Though the recent May sweeps gave us lots of sneak peeks at shows that won’t be premiering until this fall, the summer is shaping up to be an equally exciting time for television. At the forefront of the networks premiering buzzy new shows in the next few months is FX, which will unveil two new drama series and two new comedies, in addition to new seasons of returning faves. Recently, FX and spinoff network FXX let us know which dates you should be marking in your calendar.
Most intriguing is vampire horror-thriller series The Strain, from horror maestro Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth). Based on the trilogy del Toro penned with Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves, adapted into The Town), the series stars Corey Stoll (House of Cards) as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of a CDC team which responds when a viral outbreak bearing similarities to vampirism is reported in New York City. David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Mia Maestro, Ben Hyland, Jonathan Hyde and Richard Sammel co-star on The Strain, which will premiere Sunday, July 13th, at 10 p.m. ET on FX.
Tyrant, from Homeland producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, also has the potential to be quite interesting. It centers on a seemingly normal American family thrust into the power dynamics of a struggling Middle Eastern nation when the family patriarch (Adam Rayner), also the younger son of the nation’s despotic leader, is forced to return to the country he left behind years earlier in order to attend his nephew’s wedding. That show, which co-stars Jennifer Finnigan, Ashraf Barhom, Moran Atias, Noah Silver, Anne Winters, Fares Fares, Salim Daw, Justin Kirk, Jordana Spiro, Mehdi Dehbi and Alice Krige, will premiere Tuesday, June 24th, at 10 p.m. ET on FX.
On the comedy side, this summer will see FX unveil two relationship sitcoms. Married will premiere on Thursday, July 17th, at 10 p.m. The show stars Nat Faxon (The Way, Way Back) and Judy Greer (The Descendants) as a couple struggling to stay sane and stay as in love as they were when they got hitched, even after the burdens of parenthood, suburban life and mounting debt drive a wedge between them. The two leads are both incredibly talented comedians, so though the conceit is well-worn, this should be worth keeping an eye on.
FX follows up Married with You’re the Worst, premiering right after Married at 10:30 p.m. That comedy centers on two self-destructive people who fall madly in love with one another. Aya Cash (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Chris Geere (The Spa) star as the couple. Though this certainly sounds less exciting than Married, FX believed in it enough to order it to series, so it might also prove to be worth checking out.
Scrappy comedy Wilfred, which stars Elijah Wood, will premiere its fourth and final season on Wednesday, June 25th, at 10 p.m. with two back-to-back episodes. For this final string of episodes, the show has moved to FXX.
Finally, we have police drama The Bridge, about two cops working on the case of a serial killer who is operating on both sides of the Mexican-American border, between Texas and Chihuahua. The show returns for its second season on Wednesday, July 9th, at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Diane Kruger, Demian Bichir and Matthew Lillard return to star.
I’m wildly anticipating The Strain, but FX and FXX are unveiling enough shows this summer to satisfy viewers of all persuasions.
Tell us, what shows are you most excited for?
