Ultimate Guide to the Summer TV Schedule – 2008

Well, there is pretty much just the two-hour season finale of Lost left next week to close out the so-called regular TV season, so now what? But, you don’t have to wait until fall for new shows, there are plenty filling up the network and cable summer TV schedules. Yes, the networks are mostly full of crappy reality shows, but that’s where cable comes in to fill the scripted TV void. This summer TV guide will be updated with links to official websites, links to reviews, show descriptions and more, but I wanted to get it out so you can see what’s in store for summer.

Below you will find a listing of summer TV shows by day and then premiere or return date:

Sunday Shows

• Captured (Oxygen): Returns May 25th.
• Bridezillas (WE): Returns June 1st.
• Code Monkeys (G4): Returns June 1st.
• Ice Road Truckers (History Channel): Returns June 1st.
• In Plain Sight (USA): Series Premiere June 1st. As of 6.6.2008, the “Pilot” episode can be downloaded free at Amazon Unbox.
• Million Dollar Password (CBS): Series Premiere June 1st.
• The Next Food Network Star (Food Network): Returns June 1st. Take a look at the season four contestants’ bios and photos or read a review of the season premiere.
• Platinum Weddings (WE): Returns June 1st.
• Army Wives (Lifetime): Returns June 8th. Check out some photos from, or read a review of, the second season premiere.
• Design Star (HGTV): Returns June 8th.
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA): Returns June 8th.
• When We Left Earth: The NASA Mission (Discovery Channel): Series Premiere June 8th.
• Your Place or Mine? (TLC): Series Premiere June 8th.
• The Two Coreys (A&E): Returns June 22nd.
• Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels (A&E): Returns June 22nd.
• Factory (Spike): Series Premiere June 29th.
• Big Brother (CBS): Returns July 13th. Plays three nights a week. Returns on Tuesdays July 15th and on Wednesdays July 16th.
• Brooke Knows Best (VH1): Series Premiere July 13th.
• I Love Money (VH1): Series Premiere July 13th.
• High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC): Series Premiere July 20th. The winner will get to appear in a music video that will play during the closing credits of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which opens in theaters this fall.
• Jingles (CBS): Series Premiere July 27th.
• Mad Men (AMC): Returns July 27th.

Monday Shows

• American Gladiators (NBC): Returned on May 12th.
• The Bachelorette (ABC): Returned May 19th.
• Denise Richards: It’s Complicated (E!): Series Premiere May 26th.
• Living Lohan (E!): Series Premiere May 26th.
• Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods (MTV): Series Premiere June 2nd.
• Making News: Savannah Style (TV Guide): Returns June 2nd. Season one was called Making News: Texas Style.
• The Mole (ABC): Returns June 2nd.
• Master of Dance (TLC): Series Premiere June 9th.
• Nashville Star (NBC): Returns June 9th.
• Intervention (A&E): Returns June 16th.
• The Middleman (ABC Family): Series Premiere June 16th.
• Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal (A&E): Series Premiere June 16th.
• Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime): Series Premiere June 16th. Read review
• Weeds (Showtime): Returns June 16th. Read review. Enter our Weeds Season 3 DVD giveaway before June 30th.
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel): Returns July 7th.
• How’d That Get On My Plate? (Food Network): Series Premiere July 7th.
• The Closer (TNT): Returns July 14th. Read an interview with Kyra Sedgwick.
• Saving Grace (TNT): Returns July 14th.
• Wanna Bet? (ABC): Series Premiere July 21st.
• I Want to Work for Diddy (VH1): Series Premiere August 4th.
• Luke’s Parental Advisory (VH1): Series Premiere August 4th.
• New York Goes to Hollywood (VH1): Series Premiere August 4th.

Tuesday Shows

• Hell’s Kitchen (FOX): Returned April 1st.
• Not Going Out (BBC America): Series Premiered May 20th. Season Two begins on July 1st.
• The Moment of Truth (FOX): Returns May 27th.
• 30 Days (FX): Returns June 3rd.
• Flipping Out (Bravo): Returns June 17th.
• Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (Oxygen): Returns June 17th.
• America’s Got Talent (NBC): Returns June 24th.
• Celebrity Family Feud (NBC): Series Premiere July 1st June 24th.
• I Survived a Japanese Game Show (ABC): Series Premiere June 24th.
• Primetime (ABC): Returns June 24th.
• Wipeout (ABC): Series Premiere June 24th.
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family): Series Premiere July 1st.
• Baldwin Hills (BET): Returns July 8th.
• Big Brother (CBS): Returns July 15th. Plays three nights a week. Returns on Sundays July 13th and on Wednesdays July 16th.
• The Cleaner (A&E): Series Premiere July 15th.
• Hurl! (G4): Series Premiere July 15th.
• Road Tasted With the Neelys (Food Network): Series Premiere July 22nd.
• Eureka (Sci Fi): Returns July 29th.
• Food Detectives (Food Network): Series Premiere July 29th.

Wednesday Shows

• MI-5 (BBC America): Returned May 21st.
• Mind of Mencia (Comedy Central): Returned May 21st.
• Factory Made (Discovery Channel): Series Premiere May 28th.
• Men in Trees (ABC): Returns May 28th. Has three episodes remaining from what is now its final season. So long Elmo, you will be missed.
• Monsterquest (History Channel): Returns May 28th.
• So You Think You Can Dance (FOX): Returns May 28th. Also plays on Thursdays and returned on May 22nd.
• She’s Got the Look (TV Land): Series Premiere June 4th. As of 6.6.2008, the premiere episode is available free at Amazon Unbox and iTunes.
• Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS): Returns June 4th.
• Celebrity Circus (NBC): Series Premiere June 11th.
• The Baby Borrowers (NBC): Series Premiere June 25th.
• Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E): Returns June 25th with reruns and new episodes follow along soon after.
• Shear Genius (Bravo): Returns June 25th.
• Ghost Hunters International (Sci Fi): Returns July 9th.
• Scare Tactics (Sci Fi): Returns July 9th.
• Big Brother (CBS): Returns July 16th. Plays three nights a week. Returns on Sundays July 13th and on Tuesdays July 15th.
• Family Foreman (TV Land): Series Premiere July 16th.
• Project Runway (Bravo): Returns July 16th. Season 5 is the last on season to air on Bravo, as the show will be moving to Lifetime for season 6 and beyond, unless the lawsuit works out in NBC’s favor. Season 6 may be bringing back past contestants to compete again and will probably begin airing sometime in November.
• Sordid Lives (Logo): Series Premiere July 23rd.
• Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil (Comedy Central): Returns July 30th.
• Hard Knocks (HBO): Returns August 6th.
• TV Land Myths & Legends (TV Land): Returns August 27th.

Thursday Shows

• Tougher in Alaska (History Channel): Series Premiered May 8th.
• Last Comic Standing (NBC): Returned May 22nd.
• So You Think You Can Dance (FOX): Returned May 22nd. Also plays on Wednesdays as of May 28th.
• Reno 911! (Comedy Central): Returned May 22nd.
• Fear Itself (NBC): Series Premiere June 5th.
• Swingtown (CBS): Series Premiere June 5th.
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX): Returns June 12th.
• The Bill Engvall Show (TBS): Returns June 12th.
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo): Returns June 12th.
• My Boys (TBS): Returns June 12th.
• Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (Showtime): Returns June 19th.
• Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew (MTV): Returns June 19th. There is a special premiere episode on Saturday, June 7th, but regular episodes will play on Thursdays.
• Hopkins (ABC): Returns June 26th.
• Burn Notice (USA): Returns July 10th.
• Greatest American Dog (CBS): Series Premiere July 10th.
• The Gong Show with Dave Attell (Comedy Central): Series Premiere July 17th.
• Reality Bites Back (Comedy Central): Series Premiere July 17th.
• Dale Jr.: Shifting Gears (ESPN): Returns July 24th.
• Glam God With Vivica A. Fox (VH1): Series Premiere August 21st.

Friday Shows

• Mobile Home Disaster (CMT): Series Premiered May 16th.
• The Life & Times of Tim (HBO): Series Premiere June.
• Summer Heights High (HBO): Series Premiere June.
• Charlie Jade (Sci Fi): Series Premiere June 6th.
• Ecoluxe (Travel Channel): Series Premiere June 6th.
• Dance Machine (ABC): Series Premiere June 27th.
• Flashpoint (CBS): Series Premiere July 11th.
• How to Look Good Naked (Lifetime): Returns July 11th.
• Stargate Atlantis (Sci Fi): Returns July 11th.
• Monk (USA): Returns July 18th.
• Psych (USA): Returns July 18th. Read an interview with James Roday from TVaholic’s recent visit to the set. More interviews and photos to follow.
• Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO): Returns August 22nd.

Saturday Shows

• The Academy (FOX Reality): Returns May 24th.
• Primeval (BBC America): Returns August 8th.

Other Summer TV Shows (Not Yet Scheduled)

• 13 (The CW): Series Premiere.
• Criss Angel: Mindfreak (A&E)
• Do You Trust Me (CBS): Series Premiere.
• Frank TV (TBS)
• Game Show in My Head (CBS): Series Premiere.
• Gavin & Stacey (BBC America): Series Premiere.
• Gone Country (CMT)
• Gotti’s Way (VH1)
• The Hills (MTV): Returns August.
• Hotel Babylon (BBC America)
• The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (Oxygen)
• Mind Control With Derren Brown (Sci Fi)
• Pamela (E!): Series Premiere.
• Real Simple (TLC): Series Premiere.
• Spaceballs: The Animated Series (G4): Series Premiere.
• Sunset Tan (E!)
• When Women Rule the World (FOX): Series Premiere. Good shot this never makes it to air.

Some Summer Shows You May Be Wondering About

• The 4400 (USA): Has been cancelled.
• Big Love (HBO): Due to the writers’ strike, it looks like it may be back in the fall, but possibly not until winter.
• The Dead Zone (USA): Has been cancelled.
• Entourage (HBO): Due to the writers’ strike, it looks like it will be back in the fall.
• Flight of the Conchords (HBO): Due to the writers’ strike, it looks like it may be back in the fall, but it may not return until winter.
• Kyle XY (ABC Family): Isn’t playing this summer, but it’s not gone. You just have to wait until January 2009 for new episodes.
• Side Order of Life (Lifetime): Has been cancelled.
• The Starter Wife (USA): The mini-series turned series will debut in the fall.
• State of Mind (Lifetime): Has been cancelled.

Some of the summer shows that are returning that I am looking forward to are: Army Wives on Lifetime, Eureka on Sci Fi, Weeds on Showtime, My Boys on TBS, The Closer and Saving Grace on TNT, and Burn Notice, Monk and Psych on USA.

As for new shows this summer, I am looking forward to, they are: The Middleman on ABC Family, Flashpoint on CBS, and In Plain Sight on USA.

The Summer TV Schedule above will be updated throughout the summer, so if you’ve noticed something missing, please leave a comment or use the contact form to lets us know.

What new Summer 2008 TV shows are you looking forward to watching? How about returning summer series?

To keep up with what summer TV has to offer, why not Subscribe via eMail or RSS to TVaholic. Then you can download the Printable Summer 2008 TV Schedule, now in both cable and network TV versions.

Last Updated: 7.07.2008