As June arrives, we accept the inevitable: The summer TV season is here.
The real season – the one with lots of scripted shows and few reruns – officially ended May 25.
The bad news is that two scripted shows – Fox’s “Fantasy Island” and CW’s “Coroner” – were set for summer, then delayed until fall. Fox’s “Lego Masters” was also delayed, except for one “Jurassic World” episode, which airs at 8:30 p.m. June 5
And the good news is everything else. There are a few new, scripted shows – including one, “All Rise” (shown here), that jumped from CBS to cable – and lots of returning ones. And there’s the usual reality cascade; CBS’ “Big Brother” and “The Challenge” have finally been scheduled, so we’ve added them to this updated list.
For this sampling, using June 1 as a milestone, we’ll stick to the broadcast or basic-cable channels 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 this summer.
SCRIPTED SHOWS, new
— Already here: “Tom Swift,” which arrived at 9 p.m. May 31, 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.
— June 3: “The Villains of Valley View” and “Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion,” 8 and 9 p.m., Disney Channel.
— June 19: “Hotel Portofino” mixes British-style drama and soap-style excess, as an Englishwoman launches an inn in Italy, between world wars; she’s surrounded by gorgeous backdrops and ugly Fascism. 8 p.m., PBS.
— July 10: “Cobra Cyberwar” has an elite British unit fight crime. 10 p.m., PBS
— July 13: “Everything’s Trash” is a comedy created by Phoebe Robinson. She plays a podcaster whose life crumbles when her “perfect” brother runs for office. Freeform.
— Aug. 11: “Bump,” an Australian comedy. CW.
— Aug. 16: “Leonardo,” an Italian drama with Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as da Vinci. CW.
SCRIPTED SHOWS, returning
— Already here: “Duncanville,” the animated Fox comedy produced by Amy Poehler, is 9 and 9:30 p.m. Sundays. Also, FX continues the comedy/drama “Breeders” at 10 p.m. Mondays and the drama “Mayans” at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. And “The Deep End,” a four-parter, concludes at 10 p.m. June 1 and 8 on Freeform.
— June 6: “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark” are dramas, the first one sci-fi. 8 and 9 p.m., CW.
— June 7: “All Rise” is back, a year after CBS canceled it. The season starts with the judge fretting on election night. 8 p.m., Oprah Winfrey Network.
— June 19: “Animal Kingdom” starts its final season, with tough-guy brothers and their nephew plotting heists. TNT
— June 19: “Masterpiece: Endeavour” returns, but in a different form. This season has three movie-length stories, catching Morse in a depressive state, teetering toward alcoholism. 9 p.m., PBS.
— 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 10: “Grantchester” has new stories of a crime-solving vicar. 9 p.m., PBS.
— 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” starts the second half of its final season. AMC.
— Jujly 12: “What We Do in the Shadows” is the acclaimed vampire comedy. FX.
— 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.
— Aug. 16: “Devils,” an Italian/French financial drama, co-starring Patrick Dempsey.
— Aug. 28: “Guilt,” the second season of a drama that began with brothers covering up a hit-and-run. PBS.
— 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)
— Already here: “Dancing With Myself” started at 10 p.m. May 31 on NBC, with people trying the sort of dance moves that have thrived on TikTok. The judges include Nick Jonas and Shakira; there’s a lot of noise and a lot of comments about how wonderful everyone is.
— June 24: “The Great American Recipe Contest” assembles 10 home chefs from different traditions, including Syrian, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Mexican and Southern soul food. PBS.
— June 24: “American Anthems” has country-music singers meeting real-life heroes and creating songs about them. It starts with Jennifer Nettles and a cancer survivor who helps others facing cancer. PBS.
— June 30: “Me or the Menu” follows four couples as they try to save their marriages while running restaurants. Food Network
— July 6 “The Challenge: USA” takes a long-running MTV concept, adding contestants from “Survivor,” “Amazing Race,” “Big Brother” and even “Love Island.”.
— 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)
— Already heare: ABC has “Holey Moley” at 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Fox has “So You Think You Can Dance” — for the first time in three years – and “MasterChef,” at 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesdays. NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” — the summer ratings-leader — returned at 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. CBS continues ”Come Dance With Me” through June 24.
— June 6: “American Ninja Warrior” starts its try-outs. 9-11 p.m.,
— July 7: “Big Brother returns.” It will air Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on CBS.
— 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.
— July 11: “The Bachelorette”. Now the guys have a better chance: There are two women – Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia – instead of one. ABC.
— Aug. 5: “Killer Camp,” done in the style of horror movies. CW.
— Pending: CBS will revive “The Challenge,” now pitting people from its other competition shows. The winners can go on to “War of the Worlds,” on Paramount+.
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. N
TRADITIONAL-TYPE GAME SHOWS (returning)
— Already here: “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” and “Beat Shazam,” 8 and 9 p.m., Mondays, Fox; “The Chase,” 9 p.m. Tuesdays,” ABC.
— July 7: “Press Your Luck,” ABC
— July 10: “Celebrity Family Feud” and “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC.
DOCUMENTARIES
— June 4: “Julia,” a warm profile of Julia Child, reruns at 9 p.m. ET on CNN, after its May 30 debut.
— June 5: “Watergate: Blueprint for a Scandal,” is a four-parter that includes John Dean, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. 9 p.m. ET CNN, rerunning at midnight.
— June 6: “Text Me When You Get Home” and “Sleeping With a Killer,” true-crime series, debut, 9 and 10 p.m., Lifetime.
— June 12: “The Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America,” a three-part look at the role of liquor, gambling and sex in the U.S. History Channel.
— June 29: “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution,” produced by Kevin Hart, traces comedy history, from Dick Gregory and Redd Foxx to Tiffany Haddish and Issa Rae. 9 p.m., A&E.
— 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 documentaries throughout the summer, starting with a compelling “American Masters” portrait of Joe Papp (the Shakespeare in the Park leader) at 9 p.m. 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. And the acclaimed “POV” series starts its season July 11 with a portrait of Wuhan at the start of China’s Covid shutdown.
EVENTS and MUSIC
— June 2: ABC starts the pro-basketball finals. Games are at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. Sundays). A Jimmy Kimmel special is an hour before each game … but after the game on then West Coast.
— 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.
— June 19: “The Black Pack: Excellence” is a music special with Taye Diggas, Ne-Yo and Eric Ballinger, celebrating Juneteenth. It’s followed by “Brandon Leake: A Family Affair,” with the spoken-word poet. 8 and 9 p.m., CW.
— July 19: Fox has baseball’s All-Star Game. It has other baseball games at 7 p.m. Saturdays.
— PBS has “A Capitol Fourth” on July 4, the first one in three years to have all the performances live.
— ABC has its annual country-music summer concert Aug. 3. It will be taped during the CMA Fest, this June in Nashville, with Dierks Bentley and Elle King hosting.