others. NBC.
— June 24: “The Great American Recipe Contest” assembles 10 home chefs from different traditions, including Syrian, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Mexican and Southern soul food. PBS.
— July 7: “The Big D” brings 10 divorced couples to a resort, to look for new mates. Hosting are JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, who became engaged on “The Bachelorette,” six years ago. TBS.
— July 11: “Claim to Fame” has people who, at first, don’t reveal their links to more-famous relatives. It’s hosted by Kevin Jonas, 33, and his not-famous brother Frankie, 21. ABC.
— July 14: “101 Places to Party Before You Die” has two long-time pals takiong three-day weekends in fun places — Portland and Puerto Rico, Miami and Maui and more. TruTV.
REALITY SHOWS and COMPETITIONS (returning)
— May 18: “So You Think You Can Dance” returns for the first time in three years. In an apparent youth movement, Nigel Lythgoe, 72, the creator and head judge, is out; JoJo Siwa, who turns 19 on May 19, judges alongside Matthew Morrison and Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
— May 25: “MasterChef” has Gordon Ramsay being fairly civil to home chefs. Fox.
— May 31: “America’s Got Talent” is the annual summer ratings-leader. NBC.
— May 31: “Lego Masters” returns, with Will Arnett hosting. Fox.
— July 10: “Who Do You Think You Are?” This drifted to cable, but now returns to NBC, where it began. Stars — from Allison Janney to two Zacharys (Levi and Quinto) — research family roots, NBC.
— July 11: “The Bachelorette. Now the guys have a better chance: There are two women – Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia – instead of one. ABC.
TRADITIONAL-TYPE GAME SHOWS (new)
— July 7: “Generation Gap” has kids and their grand parents answering questions about each-other’s eras; Kelly Ripa hosts. ABC.
— July 10: “Final Straw” has people trying to remove objects, without toppling the tower. ABC.
— Pending: A fresh version of “Password” will have Jimmy Fallon producing and showing up weekly as a contestant; Keke Palmer hosts.
TRADITIONAL-TYPE GAME SHOWS (returning)
— May 23: “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” and “Beat Shazam,” 8 and 9 p.m., Fox.
— July 7: “Press Your Luck,” ABC
— July 10: “Celebrity Family Feud” and “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC.
DOCUMENTARIES
— May 30: “Julia Child” is a warm and richly detailed film, from the people whose “RBG” profiled Ruth Bader Ginsberg. CNN.
— July 6: “Mysteries Decoded” spent its first two seasons obsessing on such subjects as Bigfoot, Roswell, Area 51 and the Bermuda Triangle. CW.
— ALSO: PBS scatters new films throughout the summer. Examples: An “American Masters” portrait of Joe Papp (the Shakespeare in the Park leader) is June 3. A three-part “Great Muslim Road Trip” starts July 5; Mona Haydar and her husband travel Route 66, visiting examples of her Muslim heritage.
EVENTS
— ABC has the pro-basketball playoffs and Fox has baseball, including the All-Star Game, on July 19.
— CBS has the Tony Awards – the first full-scale Tonys in three years – on June 12, with Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose hosting. It follows on June 24 with the Daytime Emmys.
— More award shows include the MTV Movie & TV Awards, June 5; the BET Awards, June 26; and the MTV Video Music Awards, Aug. 28.
— PBS has two of the biggest events – the “National Memorial Day Concert” on May 29 and “A Capitol Fourth” on July 4. For the first time in three years, the all-star concerts plan to be live.