'Breaking Bad,' 'Burn Notice,' 'Dexter': The legacy these retiring shows will leave
Actor Bryan Cranston stars in "Breaking Bad." Credit: AP
What do "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," "Burn Notice" and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" have in common?
They're all ending their successful runs this summer, sure. But more than that? All these shows helped their cable channels make big leaps in TV esteem.
USA's "Burn Notice" (season 7 starts June 6 at 9 p.m.) reaches 100 episodes before it wraps the saga of "burned" spy Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and espionage pals Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam (Bruce Campbell). Through its lengthy 2007-13 run, the show's droll and sexy tone fronted USA's mainstream mystery wave after "Monk." In its debt are such other stylish USA mainstays as "Royal Pains" and "White Collar." Now "Burn Notice" goes out big with final-season work from "Heroes" stars Adrian Pasdar and Jack Coleman.
ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (final episode Monday at 8 p.m.) helped its seemingly ever-evolving channel finally stake out an identity over its five-season run. Viewership has only grown for later teen/adult dramas like "Switched at Birth" and "Pretty Little Liars."
"Being Human" -- Season 5 of the original U.K. supernatural drama starts July 13 on BBC America.
"Futurama" -- Matt Groening's animated space-com starts its "final season" June 19 at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central. (But after its Fox cancellation and Comedy Central pickup, who knows?)
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