Summer TV preview: New shows heat up the season

Who cares right now about TV's just-announced fall season? We've got TV's summer season to savor first - and it's nearly as jam-packed with scripted dramas and comedies, plus reality and competition series.

Broadcast networks are finally getting as active in the hot months as their cable competitors. This summer's network newcomers actually sound like something you might want to watch - ABC's crime romp "Scoundrels" or NBC's suspense mashup "Persons Unknown" - as opposed to those time fillers that used to sub for reruns. In response, cable is coming back at them harder than hard.

I mean, Betty White is onboard (in TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland").

ABC has scheduled three new dramas, NBC loves a mystery, and Fox serves up yet a third course of chef-screamer Gordon Ramsay. We'll even give The CW fresh credit for encoring CBS' "Moonlight" on Thursday nights, which started June 3, because so few viewers tuned to Alex O'Laughlin's vampire trip when it debuted in 2007, too soon to ride the "Twilight" wave.

"True Blood" got that timing exactly right, and it's returning to HBO for a third bloodsucking season as one of summer's most anticipated titles. Established basic cable hits like TNT's "The Closer" now have such loyal summer followings that they grab higher ratings than their network rivals. Still others, like AMC's "Mad Men," FX's "Rescue Me" and Showtime's "Weeds," have become reliable Emmy magnets.

Joining them on cable this summer are big new series starring favorites like Angie Harmon (TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles"), Jason Lee (TNT's "Memphis Beat") and Laura Linney (Showtime's "The Big C"), plus hot younger stars like Great Neck's "Hairspray" delight, Nikki Blonsky (ABC Family's "Huge"). There's even spawn-of-"South Park" animation in TBS' wicked "Neighbors From Hell."

What's clear is that TV programmers now mean business 52 weeks a year.

SEE PHOTOSBetty White through the years

Dramas & Comedies

THE HARD TIMES OF RJ BERGER (MTV comedy, Sunday, 11 p.m.)
Plot Paul Iacono ("Human Giant") plays a gawky teen with an, um, anatomical gift.
Prospects MTV is now betting on scripted shows to draw male viewers, too, after fading reality soaps like "The Hills." Will it work?

PERSONS UNKNOWN (NBC mystery, Monday, 8 p.m.)
Plot Strangers, including Alan Ruck ("Spin City"), are abducted to a ghost town, where they must solve a mystery under constant surveillance.
Prospects Summer puzzles sound like a great idea, but past network tries fizzled. Is this mystery/thriller/reality mashup cool enough to stick?

NEIGHBORS FROM HELL (TBS animated comedy, Monday, 10 p.m.)
Plot Bizarre family moves into the 'burbs on a mission from the devil. Voice cast includes Molly Shannon, Will Sasso and (as the dog) Patton Oswalt.
Prospects Animated comedy is tricky stuff, but creator and "South Park" vet Pam Brady has been around that show long enough for some smarts to stick.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (ABC Family youth drama, Tuesday, 8 p.m.)
Plot A mean-girls mystery - disappeared queen bee may be haunting her teen pals with text messages threatening to spill their secrets.
Prospects Pretty, dishy fun for progeny also appeals to parents with adult co-stars Holly Marie Combs and Chad Lowe.

UNNATURAL HISTORY (Cartoon Network live-action mystery, June 13, 8 p.m.)
Plot Teenage son of globe-trotting scientists stays put for high school at the (fictional) National Museum and starts solving mysteries there.
Prospects Sunday night at 8 seems the perfect place for a live-action Cartoon attack.

HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV Land sitcom, June 16, 10 p.m.)
Plot Betty White! Or you need more? She's landlord to three L.A. pals (Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick) undertaking Midwest makeovers.
Prospects TV Land is smart to start showcasing vintage faves from enduring old shows. But they need solid new scripts.

SCOUNDRELS (ABC crime drama-com, June 20, 9 p.m.)
Plot Family of crooks (Virginia Madsen, David James Elliott) tries to go straight-ish, tracked by detective Carlos Bernard ("24").
Prospects Promos that ran (and ran) during "Lost" and "Dancing With the Stars" finales should prompt a decent sampling of this show based on a New Zealand hit.

THE GATES (ABC supernatural drama, June 20, 10 p.m.)
Plot Call it Stepford Monsters: Cop's family moves to ideal suburban community whose population includes vampires, werewolves and other creepies.
Prospects Cast features Rhona Mitra ("Boston Legal") and lots of pretty/handsome lesser-knowns. But aren't we vampired-out by now?

MEMPHIS BEAT (TNT offbeat-cop drama, June 22, 10 p.m.)
Plot Jason Lee shaves his "My Name Is Earl" mustache as a detective who takes his blues seriously, hitting clubs to sing when he isn't hitting the streets to solve crimes for boss Alfre Woodard.
Prospects Will viewers even recognize Lee? And is this an apt match with lead-in "HawthoRNe"?

ROOKIE BLUE (ABC police drama, June 24, 9 p.m.)
Plot Five new young cops led by Missy Peregrym ("Reaper") find action, romance and, ABC promises, "fun."
Prospects Sounds a little retro - which might lure viewers seeking less-complex stories.

HUGE (ABC Family drama-com, June 28, 9 p.m.)
Plot Great Neck's Nikki Blonsky ("Hairspray") heads a cast of spunky teens learning more than they bargained for at weight-loss camp.
Prospects ABC Family is otherwise crammed with cute kids. Are viewers ready for this change of pace and picture?

HAVEN (Syfy spooker, July 9, 10 p.m.)
Plot FBI agent Emily Rose ("Brothers and Sisters," "ER") learns a Maine small town is a refuge for people cursed by supernatural forces (and Eric Balfour).
Prospects Based (loosely) on Stephen King's novella "The Colorado Kid." King-heads will find it's not like the novella. Will they also find it fun?

THE GLADES (A&E procedural drama, July 11, 10 p.m.)
Plot Renegade homicide detective Matt Passmore ("McLeod's Daughters") finds more action than he expected after moving to play golf in a sleepy town near Florida's Everglades.
Prospects Feels like we've seen this kind of concept and location before. Can A&E shake it up enough to finally stake out original drama territory?

RIZZOLI & ISLES (TNT procedural, July 12, 10 p.m.)
Plot Street-wise police detective Angie Harmon and sleek medical examiner Sasha Alexander solve Boston crimes, with Lorraine Bracco's "help" as Harmon's mom.
Prospects With Harmon's proven appeal, this sounds like a perfect partner for "The Closer."

COVERT AFFAIRS (USA spy drama, July 13, 10 p.m.)
Plot CIA trainee Piper Perabo gets a quick promotion, but what do her superiors really want from her?
Prospects Nice mix of familiar supporting players (Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Peter Gallagher, Anne Dudek) should entice "White Collar" viewers to stick around.

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH (Starz historical epic, July 23, 10 p.m.)
Plot Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell and Donald Sutherland headline a sweeping adaptation of the 12th century blockbuster by Ken Follett, selected for Oprah's Book Club.
Prospects A great beach book doesn't necessarily make ideal summer viewing. And weekly installments might not suit what used to be called "a miniseries." Ridley and Tony Scott produced this eight-hour "event series" melding medieval character study, social development and political history.

RUBICON (AMC conspiracy thriller, Aug. 1, 9 p.m.)
Plot James Badge Dale ("24," "The Pacific") is a think-tank analyst who stumbles onto a powerful secret society uniting big business and government.
Prospects With "24" out the door, fans might make AMC's third original drama its biggest ratings hit.

THE BIG C (Showtime dramedy, Aug. 16, 10:30 p.m.)
Plot A cancer diagnosis injects Laura Linney's docile suburban teacher with a dose of ferociousness.
Prospects Dark, smart stuff is right in Showtime's wheelhouse, as are ex-"Huff" scene-stealer Oliver Platt as Linney's feckless husband and "Precious" best actress Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe as a mouthy student.

Unscripted

WORK OF ART: THE NEXT GREAT ARTIST (Bravo competition, Wednesday, 11 p.m.)
Concept Visual artists compete for a Brooklyn Museum show and cash.
Prospects Sarah Jessica Parker produces, while curators and critics judge. Fashion design and cooking became Bravo faves. But art? Where's the conflict, not to mention the commercial prospects?

THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN (Science docuseries, Wednesday, 10 p.m.)
Concept Acclaimed actor leads us through "the mysteries of existence," exploring the likes of time travel, black holes and alien life.
Prospects The thinking person's summer indulgence.

BETHENNY GETTING MARRIED? (Bravo docusoap, Thursday, 10 p.m.)
Concept "The Real Housewives of New York City" star ties the knot and prepares to give birth at the same time.
Prospects If there's a happy medium between squabble-seeking fans and wedding/ baby devotees, this show should nail it.

CHAD OCHOCINCO: THE ULTIMATE CATCH (VH1 dating reality, July 11, 9 p.m.)
Concept The Cincinnati Bengals receiver and "Dancing With the Stars" competitor now crosses the country seeking true love.
Prospects Is VH1 returning to the celebreality dating well too many times?

MARY KNOWS BEST (Syfy psychic/reality, July 15, 9 p.m.)
Concept Long Island medium and "Angels on Call" radio call-in host Mary Occhino rides herd on a family that includes "a skeptic, a paranormal investigator and a reluctant psychic."
Prospects Long Island-bred TV mediums (John Edward) seem to click with viewers.

MASTERCHEF (Fox cooking contest, July 29, 9 p.m.)
Concept Amateur chefs compete before restaurateurs like Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliott Bowles.
Prospects Gordon Ramsay is head judge. What else do you need? But Fox may be overloading its lineup with the volatile Ramsay ("Hell's Kitchen," "Kitchen Nightmares"). Can he or should he play nice here?

BACHELOR PAD (ABC competition, Aug. 9, 8 p.m.)
Concept Guys who lost on "The Bachelor" get a second chance at love while living together.
Prospects Watching (familiar) hunks in hot weather. What's not to love?

20 returning shows

Ice Road Truckers
(History docusoap, Sunday, 9 p.m.)

Drop Dead Diva
(Lifetime legal fantasy, Sunday, 9 p.m.)

Last Comic Standing
(NBC competition, Monday, 8 p.m.)

The Secret Life of the American Teenager
(ABC Family, Monday, 8 p.m.)

True Blood
(HBO bayou vampires, June 13, 9 p.m.)

Top Chef: D.C.
(Bravo competition, June 16, 9 p.m.)

Leverage
(TNT con capers, June 20, 10 p.m.)

HawthoRNe
(TNT nursing drama, June 22, 9 p.m.)

Futurama
(Comedy Central space animation, June 24, 10 p.m.)

Entourage
(HBO Hollywood tale, June 27, 10 p.m.)

Rescue Me
(FX firefighters, June 29, 10 p.m.)

Warehouse 13
(Syfy supernatural romp, July 6, 9 p.m.)

Big Brother
(CBS competition, July 8, 8 p.m.)

Eureka
(Syfy genius town, July 9, 9 p.m.)

The Closer
(TNT crime drama, July 12, 9 p.m.)

White Collar
(USA cons and feds, July 13, 9 p.m.)

Psych
(USA crime drama-com, July 14, 10 p.m.)

Mad Men
(AMC '60s saga, July 25, 10 p.m.)

My Boys
(TBS sitcom, July 25, 10 p.m.)

Weeds
(Showtime comedy, Aug. 16, 10 p.m.)

They're up and running

Our summer TV preview picks join a long list of seasonal shows already up and running. The networks started early with the reality of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Hell's Kitchen," ABC's "The Bachelorette" and "True Beauty," and NBC's "America's Got Talent" and new "Losing It With Jillian." CBS also jumped the gun with cop drama "Flashpoint," while Fox sneaked a peek at its new action comedy "The Good Guys."