‘The Twilight Zone,’ ‘The Politician’ & More Shows Returning This Summer
Preview
Productions may be shut down due to coronavirus, but there’s plenty of favorites that finished filming before safer-at-home orders were issued.
Below, catch the roundup of returning titles arriving this summer ranging from campy favorites like The Politician, the revival of sci-fi classic The Twilight Zone and much more. See what the stars, producers and insiders are teasing about the seasons ahead.
The Twilight Zone
You are about to re-enter another dimension, and Season 2 of the classic-anthology reboot offers “stories about identity and sense of self,” according to executive producer Win Rosenfeld. Jordan Peele (also an EP) again narrates à la Rod Serling, but the casts are all new and include Christopher Meloni, Jenna Elfman, Joel McHale, Tony Hale and Billy Porter. Over the 10 episodes, Rosenfeld says, “We bounce from science fiction to horror in playful and often thought-provoking ways.” Thursday, June 25, CBS All Access
Grantchester
Season 5 of this cozy U.K. mystery begins optimistically enough. Newish vicar Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) has settled in; his crime-solving partner D.I. Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and wife Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth) have repaired their marriage. Then reporter Ellie Harding (Lauren Carse) upsets the equilibrium, testing Will’s faith and his self-imposed celibacy. “Ellie and Will wind each other up,” says exec producer Daisy Coulam. “But is there something beneath their banter?” Sunday, June 14, 9/8c, PBS (check local listings at pbs.org)
The Alienist: Angel of Darkness
It’s Summer In 1897 New York, but in this anxiety-producing follow-up to 2018’s murder mystery The Alienist, there’s a definite chill in the air. Is a new serial killer on the loose? As war looms between the U.S. and Spain, newly minted gumshoe Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) has been hired to find the missing infant daughter of a Spanish diplomat. “She suspects someone dangerous and deluded has the child, and time is of the essence,” showrunner Stuart Carolan says. For help, she calls upon friends who have experience catching human monsters. John Moore (Luke Evans), now a New York Times reporter, is engaged but still has feelings for Sara. And pioneering forensic psychiatrist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) suspects a connection to his own work trying to save an innocent woman accused of killing her child from execution. Not surprisingly, terror and peril again lay in wait for this trio. Sunday, July 26, 9/8c, TNT
Greenleaf
“Lord, we are getting tested!” says Lynn Whitfield, aka Lady Mae Greenleaf, of the megachurch drama’s fifth and final season. Memphis’ Greenleaf family take on devious Bob Whitmore (Beau Bridges) to get back their beloved Cavalry Fellowship World Ministries. But before the final “Amen,” can we get one more showdown between forever feuding Mae and her sister Mavis (Oprah Winfrey)? “Greenleaf couldn’t end without a visit from Mavis, could it?” hints executive producer Craig Wright. Tuesday, June 23, 9/8c, OWN
The Politician
The cliché “All politics is personal” rings true for Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) as he challenges New York state senator Dede Standish (Judith Light) for office. The dark comedy, which tracks the ambitious young man’s path to a White House run, depicts his dilemma of whether to play dirty after learning Standish is in a three-way relationship. “He wants to be the kind of politician above using that,” says exec producer Ian Brennan, who adds that the “outrageous” antics of Payton’s mom, Georgina (Gwyneth Paltrow), carry consequences in Season 2 and beyond. Friday, June 19, Netflix
Hanna
In Season 1, Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles) learned she was bred to be a supersoldier as part of the secret government program Utrax, then lost her dad/protector after they tried to liberate other genetically juiced-up girls from a training compound. Soon the teen is locked up with them at a facility run by new villain John Carmichael (Dermot Mulroney). “Last season, Hanna was asking, ‘Who am I?'” Creed-Miles says. “Now it’s ‘Who do I want to be?'” Friday, July 3, Amazon Prime Video
