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TV roundup: Every sci-fi and fantasy show to watch this summer
The summer television season officially kicks off tonight with NBC's The Listener, but that's only the beginning as several beloved series return and a few new shows pop up hoping to win our affections. Here's the complete summer lineup in the order they premiere, after the jump.
Primeval, BBC America. Premiered May 16 and airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Yes, Primeval actually jumped the gun and made its American debut in May. But there's no denying it's a true summer series in the best sense in the way only a dino/monster mash like this can manage. The ITV show (which airs in the U.S. on BBC America) killed off a main character last week, and it's only three episodes into the season. Primeval will complete its third season on July 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, just as the BBC's new import, Being Human, begins.
The Listener, NBC. Premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. and airs Thursdays at 10 p.m.
This Canadian/NBC production explores the life of Toby Logan, a 25-year-old paramedic who is also a telepath. Toby suddenly begins to "hear" people in trouble and decides to try to help people in crisis by using his gift. The Listener was created by Michael Amo and stars Craig Olejnik, Ennis Esmer and Colm Feore. The series kicks off its American debut on NBC with a two-episode premiere tonight and then moves to its regular timeslot on Thursdays at 10 p.m.
True Blood, HBO. Premieres June 14 and airs Sundays at 9 p.m.
Alan Ball's sexy and spooky vampire series returns for its second season as telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse once again finds herself up to her pretty neck in adventure when she and Bill head to Dallas to hunt for a missing vampire. This season is loosely based on the second novel in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse book series, Living Dead in Dallas. Twelve episodes are being produced.
Saving Grace, TNT. Premieres June 16 and airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Grace is back for a third season, in which she will once again face some big issues as she tries to help one of Earl's other charges. The personal lives of Butch and Rhetta will also be more deeply explored. TNT is producing 15 episodes of Saving Grace.
The Othersiders, The Cartoon Network. Premieres June 17 and airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
This new live-action half-hour reality series from the Cartoon Network offers up a little ghost hunting for the teen set. Five California teenagers take a scientific approach as they check out some very scary locations, complete with Ghost Hunters-type equipment. At the end of each episode the teens vote as to whether they feel a location is haunted. Fourteen episodes have been ordered.
Merlin, NBC. Premieres June 21 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m.
What would happen if Merlin and Prince Arthur met in Camelot as young men before they became legends? This English series explores the making of the legends as the two men discover their destinies. Merlin stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Anthony Head and John Hurt. Thirteen episodes were produced and have already aired in the United Kingdom, where a second season is in production.
Impact, ABC. Premieres June 21 and 28 at 9 p.m.
Let's call this one When Worlds Collide. The moon's orbit is altered after a collision with a brown dwarf star. When scientists realize the moon is actually on a collision course with Earth, they race to save humanity in this four-hour miniseries, which will air over consecutive Sundays. Impact stars David James Elliot, Natasha Henstridge, Stephen Culp and James Cromwell. The mini was written by Michael Vickerman and directed by Michael J. Rohl.
Doctor Who: The Next Doctor, BBC America. Premieres June 27 at 9 p.m.
You've got to love a Doctor Who Christmas special in June! David Tennant returns as The Doctor for another battle with the Cybermen. It's Christmas Eve 1851, and the Doctor arrives in London to investigate some mysterious deaths only to find another Doctor (David Morrissey) with his own sonic screwdriver. And it looks like this time it may take two Doctors save the Earth and stop the rise of the CyberKing. The Next Doctor is the U.S. premiere of the first of two Doctor Who specials we'll see this summer.
Warehouse 13, SCI FI. Premieres July 7 at 9 p.m. and airs on Tuesdays.
This new dramedy from the reinvented SCI FI follows the adventures of two Secret Service agents, Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly), who end up tracking down mysterious artifacts for the super-secret government facility known as Warehouse 13. Saul Rubinek plays the Warehouse's quirky caretaker, Artie. The premiere kicks off with a two-hour pilot and is from executive producers Jack Kenny and David Simkins. Thirteen episodes have been ordered.
Ghost Hunters International, SCI FI. Premieres July 8 at 9 p.m. and airs on Wednesdays.
The globe-trotting ghost hunters begin a second season that will include investigations in Austria, Ireland, Northern Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Tasmania and Vietnam. Six episodes will air this summer, with the remainder of the season continuing in 2010. Ashley Godwin joins the team as a replacement for Angela Alderman.
Eureka, SCI FI. Premieres July 10 and will air Fridays at 9 p.m.
There's plenty of challenges for the residents of Eureka when the series returns for its fourth the second half of the third season. Allison's pregnant with Stark's baby, and Carter was fired as the town's sheriff. The 4400's Billy Campbell will pop by for a guest turn, and Jaime Ray Newman will star in a recurring role as Tess Fontana, a character who plans on reopening Section 5.
Meteor, NBC. Premieres July 12 and 19 at 9 p.m.
NBC isn't going to let ABC have all the Impact fun. The network has its own four-hour miniseries, this one about two massive rocks that collide in space and head toward Earth. Meteor is from RHI Entertainment and executive producer Robert Halmi Jr. The mini stars Billy Campbell, Christopher Lloyd and Jason Alexander. It will air over consecutive Sundays.
Torchwood: Children of Earth, BBC America. Premieres July 20 and will air five consecutive nights at 9 p.m.
Finally! Yes, Torchwood is back, but it's going to look a bit different to viewers. The special third season is only five episodes long, but those episodes will air over consecutive nights and tell one complete tale. In the story all the children on the Earth suddenly stop, and Torchwood discovers an alien threat is behind things. Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd), Rhys (Kai Owen) and PC Andy (Tom Price) return for the third season. Torchwood: Children of Earth will be the first series on BBC America to be simulcast in HD. Being Human and Doctor Who will also be premiering in HD.
Being Human, BBC America. Premieres July 25 and will air Saturdays at 9 p.m.
It sounds like a joke. What happens when a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a flat? They end up with their own series, of course. Being Human explores the housemates' lives as they try to live normal lives with their abnormal conditions. The six-episode series stars Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey and Lenora Crichlow. A second eight-episode season of the BBC/BBC America co-produced series has been ordered.
Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, BBC America. Premieres July 26 at 8 p.m.
The U.S. premiere of the first of the last four Doctor Who specials featuring David Tennant will have the Doctor joining forces with the mysterious Lady Christina (Michelle Ryan) when a London bus ends up on a detour to an alien world. The strange planet has secrets hidden in its sand and a deadly Swarm headed toward the bus passengers.
The Storm, NBC. Premieres July 26 and Aug. 2 at 9 p.m.
RHI Entertainment's second big disaster miniseries shows what happens when you mess with Mother Nature. Treat Williams stars as a billionaire who funds a project that attempts to control the weather. Things don't go well. James Van Der Beek, Teri Polo, John Larroquette, Luke Perry and Marisol Nichols also star. Like the other miniseries this summer, The Storm premieres on consecutive Sundays.
Ghost Hunters, SCI FI. Premieres Aug. 19 and will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
The ghost-hunting plumbers are back to continue their fifth season with an investigation of the Mudd House in Maryland, the Union County Courthouse in New Jersey and the Edgewood Plantation in Virginia. There promises to be more debunking and more shocking moments that even the seasoned investigators will find difficult to explain.
By Brehon at 1:53 PM ON 06/04/09
Impact: "After a brown dwarf star slams into the moon, its orbit is altered."
Really? After a stellar mass greater than Jupiter collides with a satellite of a planet, it just perturbs the orbit of the satellite? That is so stupid, on several levels.
By ulic at 1:59 PM ON 06/04/09
Are they really going forward with that idiotic new name, SYFY? Cripes!
And Brehon, you said it! I think the studios might have just slightly misinterpreted what a brown dwarf STAR might be... The word dwarf must have confused them. Of course, that's not too difficult, now, is it?
By thistlethorne at 2:01 PM ON 06/04/09
You actually expected network science fiction to have even a smidgen of reality?! What planet are you on? ;-)
I am looking forward to the British series -- Doctor Who, Torchwood, Merlin, Primeval.
By antonio at 2:17 PM ON 06/04/09
Torchcrud? I cannot believe this wretched rubbish is still going. The BBC just don't know when to let crap go, which is why the original Dr Who series ran for almost 10 years longer than it should have.
By MacBeth at 2:30 PM ON 06/04/09
I've watched several of these BBC shows and they suck. All these ghost hunter shows are crap and are not sci fi they are reality shows and are worthless. The Mini series sound terrible. If I hadn't seen True Blood already, and disliked it, I wouldn't watch it now just from that promo picture, retarded. Saving Grace is even worse. The Listener is just weak canadian crap. Eureka barely makes the cut of shows worth watching. I haven't seen Warehouse 13 and am not sure of it yet.
By IsoTek at 2:56 PM ON 06/04/09
NBC...Meteor? Really, I guess they didn't learn from that horrible Asteroid mini that they put out years ago. Too bad, SciFi keeps replaying it so they should see the horror they inflicted on us all.
By MUADIB at 2:57 PM ON 06/04/09
JEEEZUS MACBETHLIGHTEN UP AND WATCH ANOTHER CHANNEL IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT JEEZ! NOT EVERY SHOW CAN BE STAR TREK OR BSG.
By Jaames at 2:58 PM ON 06/04/09
Whoa, so much negativity in place...
Thanks, Sci-Fi wire, I have been trying to figure out my summer viewing schedule, now I know. Lot's of good stuff on the horizon.
By Umbran at 3:00 PM ON 06/04/09
Now folks, if we are going to critique the science, we must ourselves be correct. Brown Dwarfs are well below stellar mass. That's the point - they are "brown", because they lack the mass to keep up nuclear fusion.
By Kevin at 3:05 PM ON 06/04/09
What, CBS couldn't get "Comet" going in time?
By AdmNaismith at 3:08 PM ON 06/04/09
NBC cancelled 'Kings' but funded the craptastic sounding 'The Storm' and 'Meteor'?
And they wonder why they're in last place...
I like the cast of 'Eureka', but they carry this show much further than they should have to.
Sounds like the real fun this summer is on BBC America.
By Kevin at 3:13 PM ON 06/04/09
Kings: great cast, great idea, poor writers, whitebread scripts
By Mandy at 3:16 PM ON 06/04/09
Being Human is wonderful. I saw it months ago. It's a lot better than it sounds. It's actually a very intricate and elaborate show with some great affects and fantastic acting. Don't dismiss it just because it's British. There are a lot of British Scifi and fantasy shows. They're not all made by the same people. Torchwood is nothing like Being Human.
Scifi Wire isn't doing justice to Being Human. A lot of Americans don't even know it exists and it's really the best Urban Fantasy show I've seen in years. The description doesn't do it justice.
As for Ghosthunters... You're passing off Ghosthunters and Ghosthunters International as being Science fiction and fantasy? I thought that was supposed to be bearing speculation / factual. No wonder parapsychology isn't taken seriously!
By seeker5528 at 3:21 PM ON 06/04/09
"All these ghost hunter shows are crap and are not sci fi they are reality shows and are worthless."
You don't like science mixed with your fiction?
It's not quite the same thing as MTV airing a bunch of crap that has nothing to do with music.
Moving on....
Love Eureka, love Primeval.
I like all the Dr. Who and spin-off stuff. Even Sarah Jane was OK considering it was looking to include a younger audience.
Now looking at a couple of the new shows.....
Not completely sold on the listener, I will give it a shot, it does sound like something I will like, but there are several sit-coms I like too but rarely watch until they've gone into syndication and I run across them while flipping channels.
Warehouse 13 and Merlin are high on my list of things I expect to like and watch regularly.
Later, Seeker
By KrelleK at 3:50 PM ON 06/04/09
I am quite new at this so sorry if it is the wrong place to send it:
have read that Scifi might not think its a good idea to renew Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles,(money issues i think it is) well was wondering could you guys on Scifi not do it in cooperation with another network, I hear(read)very good things about, I think it was Virgin1 that had very good or atleast quite good numbers for TtSCC, and well they also made more work in promoting the show in Brittain than Foxt(the network that startet it no less!!)did in USA, I actually believe Virgin had got Summer Glau to do a little promotion thungy that ran either before or after commercials doing the show, and maybe also when it was other shows that ran.
So please reconsider it, please exhaust every possibillity that you can come up with.
it might not at all be enough, but I have read on one the internetsites i frequently visits, that some of the Fans are making a counting on people that would be willing to donate an amout of money too make a third season.
please check the the Link: http://terminatorwiki.fox.com/page/Fan+Funded+Season+3+Pledges(it has somehow got deleted, but the last time I checked it had reached a little over 12000 Dollars and it has been set up again, so please check it out, and whoever else is going to read this please ad to it you want TtSCC back
and anyway, if you cannot see a possibility for a whole season like 22 eps,(there are even some that suggest that a season would only have to be 12-13 episodes), and if not that then could you possibly consider making a mini series, or perhaps a few 2hour movies that could get them out of that situstion that the Connors are left in by Fox right now, Derek death, and yet not death in the timeline that John jumped too along with the liquidmetal lady, in search for his possible greath love(it seems to many of us fans that there might be something between those 2(cam and John), with Sarah staying in the past, and Cameron in that very Undignified situation(offline, and and chip gone into the future) that actually seems to be what angered the fans the most.
Sincerly hopes you will reconsider the possibility, By Krellek
By spaceage whizkid at 4:20 PM ON 06/04/09
I thought season 3 of Eureka was on hiatus and they were going to continue it this summer. not start Season 4.
By fencer_Dan at 4:21 PM ON 06/04/09
Yep, more Babylon 5 watching for me... :)
fD
By zathras at 4:42 PM ON 06/04/09
I have to admit, there's not all too much there that seems very interesting.
I have been watching Primeval, which so far has been ok, though not great. I do like the concept, which seems fresh, and the CGI dinosaurs/animals are pretty well done. But at this point in what's aired, the show seems too focused on the "creature of the week", there's too much contrived conflict, and some of the characters are fairly cliche. But overall, I like it well enough, and will keep watching.
I may give Warehouse 13 a try, but it seems pretty derivative. Being Human also could be interesting, but unfortunately, I don't get BBC America. And why so many shows about vampires--do the obsessions of 14-year-old girls really have that much pull when it comes to creating a tv series? As for Ghost Hunters--who in the world watches this stuff? I mean, I can maybe see a few Ghost Hunters specials, but how can they keep such a limited idea going week after week? And does it really belong on the SciFi Channel?
Sigh. Yeah, it would be nice if the SciFi Channel would pick up a real science fiction show like Sarah Connor, but that seems unlikely. If they're not going to put on really creative NEW shows, maybe they could run some of the fun older series that have aired in the past. I'd love it if they could run the show Dinosaurs, from the early 90's (not the mama!). I can't imagine something like that would cost very much to get, and it would be a kick to see it again.
By jhawks1510 at 4:44 PM ON 06/04/09
Sounds like some of these are shows you watch in the background as you are working on your e-mail, only to pay attention when all heck breaks loose, people die, things get destroyed, etc. Destruction is relaxing.
By Saljouri at 5:48 PM ON 06/04/09
Being Human looks interesting. I wonder why no one came up with this idea before?
By fool at 5:49 PM ON 06/04/09
can't wait fo eureka an torchwood's returns. actually loving primeval, just wish they'd use the gimmick of the anomolies to tell some truly original stories...hell's I had an idea of telling the true story of ambrose bierce's last days-
so warehouse 13.... would love it if they tapped this for inspiration http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/
By svrkev at 5:57 PM ON 06/04/09
FOR CHRIST SAKES WATCH BEING HUMAN...don't not judge this show by the cover...it's practically perfect. It's my BSG replacement. A like how a photo made MACBETH hate a television.....odd. Being Human Poeple.
By Omen at 7:22 PM ON 06/04/09
The Brits are coming.
Thank God.
Long live the Queen.
Hate her son.
By cheesy B-network at 9:14 PM ON 06/04/09
"Sigh. Yeah, it would be nice if the SciFi Channel would pick up a real science fiction show like Sarah Connor, but that seems unlikely"
Sci Fi (or Syfy, or Spiify, or whatever) and "real sci fi" in the same breath? Gimme a break. Sci Fi is far from real sci fi ovee the past few years, unless you count cheesy B-movies.
By Artemis at 9:45 PM ON 06/04/09
I caught the first episode of Being Human recently, and it was indeed quite good. They always make it sound like a sitcom, but it's actually a pretty dark and provocative drama. (Well, okay, maybe there's no way for a show about vampire, werewolf, and ghost roomies to NOT sound like a sitcom, but I swear it isn't one.)
By Thedelphi at 11:32 PM ON 06/04/09
Wow... Sci-fi is getting out sci-fi-ed by everyone and their little sister. Yea, parent companies blah, blah. Still, the BBC is kicking up some serious production dust. Merlin, Torchwood, Dr. Who, Primeval, Being Human plus what they've not had picked up over here. Maybe BBC should rename itself Sci-Fi once these folks here decide it's not "cool" enough.
By beakernx01 at 12:05 AM ON 06/05/09
Personally, I find the BBC Shows (Doctor Who, Torchwood and Primeval) to all be very well done shows in every respect. They are fun, entertaining, high production values, mentally stimulating ideas and characters. I can hardly watch American TV anymore as it's all so predictable (except shows like Lost and Fringe). I can practically feed character their lines! But the cultural and language differences of the BBC shows help provide a fresh perspective. It's like someone once said, why do all the aliens seem to only land in the U.S?
By MikeMcNTX29 at 3:19 AM ON 06/05/09
Being Human is really a great show. There are actually 7 episodes counting the pilot that came out a year before they finally aired the other 6 episodes. I waited a whole freakin year hoping they would pick up the great little show. When it did finally come out it didn't disappoint. The actors were different except for the guy who plays the werewolf George (Russell Tovey is freakin brilliant, I have a bit of a man crush on him...), but I like the new cast better....Anyway, great show and sci fi wire really really doesn't do it justice with their discription and would deffinitely suggest watching it.
Also can't wait for Torchwood and the rest of the Doctor Who Specials to come out. I've been watching a lot of british shows lately and I gotta say they have some damn good stuff over there.
By Mandy at 3:22 AM ON 06/05/09
I can't emphasize enough how much I love Being Human. The description of it here not only is passive-aggressively unfavourable by someone who apparently never actually saw it but also seems to prove the blatant bias of this article.
I strongly recommend Being Human to anyone who likes Urban Fantasy. The description makes it sound like some cheesy and poorly thought out dramady but it's nothing like that at all. The description does not do it justice.
And Ghosthunters and Ghosthunters International really does not belong on this list. They're not science fiction or fantasy. They're supposed to be factual and speculative scientific investigation. This is the wrong list for those type of shows that were crammed on here in shameless plugging that also demeans the nature of parapsychology and paranormal research.
By Killian at 5:41 AM ON 06/05/09
Thumbs up for Being Human. Gets more interesting as you learn more about the characters. Will have to watch the original pilot after seeing the behind-the-scenes/end of season 1 special.
Can't wait for the Torchwood mini-season and the Dr Who specials. True Blood Season 2 - YEA!
By Kyle Nin at 9:49 AM ON 06/05/09
So, they decided to make the return of "Eureka" the fourth season? Because I got the impression that the third season was on hiatus and it was just continuing with the "second half" in July.
By Kyle Nin at 10:32 AM ON 06/05/09
Oops, they forgot "Kings", which returns with new episodes on June 13th. It probably won't get a second season, but NBC is still at least showing the remaining seven episodes.
By Saljouri at 1:09 PM ON 06/05/09
Mandy I'm going to check out Being Human, but what's up with complaining that Ghost Hunters makes the list? Ghost Hunters is certainly of interest to sci-fi and fantasy fans. Just because it's not fiction doesn't mean it doesn't belong.
By JWC 2 at 5:32 PM ON 06/05/09
Recent viewing worthy of sharing my life with:
Battlestar Galactica
Star Trek
Doctor Who
House M.D.
River Monsters
Life Without People
Shatner's RAW
Watching a DVD
Going outside and enjoying life while I can :)
By hardkore at 8:16 PM ON 06/06/09
By Mandy at 2:08 AM ON 06/07/09
'Mandy I'm going to check out Being Human, but what's up with complaining that Ghost Hunters makes the list? Ghost Hunters is certainly of interest to sci-fi and fantasy fans. Just because it's not fiction doesn't mean it doesn't belong.'
Of course it's of interest but the fact is it's not science FICTION, nor is it fantasy. To call it science FICTION degrades parapsychology as a legitimate scientific research. It's of interest to us but it doesn't be long on a list about fiction and fantasy.
And Being Human is very good.
By SCI FI Wire at 4:51 PM ON 06/07/09
hardkore: This is a list of shows airing this summer. "V" debuts in January: http://scifiwire.com/2009/06/sci-fi-tv-veteran-jeff-be.php
By divephotog at 9:01 AM ON 06/10/09
Well... Let's start by saying that SyFy is not showing too well here. Ghost Hunters does not count! NBC/UNI needs to take all the horror and pseudo-science and put it over on their new Chiller Channel (which I would not care if I did get, but I don't thankfully) and save the Sci-Fi for the real sci-fi channel. Sure, Eureka and Warehouselook good, but otherwise, it will be BBC and their offerings mostly. Also, is it not real funny that a season after we see the stuff on BBC, we get to see it on Sci-Fi (why can't SyFy do the stuff like they buy to begin with, instead of all the filler garbage). Someday, we will get back to the programming of the real Sci-Fi channel we all fell in love with about 5 years back, and get real material, not fluff and fill. - KH
By SuperDave at 8:25 PM ON 06/23/09
We'll never get back to the good sci-fi programming. The cancellation of Farscape at its height was the beginning of the end. And the end of BSG was the end of the end. Even their crappy shows (First Wave, The Invisible Man) were better than the best stuff they've got out now (Eureka). I doubt Caprica will save them. Nobody new will watch that, only BSG fans, and not all BSG fans. The new Stargate will fail, just like Atlantis, because it'll be derivative.
By Elles at 11:35 PM ON 06/29/09
Having just watched the first episode of Othersiders on their website I can only agree with the bit about it being a "scientific approach" if you redefine the scientific method to running away as soon as you get freaked out. Because they spend so much time running away instead of actually investigating stuff, they're left with nothing to do but speculate wildly and jump to conclusions. I don't see how you can say Ghost Hunters is much better either. I don't see how an electromagnetic field is evidence of something other than an electromagnetic field if it hasn't been verified that ghosts first exist and emit electromagnetic fields. They might compose a fantasy sub genre of reality TV but those shows are not science fiction.
By varilthes at 1:32 PM ON 07/03/09
last time i checked, Sci fi means exactly that, Science Fiction! Aka a blend of both science and fiction. Hmm maybe if fans would realise the genre they are watching is meant to be skewed a little they wouldnt expect so much. If you want to watch a show of pure science turn on National Geogrpahic (being sure to avoid any goverment proganda they are forced to air). Keep SciFi SciFi just because your are smarter than the average watcher doesnt ment you should ruin their small minded fun. :-)
By The Chronicler at 4:28 PM ON 07/25/09
What about Sanctuary? Doesn't it come back in August? Isn't that still Summer?
By WAwatcher at 5:06 PM ON 10/18/09
Please stop with the ghost hunter nonsense! This type of television program has to be the most ridiculous thing ever presented. It is a sure way to guarantee that I will watch a channel other than SyFy.
Visit mobile.syfy.com/wire on your mobile device.
WAwatcher:
Please stop with the ghost hunter nonsense! This type of television program has to be the most ridiculous thing ev...More »