There was a time when TV networks seemed to take long summer snoozes.
Viewers could just watch reruns. After all, there weren’t many alternatives.
Not any more. With streamers and pay-cable channels pouring out new shows year-around, the broadcast networks struggle to remain relevant. This summer, they’ll have scripted dramas (a few), sports (A LOT), specials and the usual collection of reality and game shows, including “Bachelor in Paradise” (shown here in a previous year).
Each network has had one big reality show to propel its summer — NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” CBS’ “Big Brother,” ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and Fox’s “MasterChef.”
But ABC is putting “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” on hold for a year, while it re-thinks them. (It does, however, have the lusty “Bachelor in Paradise” this summer.) And Fox is trying a new twist on “MasterChef,” using duos.
Officially, TV’s summer starts Thursday (May 23). A few shows sneak in early; ABC — stuffed with basketball and hockey play-offs — waits until July.
Here’s a look at non-reruns on the six major broadcast networks:
SCRIPTED-SHOW SPILLOVERS
A few shows nudge into the early summer. As it happens, none have yet been renewed or canceled:
— “The Cleaning Lady” and “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” 8 and 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, Fox. Then “Cleaning Lady” has a two-hour finale June 3.
— “Sullivan’s Crossing” and “Sherlock & Daughter,” 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesdays, CW. Currently, they’re pointing toward a June 11 finale for “Sherlock” and July 16 for “Sullivan’s.”
SCRIPTED SHOWS THAT AREN’T RERUNS
— “Transplant,” 8-10 p.m. May 22, NBC, then 8 p.m. Thursdays. It’s the fourth season for this well-made Canadian show about Bash, a wartime doctor in Syria, now working in a Toronto hospital. Alongside strong medical stories, we get personal glimpses. It’s a particularly big year for Dr. Magalie Leblanc, who is alternately Bash’s lover and his workplace competitor.
— “Patience,” 8 p.m. Sundays, starting June 15, PBS. It’s the debut of a show focusing on a brilliant and autistic crimesolver for the police.
— “Grantchester,” 9 p.m. Sundays, starting June 15, PBS. Geordie (Robson Green), a local cop, has been solving crimes for nine seasons, alongside three different vicars. Now the 10th season is the second with Rishi Nair as Alphy, the vicar. There are solid crime stories, plus richer personal ones for most of the characters — especially Alphy, grappling with his troubled past.
— Cartoons. Fox has accumulated so many shows that it now offers a bonus — new episodes on Thursdays, in addition to any reruns (“Simpsons,” etc.) on Sundays. The Thursday line-up (8-10 p.m., starting May 29) has “Bob’s Burgers,” “Grimsburg,” “Family Guy” and “The Great North.”
— Also: Three mystery series return to PBS for a six-week, end-of-summer run, Beginning Aug. 24, it will be “Professor T” at 8 p.m., “The Marlow Murder Club” at 9 and “The Unforgotten” at 10.
SPECIALS
— “Greatest @Home Videos,” 8 p.m. May 23, CBS. A Memorial Day weekend edition includes the usual comic shorts, plus a tribute to military people.
— “National Memorial Day Concert” (May 25) and “A Capitol Fourth” (July 4), PBS. Both shows ripple with powerful voices (Yolanda Adams, etc.), backed by the National Symphony. The memorial concert adds deeply emotional stories; the Fourth adds fireworks.
— American Music Awards, 8-11 p.m. May 26, (5-8 p.m. PT), CBS. Jennifer Lopez hosts, with music by Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Benson Boone, Renee Rapp, Lainey Wilson, Gloria Estefan and — in her first TV performance in seven years — Janet Jackson.
— Tony Awards, 8-11 p.m. June 8 (5-8 p.m. PT), CBS. Cynthia Erivo hosts a show that includes numbers from the nominated musicals and others.
— “Aida,” 9 p.m. June 13, PBS. Angel Blue makes her Metropolitan Opera debut.
— ESPYs, 8-11 p.m. July 16, ABC. The sports show, created by ESPN, is now on its sister network.
— “Vienna Philharmonic Summer Concert,” 9 p.m. Aug. 29, PBS.
NEW REALITY AND GAME SHOWS
— “Secret Service,” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, starting May 22, Fox. As usual, Gordon Ramsay rages about a restaurant, then helps change it. This time (with the help of an insider), he secretly spies on the place in advance.
— “Destination X,” 10 p.m. Tuesdays, NBC, starting May 27. Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts a show in which people guess where in Europe they are. The 12 conte4stants include three from previous shows — JaNa Craig (“Love Island”), Josh Martinez (“Big Brother”) and Peter Weber from the 2020 “The Bachelor.”– “The Snake,” 9 p.m. Tuesdays, starting June 10, Fox. Contestants face challenges, trying to be the week’s “snake” and decide which person to oust.
— “The Match Game,” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, starting July 23, ABC. Well, this version is new, anyway. Martin Short takes over as host of a show that’s been around, off and on, since 1962.
RETURNING REALITY AND GAME SHOWS
— “Lego Masters,” 8 p.m. Mondays, Fox, starting May 19. Will Arnett hosts.
— “MasterChef,” 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Fox, starting May 21. This Ramsay usually focuses on home chefs. Now it has duos — spouses, siblings, parent-child, etc.
— “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays, NBC, starting May 27.
— “Raid the Cage,” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, CBS,. starting May 28. Damon Wayans Jr. hosts, with CBS inserting reruns of “Hollywood Squares” and “The Equalizer,” at 8 and 10.
— “American Ninja Warrior,” 8-10 p.m. Mondays, NBC, starting June 2.
— “The Quiz With Balls,” 9 p.m. Mondays, Fox, starting June 2, with Jay Pharoah hosting.
— “The 1% Club,” 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Fox, starting June 10. Joel McHale takes over as host.
— “Bachelor in Paradise,” 8-10 p.m. Mondays, ABC, starting July 7.
— “Big Brother,” opener 8-9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10. Then 8-9 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, 8-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
– “Celebrity Family Feud” (hosted by Steve Harvey) and “Press Your Luck” (Elizabeth Banks), 8 and 9 p.m. Thursdays, ABC, starting July 10.
AND MORE
— It’s a busy sports summer — not just the basketball and hockey, but also baseball on Fox, the United Football League on ABC and Fox, and more. CW has NASCAR and is even adding a Saturday beach-volleyball league.-
— And a rich assortment of PBS documentaries. That starts June 16 with the three-night “Walking With Dinosaurs” and continues through the Aug. 22– “Islam’s Greatest Stories of Love.”