Summer TV: country, sharks, “Chosen,” more

TV’s summer doldrums will be broken up by country singers, sharks and (at the end of summer) Jesus and his disciples.
That last one has “The Chosen” returning to the CW network for two-hour slots on September Sundays. The mini-network has also announced the renewal of two shows – “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and (in a surprise) “All American.” Details include:
— “CMA Fest” is culled from concerts during the Country Music Association’s fan days in Nashville. This year it will be June 25, hosted by Ashley McBryde (shown here). That’s on ABC, which is stuffing June with special events – basketball and hockey finals, plus this concert – before returning its summer game shows in July.
— “Shark Week” will start July 7 on Discovery, with John Cena as host. The annual event started in 1988 and now faces “Sharkfest,” which starts July 2 on the National Geographic channels.
— “The Chosen” will air its fourth season fronm 8-10 p.m. Sundays on CW, starting Sept. 1. The crowdfunded, seven-year series aims to tell the story of Jesus, often through the people near him. This fourth season has already started on the “Chosen” app and will be on the BYUtv app. It will air on the BYUtv cable channel in two-hour chunks at 9 p.m. Sundays, starting June 9.
— And CW will return “All American” next year, for a 13-episode sevetnth season. It has also renewed the Penn & Teller magic show for an 11th season.
The “All American” decision goes against the CW pattern. The network’s new owners have canceled most of the scripted, first-run shows, going for less-expensive choices – unscripted ones (such as “Penn & Teller”) or ones that also air elsewhere (such as “The Chosen” and several Canadian shows).
There are exceptioons, though, when a new deal can be negotiated. “Superman & Lois” will start a 10-episode final season this fall.
This summer, CW has three scripted shows from its previous owners: “All American” is 8 p.m. Mondays, through July 15 … The fourth and final season of “Walker” is 8 p.m. Wednesdays, through June 26 … And “All American: Homecoming” starts its third season July 8,with no word on a fourth.