This year's summer TV slate is wielding some serious star power. We're counting off new and old shows (with their premiere dates) we'll be checking out at least once over the coming months, including ABC's "Wipeout," the perfect example of breezy summer TV. The show premieres at 9 p.m. ET June 28 on ABC.(CNN) -- Summertime has long been associated with pool parties and barbecues. But with so many new programs and series' finales on the way, the TV remote could be just as crucial this season as sunscreen and hot dogs.
It used to be that reruns and reality TV shows were the stars of summer TV. And while reality staples such as "Big Brother" and "Wipeout" still stand, they're now offset by a slew of original dramas and comedies, some of which boast a star power that's relatively new to the summer season.
This shift has been in the works for a while, since innovative cable shows began forcing networks to up the ante about six years ago, said Matt Whitfield, features editor at Yahoo! TV.
"This is the most highly anticipated summer in TV history," he said, adding that the lineup "seems more exciting than the fall TV lineup."
HBO's new series "The Newsroom" will take viewers behind the scenes of a fictional cable news network when it premieres on June 24. It's one of the most buzzed-about new dramas, thanks in part to series creator Aaron Sorkin. The Oscar-winner is known for helming the Emmy-winning drama "The West Wing," which aired for seven seasons on NBC.
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Starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer and Dev Patel, the series "has award winner written all over it already," Whitfield said. HBO is owned by CNN's parent company.
"True Blood" has been a summer staple since season 2 kicked off in June 2009 on HBO. Returning on Sunday, season 5 boasts a new draw -- "Law and Order: SVU" veteran Chris Meloni has joined the cast as a vampire.
Three-time Oscar-nominated actress Sigourney Weaver will also grace the tube this summer on USA's "Political Animals." She'll play divorced, former first lady Elaine Barrish, who now serves as the secretary of state.
Joining Weaver are Ellen Burstyn and Carla Gugino, among other notable stars. The series is set to premiere in July.
The Weaver series is hardly USA's only lure this summer. "Royal Pains," "White Collar," "Burn Notice" and "Suits" will all be back.
Highly anticipated final seasons beginning this summer include AMC's "Breaking Bad" and TNT's "The Closer," which will air additional episodes to prepare for a potential spinoff. Meanwhile, come July 11, DirecTV will take "Damages" into its final season.
Perhaps the summer season's greatest star power can be found on FX. Charlie Sheen's "Anger Management" will debut on June 28. Selma Blair and Shawnee Smith will also appear on the show, which features Sheen as an anger management therapist.
"There's no way that's not going to have huge ratings," said Whitfield, who added that "Two and a Half Men's" ratings haven't been so hot since Ashton Kutcher took over. "People want Charlie," Whitfield continued. "They're going to tune in for Charlie. ('Anger Management') could very well deliver FX's highest rating of all time."
FX also has a notable name behind its new series, "Brand X With Russell Brand." The comedian will star in the late-night series, sharing his take on everything from politics to pop culture.
It's not as easy as it used to be for TV shows to breakout during the summer, said James Poniewozik, a senior writer and TV critic at Time magazine. "(TV) is not as uncluttered over the summer anymore, but it's still easier than launching a show the way the big networks do in the fall -- where 80% of their new shows debut within the same couple of weeks in September."
And though summer is no longer a "the world's wildest police chases and silly garbage," Whitfield said, programs such as "Big Brother" and "So You Think You Can Dance," which he calls "comfort food TV," aren't going anywhere.
Joining the reality competition genre are dating shows such as Fox's "The Choice" and "Take Me Out," which will premiere on Thursday. NBC's "Love in the Wild" kicked off its second season on Tuesday.
And on the cable front of reality TV, MTV will launch "Snooki and JWoww."
If only because people are curious to observe a pregnant Snooki, the new reality series is sure to attract viewers, Whitfield said. "There truly is something for everybody this year."
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We're not spending this summer at the Hamptons -- but that's where "Royal Pains," centered on Dr. Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein, right) comes in. Jill Flint, left, Reshma Shetty and Paulo Costanzo also star.
Fox is working the love angle this summer, first with "Take Me Out," a George Lopez-hosted dating series that features 30 women playing to find for their perfect match.
"The Choice" -- no relation to NBC's "The Voice" but similar to it -- features four celebrity bachelors (and a few bachelorettes) who each choose three women as potential dates during "blind auditions." The bachelors include the likes of Romeo, left, Jeremy Bloom, DJ Pauly D and Jason Cook.
The fifth season premiere takes us back to Bon Temps, where Sookie's dealing with the aftermath of Tara being shot, and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard, center) and Bill (Stephen Moyer, left) receive a visit from the Vampire Authority. Lucy Griffiths also stars.
"Dallas" is back, with a few of the same cast members to prove it. The saga of J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman, left) continues with a new generation, including Josh Henderson as John Ross Ewing.
"Burn Notice" returns for its sixth season with Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and his team trying to rescue Fiona after she turns herself in to federal custody.
If you missed out on this series in its first season last summer, now's your chance to catch up with the perfectly matched team of legal pro Harvey (Gabriel Macht, second from right) and newcomer on the run, Mike (Patrick Adams, right). Gina Torres, far left, Rick Hoffmann and Meghan Markle also star.
The first season of this Steven Spielberg-produced alien-invasion series, starring Noah Wyle, center, was a rough ride. But after a promising closer and new promos for season two, fans are hoping this two-hour premiere will be well worth the wait.
Because MTV clearly wants viewers to be able to watch the cast of "Jersey Shore" every week of the year, there's a summer installment of a spinoff starring JWoww, left, and Snooki in their own abode.
Easily one of the most anticipated premieres of the summer, Aaron Sorkin's "Newsroom" with Jeff Daniels offers a behind-the-scenes take on a fictional 24-hour cable news network.
Charlie Sheen is bouncing back from that "tiger blood"-fueled meltdown to play a therapist with issues of his own in a series based on the 2003 Adam Sandler movie of the same name.
If you've been overlooking this acclaimed comedy series about a stand-up comic written and directed by its star, Louis C.K., here's your chance to find out what you've been missing.
We're expecting at least a few fireworks from this late-night series, with Russell Brand offering his spin on politics, celebrities and world events while interacting with the audience.
Fans are preparing to say goodbye to Kyra Sedgwick's Brenda Johnson with this seventh and final season, which will include six episodes.
Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook (of "She's All That" fame) star in this medical drama about a neuroscientist (McCormack) with a unique gift and an FBI agent (Cook) who turns to him for help with difficult cases.
We waited all year to reunite with Annie (Piper Perabo) and Auggie (Christopher Gorham). Last season's finale left Annie in quite the predicament when Auggie told her he's headed to Africa to visit his girlfriend.
Another fan favorite is drawing to a close as Glenn Close's "Damages" heads into its fifth and final season.
If this is the season you'll get into "Big Brother," be forewarned it's a time commitment. Beginning July 18, the Julie Chen-hosted reality series will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays, followed by the live-action show at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays, and then another airing at 8 p.m. ET Sundays.
It's your last chance to get your fix of Bryan Cranston as the complex Walter White as the acclaimed drama heads into its final season.
Sigourney Weaver makes her TV series debut as a divorced first lady serving as the secretary of state.
One of last summer's freshman hits, the "Alphas" return for a second 13-episode season in which they'll tap into their unique, powerful abilities to help stop crimes.
The second season will see former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount, center) move West as he tries to gain distance from his past. Dominique McElligott, Colm Meaney and Common also star.
"The Closer" is ending this summer, but TNT isn't leaving fans high and dry. Mary McDonnell's Captain Sharon Raydor stars in this spinoff series set in the Los Angeles Police Department.
Kelsey Grammer returns as troubled Chicago Mayor Tom Kane, who's battling much more than politics thanks to his diagnosis with a degenerative brain disorder.
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