The CW network is expanding its lone (almost) mission to have new, scripted shows this summer.
The latest step is to add a third season of “The Outpost” (shown here), a modestly budgeted fantasy adventure. That will arrive July 15; also, two Canadian dramas will adjust their debuts slightly: “Burden of Truth” starts its fourth and final season July 30, “Coroner” starts its third on Aug.19.
That’s part of a scripted summer that makes CW unusual in the broadcast (non-cable) world.
Cable networks will have summer scripted shows, as usual. Freeform, for instance, has just announced the starting dates for “Motherland: Fort Salem” (June 22), “Grown-ish” (July 8) and the second half of the “Good Trouble” season (July 14). Its “The Bold Type” will also have a brief, final season, from May 26 to June 30.
And the broadcast channels? Last year, many of their summer shows were dumped or delayed. This year, most will be back, led by “Bachelorette,” “Big Brother,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Love Island” and lots of game shows.
Those are all unscripted. For scripted shows, a few stand out: The animated “Housebroken” (Fox, starting May 31) and the mini-series “Us” (June 20 and 27, PBS) have exceptionally clever scripts.
Often, however, CW will be the only broadcaster with new, scripted shows. Patching together a makeshift line-up last summer and fall, it didn’t start its real season until January. Now it has lots of new episodes still available:
– Two shows that usually run during the regular season will now have summer starts. It will be “In the Dark” on June 9 and “Roswell, New Mexico” on July 26.
– Two are taking long breaks and will be back in August. “Riverdale” returns Aug. 11, with 10 episodes; “Supergirl” returns Aug. 24, with the last 13 episodes of its final season.
– Several started so late that they’ll sprawl well into the summer. They include “Dynasty,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Walker,” “Kung Fu” and “Superman & Lois.”
– One show, “The Republic of Sarah,” will debut June 14. And “Stargirl,” which drew praise last summer, will start its second season Aug. 10.
– Then there are the shows, including “Coroner” and “Burden of Truth,” made in other English-speaking countries. “Dead Pixels,” starting its second season July 18, is from England. “Wellington Paranormal,” starting its first season July 11, is from New Zealand; it’s fron the duo that went on to make the Emmy-nominated “What We Do in the Shadows.”