Watch With Us: Summer 2012 Edition

With the end of the “regular” television network season it’s time to move into our summer schedule. That means season finales and new shows to recap. Hope you’ve got cable, enjoy genre shows and have a lot of space on your DVR on Sundays!

Read on for what’s going down in June…

*Please Note: All times are Eastern Standard Time. Our ongoing coverage of the following shows will continue in June, including:

• Mad Men: Sundays @ 9pm on AMC (Concludes June 10)
• Game Of Thrones: Sundays @ 9pm on HBO (Concludes June 3)
• Girls: Sundays @ 10:30pm on HBO (Concludes June 17)
• Lost Girl: Mondays @ 10pm on Syfy (Continues throughout the summer)
• The West Wing: Flashback recaps of S2 every Wednesday (Continues throughout the summer)

So what’s new?

So You Think You Can Dance S.9

Debuted Thursday, May 24 @ 8pm on FOX (Recaps begin with Vegas Week) What’s it about? Aspiring dancers from across the United States try to become the next big thing in this staple of reality television. Why should you care? SYTYCD is arguably one of the best reality shows on TV and showcases amazingly talented folks. This year the show has been reduced to a single night, so the format will differ from previous years. Will this hurt or help the show? Recapper: TVAngie

Continuum S.1

Debuts Sunday, May 27 @ 9pm on Showcase (Canada) What’s it about? Rachel Nichols (Who also portrayed one of our fave Alias characters) plays a futuristic cop who is swept back in time to stop a group of eight fanatical time terrorists from 2077 called Liber8, who are bent of wiping out the future of the world as she knows it. Co-starring Lexa Doig, Jennifer Spence, Roger R. Cross, Tony Amendola, and Brian Markson. Why should you care? Many US viewers may need to check out their online options, but this has an interesting, albeit familiar, premise that – if done well – could produce an exciting new Sci-Fi habit ala Lost Girl. Recapper: cinephilactic

Teen Wolf S.2

Returns Sunday, June 3 after the MTV Awards; continues Monday, June 4 on MTV What’s it about? Follows the continuing adventures of titular teen wolf, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) as he struggles to control his animal side and protect his girlfriend, Allison (Crystal Reed), best friend, Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) and frienemies, Jackson (Colton Hayes) and Lydia (Holland Roden) from new alpha wolf, Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) Why should you care? The first season was like a mixture of The Vampire Diaries meets The O.C. with a touch of homoerotic content thrown in for good measure. There’s no reason why the second season won’t have the same guilty pleasure appeal. Recapper: cinephilactic

True Blood S.5

Returns Sunday, June 10 @ 9pm on HBO What’s it about? Follows the continuing adventures of telepathic diner waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her harem of hot, supernatural men as they continue to fornicate and cause trouble in Bon Temps, Louisiana Why should you care? Although there were rumblings about last season (Faeries, Tara, Shifters, Marnie), we quite liked the tighter storytelling and renewed focus on mostly core characters. Tune in for the nudity and bloodsucking, stay for Russell Edgington (Dennis O’Hare) Recapper: cinephilactic

Bunheads S.1

Debuts Monday, June 11 @ 9pm on ABC Family What’s it about? Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl (Sutton Foster) marries a stranger (Alan Ruck) on a whim and moves with him to a sleepy coastal town to train young girls to be ballerinas. Why should you care? Creator Amy Sherman-Paladino made a little show called Gilmore Girls. If this is anything on par with Rory and Lorelai, it’s one to watch. Recapper: yellowwait

Dallas S.1

Debuts Wednesday, June 13 @ 9pm on TNT What’s it about? Oil rich, and morally compromised, Dallas follows the next generation of Ewing family combatants: John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) as well as original castmembers Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman. Why should you care? The Ewing family returns more than 21 years after helping to create the nighttime soap and redefining the concept of a cliffhanger ending (Who Shot J.R.?). Whether or not this revised version earns a full season recap will depend on where it falls on the great-good-meh-ugh-burn it with fire scale. Recapper:  cinephilactic

The Newsroom S.1

Debuts Sunday, June 24 @ 10pm on HBO What’s it about? Will McAvoy (the always reliable Jeff Daniels) is a newscaster for the fictional News Night, who – together with his staff – sets out to put on a news show “in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements.” Co-starring  Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, Dev Patel, John Gallagher, Jr., Olivia Munn, Thomas Sadoski, and Sam Waterston. Why should you care? Creator Aaron Sorkin made a little show called The West Wing (although this is closer to Sports Night if we’re making comparisons). The man practically invented walk-and-talk television and he knows a thing or two about politics Recapper: caitlinthedvrslayer

Awkward S.2

Returns Thursday, June 28 @ 10:30pm on MTV What’s it about? Follows the continuing adventures of student Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Richards) as she sarcastically navigates the ridiculous loves and friendships of high school. Season two picks up after Jenna discovers the identity of the note-sender that ruined her life in season one and grapples with her love triangle to goofy but hot Matty Mckibben (Beau Mirchoff) and his bestie, Jake Rosati (Brett Davern). Why should you care? Awkward was an out of nowhere surprise hit last summer and Jenna swiftly became a live action Daria for a contemporary generation. She’s rude, sarcastic and eminently relatable, no matter how silly or ridiculous the show gets. Plus, it was cinephilactic’s #4 Best Television Show in last year’s Bitch Awards Recapper: cinephilactic

Damages S.5

Returns Wednesday, July 11 @ 9pm on DirectTV What’s it about? Follows the ongoing battle of wills between high powered attorney Patty Hewes (Emmy winner Glenn Close) and her former protege, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). This season will focus on government and corporate transparency and co-stars Ryan Phillipe, Jenna Elfman, Janet McTeer, John Hannah, Judd Hirsch, Victor Garber, and William Gibson. Why should you care? Umm…did you miss that line-up? This is literally one of television’s most complicated, compelling and twisty television shows and this is its final year. Plus, it was TVAngie’s #5 Best Television Show in last year’s Bitch Awards Recapper: TVAngie

Breaking Bad S.5 (Pt. 1)

Returns Sunday, July 15 @ 10pm on AMC What’s it about? Follows the ongoing conflicts of former high school teacher/cancer patient, Walter White (Emmy winner Bryan Cranston) and former student Jesse Pinkman (Emmy winner Aaron Paul) as they cook crystal meth in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Why should you care? Breaking Bad has reached the point that it has become a major watercooler show and is regularly discussed as one of the most important and compelling dramas in recent history, alongside shows like Mad Men, The Wire and The Sopranos. Plus, it was TVAngie’s #4 Best Television Show in last year’s Bitch Awards Recapper: TVAngie

And that’s it (whew!) What do you think of our line-up, viewers? Any summer shows that you want us to take a look at?