2014 Top 10 Summer Television Programs
It’s argued that too much television can rot your brain. While research does reveal that television should be watched in moderation, it can provide not only entertaining, but thought-provoking and educational material as well. I’ve always been more of a fan of scripted tv shows rather than “reality shows,” although many believe that reality shows are scripted as well. In my opinion, scripted shows (whether comedy or drama) gives the viewer a more comprehensive experience. They are entertained on various levels beyond who was fighting whom or who wore what outfit better.
The summer is obviously the optimum time for relaxation and fun, but it’s also a prime time for television stations to premiere new shows and return hit-makers. From crime dramas to comedy series, major networks are premiering some pretty exciting programs for viewers to look forward to seeing.
The 2014 Top 10 Summer Television Programs:
1. Orange Is The New Black – Netflix (June 6, 2014)
The 2nd season of this Netflix original series is set in a woman’s prison. Lead character, Piper Chapman’s, wild past comes back to haunt her, resulting in her arrest and detention in a federal penitentiary. To pay her debt to society, Piper trades her comfortable New York life for an orange prison jumpsuit and finds unexpected conflict and camaraderie amidst an eccentric group of inmates.Starring: Taylor Schilling, Uzo Aduba, Jason Biggs
2. True Blood – HBO (June 22, 2014 at 9:00pm EST) In its 7th and final season, “True Blood” is a smart, sexy vampire thriller that follows a trio of star-crossed lovers dealing with a suddenly changed world. With the invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures “coming out of the coffin.”
Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Nelsan Ellis, Alexander Skarsgard
3. Partners – FX (August 9, 2014 at 9:00pm EST)
Two Chicago lawyers from vastly different backgrounds cross paths as they each face a personal crisis. Marcus Jackson, a community activist going through a divorce when he meets Allen Braddock, an elitist lawyer who has just been fired from his father’s firm. And as luck would have it, they become partners!
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Kelsey Grammer
4. CeeLo Green’s The Good Life – TBS (June 23, 2014 at 10:30pm EST) The show takes a tongue-in-cheek look behind-the-scenes as world-renowned recording artist CeeLo Green goes into the next stage of his career. The series focuses on CeeLo’s creative partnership with his longtime best friends as they prepare to bring their legendary hip-hop group Goodie Mob to the world stage.
Starring: CeeLo Green, Goodie Mob
5. Extant – CBS (July 9, 2014 at 9:00pm EST)This thrilling drama centers around an astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that will ultimately change the course of human history.
Starring: Halle Berry
6. Power – STARZ (June 7, 2014 at 9:oopm EST) From Executive Producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, “Power” is a visionary crime drama set in two different worlds – the glamorous New York club scene and the brutal drug trade. As lead character, “Ghost,” is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened.
Starring: Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton
7. Gang Related – Fox (May 22, 2014 at 9:00pm EST)In this gritty new action drama, “Gang Related” is about a rising star in an elite Los Angeles Gang Task Force. What the world doesn’t know is that before he was an officer, he pledged allegiance to a powerful Latino gang called Los Angelicos.
Starring: Ramon Rodriguez, The RZA
8. The Leftovers – HBO (June 29, 2014 at 10:00pm EST) When 2% of the world’s population abruptly disappears without explanation, the world struggles to come to terms with what happened. Three years later, the HBO drama series, ‘The Leftovers’ is the story of the people who didn’t make the cut.
Starring: Justin Theroux, Amanda Warren
9. Murder In The First – TNT (June 9, 2014 at 10:00pm EST)“Murder in the First” follows homicide detectives Terry English and Hildy Mulligan as they investigate two seemingly unrelated murders. The mystery deepens, however, when they find both murders have a common denominator in a Silicon Valley wunderkind.
Starring: Taye Diggs, Nicole Ari Parker
10. Funniest Wins – TBS (June 20, 2014 at 10pm EST) Each week, “Funniest Wins” competitors – both professionals and amateurs – will learn a different comedy style, guided by Marlon Wayans and guests who will include Wayans’ comedian friends or family members. The aspiring comedians will test what they’ve been shown in front of an audience, with one person being eliminated until only one remains. The winner will receive a cash prize and an online series for Wayans’ site WhatTheFunny.com.
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Orlando Jones, David Alan Grier
HONORABLE MENTION Girl Meets World – Disney (June 27, 2014 at 9:00pm EST)
The highly anticipated “Boy Meets World” sequel series features Riley, the 12-year-old daughter of Cory and Topanga, as she navigates adolescence like her pops did in the ’90s.
Starring: Sabrina Carpenter, Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel
LOOKING AHEAD: FALL 2014
~ Black-ish – ABC (Wednesdays at 9:30pm EST)Andre ‘Dre’ Johnson has a great job, a beautiful wife, Rainbow, four kids, and a colonial home in the ‘burbs. But has success brought too much assimilation for this black family?
Starring: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne
~ How To Get Away With Murder – ABC (Thursdays at 10:00pm EST) The brilliant, charismatic and seductive Professor Annalise Keating gets entangled with four law students from her class “How to Get Away with Murder.” Little do they know that they will have to apply what they learned to real life, in this masterful, sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller.
Starring: Viola Davis
*Each show’s synopsis provided via network’s website.*
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