What’s New: Summer TV Guide

Remember when summer was all about reruns on TV? That definitely was one major bummer about my favorite season, but now thanks to a lot of networks’ cycles, there are many awesome shows airing new episodes this summer! Here are a few of my top picks:

Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
I’ll admit it, I’m a total teen TV junkie (even though I’m bordering on my late twenties…don’t tell anyone). Pretty Little Liars (or PLL, as me and my friends who are intimately involved with the show refer to it as) totally fulfills my fix for high school students dealing with major drama while Vampire Diaries is on summer hiatus. The ongoing mystery revolves around a group of high school-aged besties who are manipulated by a mysterious stalker referred to as “A,” beginning a year after the murder of one of their friends. If you haven’t watched the past seasons, I definitely recommend you get caught up on Netflix and jump in now, since this season seems to be shaping up to be better than ever! 

Anger Management (FX)
Fresh off his highly-publicized stint on the crazy train (Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour, anyone?), Charlie Sheen is back to work. Nope, he’s not back on Two and a Half Men, since he very publically burned that bridge. This time, he plays a former baseball player turned anger management therapist with some major issues of his own. His character, Charlie Goodson (seriously, can he not remember a name besides Charlie?) may remind you of someone…Sheen’s character on Men, Charlie Harper. Goodson shares Harper’s love of young women and wild antics, but Sheen seems to be doing some damage control by coming across a little softer in this role, primarily through his interactions with his on-screen teen daughter. I watched last week’s premiere and found the plot and characters a little formulaic, but the show does seem to have some comedic potential and is sure to be a favorite of Sheen fans who’ve missed him on TV.

Teen Wolf (MTV)
After watching the short-lived MTV remake of Skins, you may be a little hesitant to tune in to the network for another drama, but this one is actually pretty darn good. The acting is surprisingly capable and the plot is based on the original Teen Wolf, one of the best ’80s cult classics ever, but with modern twists. It’s definitely a fun supernatural teen thriller that you can really sink your teeth (or fangs) in to!

Breaking Bad (AMC)
I’ll admit it: I don’t watch Breaking Bad. Everyone I know who watches it raves about it and I’ve always meant to start, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe this will be the year I do. Anyway, since the show is on AMC (home of Mad Men and The Walking Dead) and has won six Emmys, I’m sure the acting is terrific. The gritty series is about a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a drug dealer to support his family after he finds out he has lung cancer. This is the last season, but it’s never too late to tune in, and I’m sure this will be its best yet!

Snooki & JWoww (MTV)
If reality TV is more your thing, then check out Snooki & JWoww to see what wild antics these crazy ladies will get up to in Jersey City cause, you know, watching them on five seasons of Jersey Shore just isn’t enough for everyone. The girls plan to have a last hoorah as twenty-somethings living on their own, but things get real when Snooki reveals she’s preggo and engaged. Should be interesting to see what kind of hilarity ensues as these guidettes prepare for Snooki’s impending motherhood. I’ll admit, I’m pretty curious!

America’s Got Talent (NBC)
Everyone loves a good talent competition, and America’s Got Talent is always entertaining. Unlike American Idol and The Voice, the show is about way more than singing so you’re sure to see some pretty ridiculous, unusual and sometimes downright amazing acts. The addition of controversial radio personality Howard Stern to the judging panel this year alongside Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel caused a lot of buzz, but so far he’s proving to be pretty endearing!

The Newsroom (HBO)
This show, written by the genius behind the The Social Network, has been getting absolutely stellar reviews. It follows a 24-hour cable news network anchorman who gets sick of pandering to commercial interests. It has an interesting, relevant plot and strong cast that includes Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, and Dev Patel.

True Blood (HBO)
Everyone’s favorite vampires (and shapeshifters, fairies, mediums…) from Bon Temps are back. What we’ve learned from the past seasons is that TB is always raunchy, crazy and over the top and so far this season is not disappointing. There are some big changes in store for some of the main characters, and who doesn’t enjoy the love triangle between Sookie (Anna Paquin), vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) and super-hot Eric (Alexander Skarsgård)? This is one of those shows that you either love or hate and, judging from the rating and all the TB fanatics out there, pretty much everyone loves it!

Check your local listings for show times and tell us what you’re watching this summer!