The third season of "Primeval" kicks off tonight on BBCAmerica so, to honor its glorious return, I've put together a handy dandy list of premiere dates to get you through the hot Summer months.
Premieres & Returns
As of posting, the sadly short but surely fantastical "Torchwood: Children of Earth" is set to air simultaneously on BBC and BBCAmerica in July. They haven't announced the exact date but you can rest assured I'm all over it.
May 30th
"Pushing Daisies" – 10pm, ABC
-The last three episodes of the series. *sniff sniff*
June 4th
"Burn Notice" – 9pm, USA
-Yes, it's not sci-fi but you all know how much I love my Michael and Sam. Fiona's pretty darn cool too.
"The Listener" – 10pm, NBC
-This Canadian commission was on my Spring watchlist and finally gets to see the light of day. Toby Logan is a paramedic…and a telepath. Not the first job I'd think of for someone who read's minds but it should be an interesting show.
June 13th
"Kings" – 8pm, NBC
-After a bit of ping-ponging about the schedule, the series plays out hopefully on the same day at the same time for the rest of its run.
June 14th
"True Blood" – 9pm, HBO
-Evan Rachel Wood ("Across The Universe," "The Wrestler") in one of several actors to join the cast for Season 2. There'll be more vamps, more intrigue, more death, and more shirtlessness.
June 20th
"Eli Stone" – 10pm, ABC
-Though the show sadly won't be returning next season, at least we'll get some amount of closure.
June 21st
"Merlin" – 8pm, NBC
-Originally airing on the BBC, this 13 episode series follows the exploits of young Prince Arthur and a much younger Merlin than we're accustomed. Anthony Stewart Head also stars as the Prince's father, "Uther Pendragon." Regardless of how the ratings turn out here, BBC has already ordered a second season.
June 24th
"The Philanthropist" – 10pm, NBC
-Honestly, I don't know what to make of this show. The descriptive buzzwords of "vigilante philanthropist" is just…odd. James Purefoy is the titular dangerously generous man and Jesse L. Martin ("Law & Order") and Neve Campbell co-star.
July 7th
"Warehouse 13" – 9pm, SciFi…er, SyFy Channel (two-hour premiere)
-Two Secret Service agents get reassigned to help guard and wrangle supernatural and paranormal activities and objects at a top-secret facility. If it's as fun as "Eureka" I'll be a happy camper.
July 8th
"Ghost Hunters International" Syfy
-The team travels to Austria, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Argentina, and the Czech Republic for six episodes of investigative fun and festivities.
July 10th
"Eureka" – 9pm, SyFy
-This 10-episode stretch is the second half of its third season. Jaime Ray Newman (who'll be on "Eastwick" on ABC in 2009-2010) joins the cast as Dr. Tess Fontana, a love interest of recently sacked sheriff Jack Carter and supervisor of the re-opening of "Section 5."
July 15th
"Leverage" – 9pm, TNT
-I know it's not sci-fi at all but I really do love this show and urge you all to check it out if you haven't.
Movies & Mini-Series
June 7th
"Meteor" – NBC
-Christopher Lloyd, Marla Sokoloff, Stacy Keach, and Jason Alexander star in this two-parter about giant falling space rocks causing all kinds of havok and destruction.
July 19th
"The Storm" – NBC
-Not content with just one scenario of natural destruction, The Peacock gives us two. When a billionaire's (Treat Williams) weather experiment threatens worldwide doom, one scientist (James Van Der Beek) teams with a reporter (Teri Polo) to try and stop him. David James Elliott, John Larroquette, and Luke Perry also star.
Though it might've changed its name, SyFy is still all about movies of questionable quality starring actors that will sucker us in to watching. It's Peta Wilson ("La Femme Nikita") vs. goblin sharks "Malibu Shark Attack," James Marsters ("Angel," "Torchwood") is an outlaw fighting insectoid aliens in an early 1900's western mining town, and Jason Gedrick stars in "Sand Serpents," the description of which sounds an awful lot like "Tremors" in the Middle East. Directed by Rick Schroeder, "Hellhounds" sounds promising – it's about a Greek warrior who travels to Hades to bring his poisoned bride back to life.
Excited for any new or returning show? Skeptical of any? Any other thoughts?
What about the other TNT shows like The Closer and Hawthorne? I think there is also one with Dylan McDermott.