Since we’re barreling toward a murderers’ row of season finales, filled to the brim with events that will have major impact heading into September and October, it’s time to start thinking about summer TV. It’s not long now until our lives will be filled by meth kings, horny vampires, and one last go-around with America’s favorite serial killer, but what else is coming on this summer? And what will be competing against what in time slot battles sure to cause our DVRs to blow a fuse?
Listed below are the premiere dates for 2013 summer TV. Not every single show premiering this summer (in this case, May – August) is below, but every major network and many, many notable programs are included. Also noted below are the politics of time slot hopping (i.e. extended premieres, special dates, etc.), which can often confuse viewers rather than giving a series a chance to be sampled adequately. Not every network has completed their summer announcements yet, nor is there mention of in-season programs that won’t finish airing their episode orders before the end of sweeps. This space will be updated accordingly.
Which shows are you most looking forward to this summer? What’s the heaviest night for you, in terms of program distribution? How does the summer of 2013 compare to previous years in terms of number (and quality) of television shows?
Wednesday, May 1st
9:00 Mythbusters (Discovery)
10:00 The Big Brain Theory (Discovery)
10:00 R&B Divas: Atlanta (TV One)
Thursday, May 2nd
8:00 Big Time Rush (Nickelodeon)
10:00 Karma’s a B*tch! (ID)
10:00 The Show with Vinny (MTV)
10:30 Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous (MTV)
Friday, May 3rd
10:00 Maron (IFC)
Monday, May 6th
9:00 Pizza Cuz (Cooking)
10:00 Felt (Logo)
10:00 Newlyweds: The First Year (Bravo) (90-minute Premiere)
Wednesday, May 8th
10:00 Million Dollar Listing: New York (Bravo)
Thursday, May 9th
8:00 Wipeout (ABC)
10:00 Small Town Security (AMC)
11:00 Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (FX)
Sunday, May 12th
9:00 Long Island Medium (TLC)
10:00 Breaking Amish (TLC)
10:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska (Nat Geo) (Special Time)
10:30 Family Tree (HBO)
Tuesday, May 14th
8:00 So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) (One-Hour Premiere)
Wednesday, May 15th
9:00 So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) (Special Episode)
9:30 South Beach Tow (TruTV)
Sunday, May 19th
8:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier (Discovery)
9:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska (Nat Geo) (Time Period Premiere)
10:00 Life Below Zero (Nat Geo)
Monday, May 20th
10:00 Motive (ABC) (Special Preview)
Tuesday, May 21st
8:00 – 10:00 So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
9:00 Bad Girls Club All Star Battle (Oxygen) (90-minute Premiere)
Wednesday, May 22nd
8:00 Masterchef (FOX) (Two-Hour Premiere)
Thursday, May 23rd
8:00/8:30 Save Me (NBC) (Back-to-Back New Episodes)
9:00 Toxic Office: Does Someone Have to Go? (FOX)
9:00 Showville (AMC)
9:00 Motive (ABC) (Time Period Premiere)
10:00 Rookie Blue (ABC)
Sunday, May 26th
9:00 Rock My RV (Travel)
Monday, May 27th
8:00 The Bachelorette (ABC)
9:00 American Pickers (History)
9:00 Hit the Floor (VH1)
9:00 The Glades (A&E)
10:00 Longmire (A&E)
10:00 Pawn Stars (History)
Tuesday, May 28th
8:00 Bad Girls Club All Star Battle (Oxygen) (Time Slot Premiere)
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (ABC)
9:00 The Haves and the Have Nots (OWN)
10:00 Brooklyn DA (CBS)
10:00 Never Ever Do This at Home (Spike)
Wednesday, May 29th
8:00 The American Baking Competition (CBS)
8:00 Melissa & Joey (ABC Family)
8:30 Baby Daddy (ABC Family)
9:00 Dancing Fools (ABC Family)
9:00 Love Thy Neighbor (OWN)
10:00 Nightline: Two Truths and a Lie (ABC)
10:00 Top Shot (History)
Thursday, May 30th
9:00 Renovation Raiders (HGTV)
Friday, May 31st
8:00 The A.N.T. Farm (Disney)
9:00 Marriage Boot Camp: Bridezillas (WE)
9:00 Randy to the Rescue (TLC)
10:00 Bridezillas (WE)
10:00 Treehouse Masters (Animal Planet)
Saturday, June 1st
9:00 Fish Tank Kings (Nat Geo WILD)
Sunday, June 2nd
8:00 The Killing (AMC) (Two-Hour Premiere)
8:00 The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo)
9:00 Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!)
10:00 Top Hooker (Animal Planet)
10:30 The Wanted Life (E!)
Monday, June 3rd
9:00 The Fosters (ABC Family)
10:00 Teen Wolf (MTV)
10:00 Mistresses (ABC)
10:00 Push Girls (Sundance)
Tuesday, June 4th
8:00 America’s Got Talent (NBC)
9:00 Exit (Syfy)
10:00 Chef Roble & Co. (Bravo)
10:00 Pretty Wicked Moms (Lifetime)
10:00 Swamp Murders (ID)
Wednesday, June 5th
10:00 Paranormal Witness (Syfy)
10:00 Southern Fried Homicide (ID)
Thursday, June 6th
8:00 The Hero (TNT)
9:00 72 Hours (TNT)
9:00 Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis (Bravo)
9:00 Burn Notice (USA)
10:00 Graceland (USA)
Friday, June 7th
10:00 Continuum (Syfy)
Saturday, June 8th
9:00 Sinbad (Syfy)
10:00 Primeval: New World (Syfy)
10:00 Being Human (BBC America)
Sunday, June 9th
8:00 HGTV Star (HGTV)
8:00 Xtreme Waterparks (Travel)
8:30 Insane Coaster Wars (Travel)
9:00 The Killing (AMC) (Time Period Premiere)
9:00 Falling Skies (TNT) (Two-Hour Premiere)
10:00 The Wanted Life (E!) (Time Period Premiere)
10:00 Storage Hunters (TruTV)
Monday, June 10th
8:00 Switched at Birth (ABC Family)
9:00 Major Crimes (TNT)
10:00 King & Maxwell (TNT)
10:00 Deon Cole’s Black Box (TBS)
10:30 The Freshman Class (Cooking)
Tuesday, June 11th
8:00 Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
9:00 Twisted (ABC Family)
11:00 Renovate to Rent (HGTV)
Wednesday, June 12th
9:00 Ghost Hunters (Syfy)
9:00 Royal Pains (USA)
10:00 Necessary Roughness (USA)
10:00 Dig Wars (Travel)
10:00 I’m Having Their Baby (Oxygen)
Thursday, June 13th
10:00 Sullivan & Son (TBS)
Sunday, June 16th
9:00 True Blood (HBO)
10:00 Falling Skies (TNT) (Time Period Premiere)
Wednesday, June 19th
9:00 Franklin & Bash (TNT) (Two-Hour Premiere)
10:00 Futurama (Comedy Central)
10:00 Hot in Cleveland (TVLand)
10:30 The Exes (TVLand)
11:00 The Soul Man (TVLand)
Thursday, June 20th
10:00 Wilfred (One-Hour Premiere)
Sunday, June 23rd
8:00 Celebrity Wife Swap (ABC)
9:00 Whodunnit? (ABC)
9:00 Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime)
10:00 Devious Maids (Lifetime)
10:00 Copper (BBC America)
Tuesday, June 25th
9:00 Rizzoli & Isles (TNT)
10:00 Perception (TNT)
Wednesday, June 26th
9:00 Big Brother (CBS)
Sunday, June 30th
8:00 Big Brother (CBS) (Time Period Premiere)
9:00 Dexter (Showtime)
10:00 Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Monday, July 1st
8:00 – 10:00 American Ninja Warrior (NBC) (Two-Hour Premiere)
9:00 Bizarre Foods America (Travel)
Tuesday, July 2nd
8:00 Big Brother (CBS) (Time Period Premiere)
Monday, July 8th
8:00 American Ninja Warrior (NBC) (Regular Time Period)
9:00 Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls (NBC)
Wednesday, July 10th
9:00 America’s Got Talent (NBC) (Time Period Premiere)
10:00 Camp (NBC)
Sunday, July 14th
10:00 The Newsroom (HBO)
10:00 Adam Richman’s Fandemonium (Travel)
Tuesday, July 16th
8:00/8:30 Whose Line is it Anyway? (The CW) (Back-to-Back New Episodes)
9:00/9:30 Perfect Score (The CW) (Back-to-Back New Episodes)
9:00 Joe Rogan Questions Everything (Syfy)
9:00 Covert Affairs (USA)
10:00 Suits (USA)
10:00 Deal with It (TBS)
10:00 Notorious Hauntings (Syfy)
Wednesday, July 17th
8:00 Big Brother (CBS) (New Time)
9:00 Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (TLC)
Saturday, July 20th
8:00 Cedar Cove (Hallmark) (Two-Hour Series Premiere)
Sunday, July 21st
10:00 Brother vs. Brother (HGTV)
Monday, July 22nd
11:00 Web Therapy (Showtime)
Tuesday, July 23rd
8:00 Whose Line is it Anyway? (The CW) (Regular Time Slot)
9:00 Perfect Score (The CW) (Regular Time Slot)
9:00 Power Broker (HGTV)
Wednesday, July 24th
9:00 The Vineyard (ABC Family)
10:00 Haunted Highway (Syfy)
Thursday, July 25th
10:00 Glam & Gold (WE)
Sunday, July 28th
9:00 Unforgettable (CBS)
10:00 Total Divas (E!)
Monday, July 29th
9:00 Breaking Pointe (The CW)
Wednesday, July 31st
9:00 The Hunt (The CW)
Saturday, August 3rd
9:00 Hell on Wheels (AMC)
10:00 In the Flesh (BBC America)
Sunday, August 11th
9:00 Breaking Bad (AMC)
10:00 Low Winter Sun (AMC)
11:00 Talking Bad (AMC)
Monday, August 12th
10:00 Hotel Impossible (Travel)
Thursday, August 15th
9:00 Mysteries at the Museum (Travel)
9:00 Owner’s Manual (AMC)
10:00 The Pitch (AMC)
Tuesday, August 27th
9:00 Face Off (Syfy)
10:00 Cosworld (Syfy)
