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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- In recent years the summer months have evolved from being a dumping ground for dead projects and unaired episodes (don't worry there's still plenty of that to go around), as with the success of everything from "Survivor" to "The O.C." during the period, the networks have begun to take the June to August stretch much more seriously.
So in an effort to help navigate the increasingly complicated summer waters, we've compiled a list of everything you can expect to see during the period: from comedies to dramas to reality series to original movies and mini-series.
With that in mind, here's a breakdown of all the drama projects set to launch this summer (all descriptions are taken from each network's respective press materials where available):
JUNE 2004
SUMMERLAND (WB)
Premieres: Tuesday, June 1 (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Regularly Airs: Tuesdays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Encores: Fridays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT); Encores: Sunday, June 6 (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT), Sunday, June 13 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT) and regularly Mondays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT) starting June 21
Ava Gregory (Lori Loughlin, Full House) was exactly where she wanted to be in life. In her thirties, with a close-knit circle of friends, a great house in a beautiful California beach town and a growing career as a fashion designer, the last thing on her mind was settling down and starting a family. That all changed the day Ava's sister and brother-in-law were killed in an accident, leaving Ava to raise their three children.
THE DEAD ZONE: SEASON THREE (USA)
Premieres: Sunday, June 6 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
New episodes of The Dead Zone return to USA Network on Sunday, June 6 at 10/9C!
THE JURY (FOX)
Premieres: Tuesday, June 8 (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Regularly Airs: Tuesdays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Encores: Fridays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Each week, 12 ordinary people will piece together a puzzle and then make the most important decision of someone else's life. Academy Award-winning director BARRY LEVINSON ("Rain Man," "The Natural," "Diner"), Emmy Award-winning writer TOM FONTANA ("Oz," "Homicide: Life on the Street"), Peabody Award-winning writer JAMES YOSHIMURA ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and JIM FINNERTY ("Oz") team up on this intense new courtroom drama. Set in New York City, the series brings the viewer into the jury room to watch the deliberators try to answer the many questions posed during a trial. As facts are exposed through flashbacks of testimony and crime footage, viewers will form their own opinions about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Following each verdict, a final flashback will let viewers see the crime as it actually happened and reveal whether or not the jury made the right decision.
SIX FEET UNDER: SEASON FOUR (HBO)
Premieres: Sunday, June 13 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
There's a new family order at the Fisher & Diaz funeral home. Although one spouse is gone, another has moved in, ushering in changes for better and worse. For Nate, Ruth, David and Claire, every day above ground is a good one. Death and dysfunction are only the beginning on the Season Four premiere of Six Feet Under! Don't miss the season premiere on June 13th at 9 PM ET!
STRONG MEDICINE (Lifetime)
Premieres: Sunday, June 13 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
In the season premiere, the attraction between Lu (Rosa Blasi) and Ben (Grant Show) grows, yet they must tackle the shocking results of their HIV tests before taking their relationship a step forward. Tension mounts even more when someone from Ben's romantic past joins the hospital staff. Meanwhile, Andy treats her daughter's friend for a cough only to find out that the friend abuses cough syrup to get high. In addition, Kayla (Tamera Mowry), the new overly-eager intern, begins her rotation at the Rittenhouse Clinic and is thrust immediately into the hustle and bustle of the ER. Also, Peter (Josh Coxx) teaches new parents a lesson abut the importance of communication and compromise. Starring: Jenifer Lewis, Patricia Richardson, Philip Casnoff, Rosa Blasi, Josh Coxx, Tamera Mowry
NORTH SHORE (FOX)
Premieres: Monday, June 14 (8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT)
Encores: Thursdays (8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT)
NORTH SHORE is a lush drama that captures the passion, intrigue and heart of Hawaii. This 20-something ensemble series is set at the Grand Waimea, a luxury hotel, where JASON MATTHEWS (KRISTOFFER POLAHA, "America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story") is the popular general manager and his ex-girlfriend NICOLE (BROOKE BURNS, "Shallow Hal," "Dog Eat Dog") is the newly hired head of guest relations, having left her father's hotel empire to make her own way in the business � and in life. Working side by side causes much tension between them, but their romantic relationship may be far from over. Surrounding them in paradise is the rest of the hotel staff, who have dramatic lives of their own. NORTH SHORE delves into relationships among the recurring characters, with the added intrigue of stories about the hotel's affluent and powerful guests.
MONK: SEASON THREE (USA)
Premieres: Friday, June 18 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
All new episodes of Monk return to USA Network on Friday, June 18 at 10/9C!
NIP/TUCK: SEASON TWO (FX)
Premieres: Tuesday, June 22 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
The cable ratings smash kicks off its second season in June.
STEPHEN KING'S KINGDOM HOSPITAL (ABC)
Premieres: Thursday, June 24 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
The series returns for its final four episodes at the end of June.
JULY 2004
STARGATE SG-1: SEASON EIGHT (Sci Fi Channel)
Premieres: Friday, July 9 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
The Stargate team returns for its eighth season in July to help launch its spin-off "Stargate Atlantis."
THE 4,400 (USA)
Premieres: Sunday, July 11 (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Regularly Airs: Sundays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
4400 centers on the return of 4400 people who, previously presumed dead or reported missing, reappear on Earth. Though they have not aged physically, some of them seem to have deeper alterations ranging from superhuman strength to an unexplained healing touch. A government agency is formed to track the 4400 people after one of them commits a murder. 4400 is created by Scott Peters (The Outer Limits), written by Peters and Rene Echevarria (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Dark Angel) and executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope, and Ira Behr. The science fiction drama will be produced by Viacom Prods. and Renegade 83 with Viacom producing the limited series.
MISSING: SEASON TWO (Lifetime)
Premieres: Saturday, July 10 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Mark Consuelos ("All My Children") and Vivica A. Fox join the cast of the cable drama when it returns for its second season in July.
WILD CARD: SEASON TWO (Lifetime)
Premieres: Sunday, July 11 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Loretta Devine ("Boston Public") is set to climb aboard the cast when the drama kicks off its second season in July.
STARGATE ATLANTIS (Sci Fi Channel)
Premieres: Friday, July 16 (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Regularly Airs: Fridays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
A whole new adventure with a new team begins in the successful Stargate universe. In this spin-off from MGM Worldwide Television, a secret base left by the originators of the Stargate is found in the most unlikely of places-on Earth buried within the ruins of the legendary civilization Atlantis. The implications of this discovery lead the team to a distant universe, where they find a primitive human civilization threatened by a sinister new enemy.
 THE DAYS (ABC)
Premieres: Sunday, July 18 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
"The Days" is a smart and true take on a modern American family with two ambitious parents and three strong-minded kids, as they grapple with sobering and often humorous change-of-life issues. Each episode of "The Days" chronicles a 24-hour period in the life of the family, as seen through the witty but cynical eyes of fifteen year-old son Cooper. Beginning July 18, the series airs Sundays (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. "The Days" stars David Newsom as Jack Day, Marguerite MacIntyre as Abby, Laura Ramsey as Natalie, Evan Peters as Cooper and Zach Maurer as Nathan.
THE GRID (TNT)
Premieres: Monday, July 19 (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Regularly Airs: Mondays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Dylan McDermott ("The Practice," "Wonderland") and Julianna Margulies ("ER," "Evelyn") will star in THE GRID, a dramatic new limited series from Turner Network Television (TNT) and the BBC that explores both sides of the escalating war on terror. THE GRID will be produced in conjunction with Fox Television Studios and Carnival Films.
RESCUE ME (FX)
Premieres: Wednesday, July 21 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
A one-hour dramedy that stars Denis Leary as Tommy Kelly, a divorced new york firefighter, who struggles to cope with the fear of his job and the unease he feels watching his ex-wife as she starts to date other men; to better keep tabs on his ex and stay close to their three kids, Kelly moves across the street from them.
DEAD LIKE ME (Showtime)
Premieres: Sunday, July 25 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
The popular cable drama returns for its second season - on a new night, Sundays - in July.
AUGUST 2004
Currently no drama series are scheduled to premiere in August.
AND DON'T FORGET...
TOUCHING EVIL (USA)
Currently Airs: Mondays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
75-Minute Season Finale: Monday, June 14 (10:00 - 11:30 PM ET/PT)
THE SHIELD: SEASON THREE (FX)
Currently Airs: Tuesdays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Season Finale: Tuesday, June 15 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
AMERICAN FAMILY: JOURNEY OF DREAMS (PBS)
Currently Airs: Sundays (7:00 - 8:00 PM ET/PT)
Season Finale: Sunday, July 11 (7:00 - 8:00 PM ET/PT)
THE SOPRANOS: SEASON FIVE (HBO)
Currently Airs: Sundays (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
Season Finale: Sunday, June 6 (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
DEADWOOD (HBO)
Currently Airs: Sundays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Season Finale: Sunday, June 13 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
THE DIVISION (Lifetime)
Currently Airs: Sundays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Two-Hour Season Finale: Monday, June 28 (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT)
QUEER AS FOLK: SEASON FOUR (Showtime)
Currently Airs: Sundays (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Season Finale: Sunday, July 18 (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)
Look for additional series to be added to this page as soon as they are announced!
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