Cable is summer home for cutting-edge TV
After this week's intense season finales of ``Lost" and ``24," it's hard to imagine switching gears next week and suddenly watching . . . ``Last Comic Standing."
Alas -- for better or worse -- the summer programming season is here. It's a time when cable television traditionally shines with cutting-edge programs while the broadcast networks slow down, airing mostly repeats, reality shows , and a few series that may not have made last fall's schedule .
It's not all bad news, unless you don't have cable. In coming weeks, expect the return of cult-favorites such as HBO's ``Entourage" and ``Deadwood" (June 11) , USA's ``The 4400" (June 11) and ``Monk" (July 7) , TNT's ``The Closer" (June 12) , Comedy Central's ``Reno 911" (July 9) , and FX's ``Rescue Me" ( Tuesday) and ``30 Days" (tentatively July 12).
There will be plenty of new series too this summer, including Showtime's long-awaited drama ``Brotherhood," which is loosely based on James ``Whitey" Bulger . It follows the lives of an Irish mobster in Providence and his brother, a member of that state's House of Representatives. This series, which debuts July 9 , was filmed in Providence last fall.
Spike TV is premiering its first original drama, ``Blade: The Series," based on the Marvel comic book about a half-man, half-vampire who protects mortals from vampires. The serialized thriller, which debuts June 28 , will showcase actor Kirk ``Sticky" Jones in the title role.
Wesley Snipes , who has starred in feature films about Blade, wasn't interested in the television series, said Pancho Mansfield , executive producer of the program. He added that the television version will feature some new characters, including Krista Starr, a human who gets involved with the vampire world while investigating her twin brother's death, and Marcus Van Sciver, a charismatic villain.
``We're going to learn about Blade's past and Marcus' s past," Mansfield said. ``Marcus was human once. He was married. Then his wife was killed and something went terribly wrong."
On TNT , there's ``Saved," a drama about a paramedic trying to find his place in life (June 12) , and ``Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King " (July 12) , an anthology series starring actors such as William H. Macy and Kim Delaney.
CBS is launching ``Tuesday Night Book Club" (June 13) , a docu-drama about a group of real suburban women who hash out their problems at book club meetings. NBC is premiering ``Windfall" (June 8) , a fictional drama about 20 friends who win a $386 million lottery jackpot only to discover that rich isn't necessarily better. The series was created by Laurie McCarthy a 1984 graduate of Boston University who is fond of buying Quick-Picks .
``I've never won big. But like everyone else, I always wonder `what if?' " she said. ``But I also believe that if most people had all the money in the world, they'd probably keep doing something close to what they're doing now. It's disconcerting when you take away what's normal."
McCarthy's characters include a 17-year-old boy who can't collect his $19.3 million in winnings because he's underage. Rather than trust his parents, his solution is to get married, via mail-order bride. ``He thinks he can pay her $10,000 and be rid of her, but it's not that simple," she says.
MTV2 is premiering an animated block of adult shows, starring comedians Tracy Morgan , Orlando Jones , and Jeffrey Ross .
USA has ``Psych" (July 7) , a drama about a police consultant who has everyone believing he's a psychic. The Sci Fi Channel will air ``Eureka" (July 18) , the story of a small town where the federal government is secretly relocating geniuses and their families.
In the reality genre, look for a slugfest among the broadcast networks. NBC hired ``American Idol" judge Simon Cowell to produce its new talent show, ``America's Got Talent" (June 21) , which will be hosted by Regis Philbin . Contestants will range from ventriloquists to acrobats to magicians who perform before celebrity judges Brandy , David Hasselhoff and U K television personality Piers Morgan .
ABC is countering with its own competition of pizza tossing, unicycle obstacle-course racing and such on ``Master of Champions." There's also ``The One: Making a Music Star," in which contestants attend a music academy and then perform in front of an audience. Premiere dates haven't been announced.
Fox is offering up ``So You Think You Can Dance," which debuted Thursday night, as well as ``Hell's Kitchen" (June 12) . Meanwhile, CBS has tapped Ricki Lake to host ``Gameshow Marathon" ( May 31) in which six celebrity contestants play classic game shows such as ``The Price is Right" and ``Let's Make a Deal." CBS will also help the rock group Supernova audition a lead singer on ``Rock Star: Supernova" (July 5) .
On cable, viewers can watch a former 1970s supermodel launch her own Hollywood modeling agency on Oxygen's ``The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" (June 6) . VH1's ``My Fair Brady: We're Getting Married ! " (May 28) will chronicle the prenuptial drama of Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry, former participants on `` The Surreal Life 4."
A&E will premiere ``Driving Force" (July 17) , which explores the life of drag-racer John Force and his three drag-racing daughters. A&E's ``Gene Simmons Family Jewels" will follow the rock star, his long time girlfriend, and their two teenagers, sometime in August.
On public television, look for a new season of ``History Detectives" (June 19) , ``Mystery ! " (June 4) , ``Wide Angle" (July 11), and ``P.O.V." (June 27) . An art-history series, ``How Art Made the World," debuts June 26 .
For laughs, HBO is offering a half-hour sitcom, ``Lucky Louie" (June 11) , in which a full-time nurse and a part-time mechanic struggle to make it while raising a young child. The network is also launching a late-night docu-comedy series, ``Dane Cook's Tourgasm " (June 11) , in which Cook and three other comics perform 20 shows in 30 days across 28 states. Boston is one of the stops.
Showtime is bringing back ``Weeds" ( Aug. 14 ) . Lifetime has ``Lovespring International" (June 5) , a half-hour improvisational comedy about a group of dysfunctional people who run a dating service. Comedy Central is offering up ``Dog Bites Man" (June 7) , a part improvisational, part mockumentary series starring dysfunctional fake newscasters interacting with real people.
Unmoved to set your DVR yet? There are always movies on the Hallmark Channel.
Tonight , ``The Curse of King Tut's Tomb" premieres. It's the story of archeologists who are searching for pieces to a jade tablet that, once assembled, can open the gates of hell.
Let's hope that show isn't somehow a metaphor for the summer TV schedule.
Suzanne Ryan can be reached at sryan@globe.com 
