If you get tired of a summer of reruns and reality shows, don’t fret.
Two networks have beefed up their late-summer plans for new, scripted episodes. PBS will start “Grantchester” on July 10, with a second season of “Guilt” on Aug. 28; CW has an Australian comedy (“Bump) and two Italian dramas – “Leonardo”(shown here) and “Devils” – that include British or American stars.
The pay-extra channels – streamers, plus HBO, Showtime and Starz – have plenty of new scripted shows in the summer, but the others are reluctant. Two shows – Fox’s “Fantasy Island” and CW’s “Coroner” – were announced for the summer, then moved to the fall.
But CW has been working on having scripted shows year-round; on Monday (June 6) it has the season-openers of “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark.” And PBS has its Sundays, starting June 19 with “Hotel Portofino” (a lush, semi-soapy drama) at 8 p.m. and three two-hour “Endeavour” mysteries at 9.
Now both have set their late-season plans. You can find a full summer round-up under Stories; the late addionts are:
— July 10 to Aug. 14: The seventh season of “Grantchester” mysteries, PBS. That’s followed at 10 by “Cobra Cyberwar,” a new thriller.
— Aug. 11: “Bump,” an Australian comedy, CW.
— Aug. 16: “Leonardo,” a drama about Leonardo da Vinci, CW. It’s an Italian series, but has Irish and English stars – Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as da Vinci and Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) as Giraldi. It will be at 8 p.m., followed at 9 by the second season of “Devils” – an Italian/French financial series, co-starring Patrick Dempsey.
— Aug. 28: “Guilt” has its second season, PBS, through Sept. 11.
In additions, CW is bringing back “Killer Camp” – a reality show that spoofs horror films – on Fridays, starting Aug. 5. And PBS has set its fall line-up for “Masterpiece.” It starts Van der Valk” on Sept. 25, and three shows on Oct. 16 — “Miss Scarlet and the Duke,” “Magpie Murders” and “Annika” (a new show that’s already on PBS Passport).