It has been a huge week for TV, with the upfronts laying out everything that the basic cable networks will be offering viewers for the next year or so. Not to be outdone, the quality control specialists at FX and FXX have released their summer schedule, covering both returning shows and those new to the airwaves. We’ve got all the shows and their dates lined up below, but don’t ask us to explain why they’re keeping their new comedies on FX instead of shifting all the funny to FXX. We assume it’s because not a lot of people have FXX yet, which makes us question why they’re making it so exclusive in the first place, and then we go down the wormhole of network thinking and we all know nothing good comes of that.
So without further ado, talking dogs and evil vampires.
Wilfred
Entering its fourth and final season, the psychologically warped comedy Wilfred will make the grand shift over to FXX starting on Wednesday, June 25, debuting two back-to-back episodes starting at 10 p.m. ET. There wasn’t an official Season 4 synopsis in FX’s press release, but I’m betting we can assume it will follow Ryan (Elijah Wood), who lusts after a girl whose dog Wilfred (Jason Gann) appears to him as a six-foot-tall walking, talking, bong-hitting man in a dog costume. Based on the Australian series of the same name, Wilfred often takes its humor to uncomfortable and far-fetched places, but still manages to work in an emotion or two in the process. We’ll be sorry to see it go.
The Bridge
Based on the Danish/Swedish drama of the same name, The Bridge will bring its suspense-filled tale of U.S./Mexico tensions back to FX on Wednesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET. The Peabody Award winner will kick off Season 2 with Mexican Detective Marco Ruiz (Demian Bichir) still dealing with the first season’s tragedy as he gets looped in with his unofficial U.S. partner Detective Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger) as she meets a man from her past who poses a large threat to her and her boss, Lieutenant Hank Wade (Ted Levine). The case soon envelops the Juarez drug cartel, money laundering and more police corruption, and it also brings in journalists Daniel Frye (Matthew Lillard) and Adriana Mendez (Emily Rios), as well as Charlotte Millwright (Annabeth Gish), who finds her underground tunnel immigration system is at risk. It's all connected! A slow burner of a series, The Bridge kept me intrigued during the first season thanks to nonstop danger and excellent performances from Bichir and Kruger, whose antisocial tics are amazing.
The Strain
The Strain Fans of the imaginative filmmaker Guillermo del Toro are feverishly anticipating this horror series, which is based on the best-selling trilogy of novels that del Toro wrote with author Chuck Hogan. The Strain is one of the darkest vampire tales ever to come to television, and focuses on the impending arrival of the Master (Robert Maillet), an ancient vampire who infests New York City with a modern form of vampirism. On hand to try and stop him are CDC higher-up Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) and Holocaust survivor/pawn shop owner Professor Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley), and a whole host of other characters. You’ve probably seen the billion or so tiny teasers FX has been releasing, and we’re assuming a full version is coming soon. After all, there's not much time left until The Strain is set to take a bite out of the Big Apple on Sunday, July 13, at 10 p.m. ET.
Tyrant
From Gideon Raff, the creator of the Israeli drama Prisoners of War and its Americanized adaptation Homeland, comes this border-crossing story of political divide and twisted loyalties. The son of a Middle Eastern dictator (of a completely fictional nation, as to not cause sparks), Bassam “Barry” Al Fayeed (Adam Rayner) has spent the last 20 years of his life on a self-imposed exile in the United States, having found happiness with a wife (Jennifer Finnigan) and children. For the wedding of his nephew, Barry returns to his war-torn homeland, only to find himself (and his American family) thrown into the turmoil-filled lifestyle that he left behind in the first place. With a supporting cast that includes Justin Kirk and Raad Rawi, Tyrant’s 10-episode first season will premiere on Tuesday, June 24 at 10 p.m. ET, with the first episode directed by the Harry Potter franchise’s David Yates.
Married
From political terror to relationship comedy we go, as the new sitcom Married will premiere the first of its ten episodes on FX on Thursdays this summer, on July 17 at 10:00 p.m.. Marriage and parenthood have been quite a challenge for Russ (Nat Faxon) and Lina Bowman (Judy Greer), with debt and suburban life pushing their easygoing past even further back. But it’s not just all big plans and no sex, as Russ and Lina are best friends who can probably make it through anything. (Like at least one season on FX.) Created by The Last Exorcism writer and The Virginity Hit director Andrew Gurland, Married will hopefully take advantage of its talent-bursting lead couple and bring general sitcom hilarity to a network that more often than not runs on high concepts.
You’re the Worst
More lovey-dovey comedy! You’re the Worstis like the opposite of Married, in that it revolves around a budding relationship, rather than an established one. But they’re alike in the fact that You’re the Worst will also debut on Thursday, July 17 this summer, at 10:30 p.m. ET. Created by Weeds writer Stephen Falk, this series stars The Wolf of Wall Street’s Aya Cash and Brit actor Chris Geere (The Spa) as two self-destructive people who try to find solace in each other by starting to date. No doubt this will involve awkward laughter and silly situations.
