Top 4: Returning Summer Series

After covering the new summer series, it's only natural to look at the favorites coming back for more this summer. The networks mostly keep pumping out reruns all summer, but the cable stations kick their programming into high gear while the competition's on a break. So what are the most anticipated returns? (Warning: I will be discussing plot points of previous seasons below, so this will contain spoilers if you're behind)


#4. The 4400 - Last season ended on with a game changing plot twist, with a dangerously tempting coin flip offered to the public, in the form of promicin. Anyone can take an injection, and it's a 50/50 shot: either 4400-like powers or death. I was thrilled with the concept, but incredibly put off with the execution (when a character heavy-handedly turned to the camera and asked if we, the viewer, would take that chance). That said, I'm excited about where that plot twist takes us. It certainly suffers from a lower budget, lesser actors, and more moments of hokiness than Heroes, but it's considerably more original in it's approach to the superhero concept, and can be very exciting and a lot of fun.

I was hoping they'd run a marathon of the 3rd season leading up to the season premiere, but it looks like they're only reruning episodes late Wednesday nights. So if you want to refresh your memory or catch you, you'll have to set your DVRs or pick up the DVDs quick. The 4400 returns Sunday, June 17th, on USA.


#3. Weeds - Last season ended with enough cliffhangers to make your head spin. A bunch of angry folks are pointing guns at Nancy and crew, demanding their supply of weed, which Silas stole and stashed in his trunk, which is unfortunate since he's in the process of being arrested for stealing Celia's "Drug Free Zone" cameras. Shane, meanwhile, has been kidnapped by Kat, with Andy and a bounty hunter in hot pursuit. The season 2 DVDs are due out July 24th, and Weeds returns for its third season on Monday, August 13th, on Showtime.

#2. Eureka - Battlestar Galactica may get all the press, but it's not the only quality series on SciFi by any means. Eureka is something like a cross between Northern Exposure and Men in Black, as odd as that sounds, but it's original, quirky, and fun. If you missed the first season, the DVDs will be released on July 3rd, or you can catch an all day marathon on SciFi on Tuesday, June 26th. Eureka's second season premieres on Tuesday, July 10th, on SciFi.

#1. Rescue Me - When last we saw him, Tommy Gavin was out cold, roofied, with his house on fire, and Sheila sitting outside in her car having completely lost it. I'm sure we can look forward to another season of self-destruction, self-absorption, and dramatic musical montages. Plus fistfights and cursing and general hilarity. FX won't be showing any reruns of the third season, so the only shot at rewatching the previous season will be the DVDs, due out June 3rd. The fourth season of Rescue Me premieres Tuesday, June 10th, on FX.

Honorable Mention: Psych (July 13th on USA), The Loop (June 10th on Fox), The Closer (June 11th on TNT), Monk (July 13th on USA).