Hot Starts: 22 Classic Summer TV Debuts

Ah, summer. You give us soft-serve cones. Dips in the lake. And, perhaps most important of all, weird and wonderful TV premieres, often for programs deemed too offbeat to fit in with the homogeneous offerings of the regular fall season. Occasionally, though, these series — be they comedies, dramas, or reality contests — transcend their outsider status to become the cool kids in class. Here we present 22 such all-stars, from The Prisoner to Mad Men (pictured), that premiered during the May-August minors, but will always rank as major league to us. —Michael Slezak

SEINFELD
PREMIERED May 31, 1990
THE SCOOP Note to current and future network TV execs: Sometimes it pays to bet on an oddball. Of course, this particular bet took a while to pay off. NBC aired comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s sitcom pilot — titled The Seinfeld Chronicles — as a one-time special in the summer of 1989, then gave the series a mere four airings in 1990. That tiny investment of airtime paid off big. Seinfeld not only went on to become a cornerstone of NBC’s must-see Thursday lineup, but it also left a lasting mark on the pop-culture lexicon, introducing the world to such Seinfeld-ian terms as sponge-worthy, puffy shirt, ”serenity now,” the manssiere, Sack Lunch, and, of course, yadda, yadda, yadda. —Michael Slezak

SEX AND THE CITY
PREMIERED June 6, 1998
THE SCOOP What better time for a little Sex talk than when mercury levels — and hemlines — are rising? Based on Candace Bushnell’s best-selling book, Sex and the City chronicled the amorous exploits of four thirtysomething gal pals living and loving in New York City. The HBO series was lauded for its refreshingly frank (read: graphic) portrayal of women’s sex lives, garnering seven Emmy wins during its six-year run. Two silver screen versions later, many of us still feel connected to Carrie and the girls. —Amy Wilkinson

ENTOURAGE
PREMIERED July 18, 2004
THE SCOOP Just a few months after HBO ended its era of expensive shoes and gratuitous sex in the Big Apple, the network revamped a winning ratings recipe and found success with four dudes in L.A. Entourage not only gave the Y chromosomes something to clink their Coronas to, but with dreamy rising star Adrien Grenier and hilarious Jeremy Piven, it became a show catchier than Usher’s ”Yeah.” —Lisa Raphael

SURVIVOR
PREMIERED May 31, 2000
THE SCOOP Arriving at the end of the 1999-2000 TV season — and the beginning of America’s reality TV explosion — CBS’ version of the Dutch castaway contest proved to be unlike anything on U.S. airwaves and, as a result, became an out-of-the-box ratings smash. These days, Survivor still resides near the top of the ratings heap, but for delectable strategy (winner Richard Hatch, pictured, creating an alliance of four that blindsided his remaining tribemates) and pure unvarnished emotion (fourth-place finisher Susan Hawk’s venomous ”snake-rat” jury diatribe), season 1 remains in a league of its own. —Michael Slezak

THE PRISONER
PREMIERED June 1, 1968
THE SCOOP Folks who find Lost a little convoluted might get a migraine trying to follow the strange story of Patrick McGoohan’s Number 6 (a character most fans considered a continuation of the actor’s previous TV role in Secret Agent), who was being pumped for information while held captive in a picturesque village (the borders of which were patrolled by giant orbs known as ”rovers”). Perhaps The Prisoner‘s quirkiness — the role of Number 6’s chief interrogator (Number 2) was played by a rotating lineup of actors — prevented the series from becoming a mainstream hit for CBS in its initial run, but a four-decade-long cult following certainly isn’t a bad consolation prize. —Michael Slezak

MAD MEN
PREMIERED July 19, 2007
THE SCOOP After only a 13-episode run, AMC execs were able to peer through the thick cloud of cigarette smoke above the board room table to note the genius within the elusive Don Draper and his crack team of hard-drinking associates at fictional 1960s ad agency Sterling Cooper. The cable network’s debut effort in the scripted-drama category earned enough critical acclaim to win two Golden Globes (Best Drama Series and Best Actor for John Hamm) and a larger audience. —Annie Barrett

AMERICAN IDOL
PREMIERED June 1, 2002
THE SCOOP Fox solidified its reputation for successfully courting young viewers on summer vacation by importing England’s Pop Idol, along with acerbic judge Simon Cowell. American audiences flocked to their sets to experience the shock (and delight) of watching deluded wannabes get smacked down by Cowell’s withering criticism. And they stuck around to witness the birth of a superstar — future Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson (pictured). Today, Idol‘s addictive feel-bad-feel-good formula is the undisputed champ in the TV ratings. —Michael Slezak

THE SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR
PREMIERED August 1, 1971
THE SCOOP They had gone from a chart-topping duo to an off-the-radar Vegas act in less than five years, and Sonny and Cher’s descent to the depths of uncool seemed near completion when CBS relegated the premiere of their variety series to the TV wasteland of August. But as America has long since learned, you should never underestimate the resiliency of Cher. Exhibit A: With its campy mix of stand-up shtick (often at Sonny’s expense), musical numbers, comedy skits, and outrageous Bob Mackie costumes, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour beat the odds, became a hit, and remained on the airwaves till 1977. —Michael Slezak

QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY
PREMIERED July 15, 2003
THE SCOOP On the pre-Queer Eye Bravo, you could spot tumbleweeds roll past James Lipton as he asked Drew Barrymore what her favorite curse word was. The extreme makeover show, named one of Out‘s ”greatest gay success stories of 2003,” pushed the little known network to fabulous heights and put a whole lot of heart into the art of shaving, picking out the perfect shirt, and choosing a fine wine. —Lisa Raphael

MONK
PREMIERED July 12, 2002
THE SCOOP Tony Shalhoub’s portrayal of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk is so hilariously winning that Monk became one of the first basic-cable shows to step up to the majors and fill in the occasional hole in the batting order in sister broadcast network NBC’s prime-time roster. The series earned three Emmys for Shalhoub (he was nominated eight times in a row) and made USA the go-to network for wacky crime solvers (see also Psych, Burn Notice). —Gary Susman

WEEDS
PREMIERED August 8, 2005
THE SCOOP The only way a pot-dealing single mom could conceivably have shown up on network TV might have been as a victim on Law & Order. But as the star of a witty series that actually treated her unorthodox career choice as a valid one? No way. Showtime might have steered clear, too, if it hadn’t been looking for a summer draw. Good thing they gave writer Jenji Kohan’s unique creation the green light: Talented actors like Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, Romany Malco, and Tonye Patano easily transcended the show’s wacky premise, delivering authentic drama (along with plenty of disbelief-testing plot twists and gags). By summer’s end, Weeds had served official notice that HBO wasn’t the only cable net in town peddling primo scripted goods. —Simon Vozick-Levinson

BURN NOTICE
PREMIERED June 28, 2007
THE SCOOP Mad Men got all the buzz a couple of years ago, but more people were watching this sly spy tale about former CIA operative Michael Weston (wry Jeffrey Donovan) who turns to private-eye work in rum-soaked Miami while trying to learn who got him blackballed out of the agency. Bonus points for casting a vintage Gabrielle Anwar as Michael’s ex-IRA ”girlfriend” and Bruce Campbell, in all his seedy glory, as dodgy retired spy Sam. —Gary Susman

THE WIRE
PREMIERED June 2, 2002
THE SCOOP It didn’t matter how many critics hailed HBO’s revolutionary crime drama — each season depicted a different area of corruption in urban Baltimore, from the drug trade to the education system — as the ”best television show ever.” Viewers and Emmy voters simply refused to tune in. For shame — especially in it’s cracking debut year, which introduced troubled Irish cop Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), his colleague Kima (Sonja Sohn), grizzled detective Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters), and their infamous underworld foils, dealers Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), and series legend Omar (Michael Kenneth Williams), a gay gangster who steals from the drug lords to, well, give to himself. —Aubry D’Arminio

DAMAGES
PREMIERED July 24, 2007
THE SCOOP Those hungering for more meaty summer fare found a hearty feast in FX’s dense legal mind bender. It opened with a frantic blood-splattered damsel running down the street and slowly unveiled the events of the prior six months over 13 tense episodes. At the heart of it all — Glenn Close, who heads a powerhouse cast as a ruthless trial lawyer who stops at nothing (including puppycide) to take down an unscrupulous CEO (Ted Danson). —Erin E. Stevenson

THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOLLY DODD
PREMIERED May 21, 1987
THE SCOOP Think of it as the beloved and quirky Manhattan aunt of Sex and the City or Ally McBeal, if you like, but when NBC premiered this half-hour series back in the late ’80s, its title character, an introspective thirtysomething divorcée played by Blair Brown (pictured with costar David Straithairn), was an intriguing change of pace from the standard sitcom heroine. And although Molly Dodd, the kind of series for which the word ”dramedy” was coined, never broke through as a mainstream success (getting canceled by NBC after one year), a subsequent stay of execution from the fledgling cable outlet Lifetime gave loyal fans a couple more years to follow Molly’s romantic and professional travails. —Michael Slezak

HEE HAW
PREMIERED June 15, 1969
THE SCOOP Back in the days when there were rabbit ears in practically every living room — and thus no niche cable channels delivering programming tailored to specific audiences — country fans had limited options when it came to getting a prime-time music fix. CBS threw ’em a bone by debuting Hee Haw in the summer of 1969, and the show’s mix of hokey comedy skits (often performed, appropriately, in a cornfield!), gingham-clad babes, and a who’s-who-in-Nashville lineup of musical acts proved a ratings winner. Though it lasted only two years on CBS, Hee Haw, hosted by musicians Buck Owens (left) and Roy Clark, went on to thrive with new episodes in syndication for two more decades. —Michael Slezak

NIP/TUCK
PREMIERED July 22, 2003
THE SCOOP Doctor dramas are common, but FX’s fresh take on the lives and practice of two plastic surgeons meant an hour of hot bodies, gasp-worthy plotlines, full frontal (and back-al) nudity, and scalpel scenes that would make the docs over at Seattle Grace queasy. When DILF-y duo Sean (Dylan Walsh) and Christian (Julian McMahon) say, ”Tell us what you don’t like about yourself,” you can’t help but hope for the worst. —Lisa Raphael

MELROSE PLACE
PREMIERED July 8, 1992
THE SCOOP Who says folks won’t stay home to watch a steamy soap opera in balmy weather? Back in 1991, Fox ran fresh summer episodes of its fledgling drama Beverly Hills, 90210, solidifying the show’s hit status in the process. The following year, the network tried the same strategy with a spin-off sudser, Melrose Place, and lightning struck twice: The Aaron Spelling production would go on to push the boundaries of prime-time camp for a full seven seasons, particularly with the later (and inspired) casting additions of Heather Locklear and Marcia Cross. —Michael Slezak

EUREKA
PREMIERED July 18, 2006
THE SCOOP Sometimes summer audiences don’t just want one quirky genius per show (Psych, Monk), they want a whole city full of them. Hence the premise of Sci Fi’s pilot for Eureka: A U.S. marshal (Colin Ferguson) and his rebellious daughter stumble upon a secluded Pacific Northwest village populated only by the super smart (the children can do thermal chemistry) and kept secret by the government. The marshal takes up post as the town sheriff — and the town dummy since his intelligence is only slightly above average — and he’s soon wrangling every mad scientist, crazed engineer, and math savant while keeping their wacky experiments from taking out the planet. —Aubry D’Arminio

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
PREMIERED August 16, 1999
THE SCOOP Too bad the networks don’t seem to be as daring in the regular season as they are during summer break. Although the world hadn’t seen a successful prime-time quiz show in eons, ABC took a shot with a 13-episode trial run of the hit British series (with Regis Philbin taking on hosting duties), and viewers made it a smash here too. Perhaps, though, ABC should’ve polled the audience regarding its appetite for heaping portions of Millionaire; when the network shortsightedly began to overschedule the show after a promising regular-season debut, subsequent audience burnout left ABC’s prime-time lineup filled with holes. Eventually, Millionaire was relegated to a syndicated daytime version (hosted by Meredith Vieira), yet its signature catchphrase — ”Is that your final answer?” — lives on. —Michael Slezak

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
PREMIERED May 20, 2003
THE SCOOP Back when Tyra Banks was more supermodel and less Oprah-lite, she launched a surprisingly as-of-yet-unexplored reality show formula: Add 10 aspiring models to one house, throw in several torturous photo shoots (hello outdoor winter bikini shoot!), and subtract dignity to find out WHO will become America’s. Next. Top. Model. Today, ANTM remains one of our guiltiest pleasures. What can we say? It makes us smile with our eyes. —Kate Ward

NORTHERN EXPOSURE
PREMIERED July 12, 1990
THE SCOOP What better cure for the summertime blues than a trip to the snowy confines of small-town Alaska? Perhaps that was the thinking behind CBS’ decision to give a July premiere to Northern Exposure, a quirky hour-long comedy about a big-city doctor (Rob Morrow) who is tricked into practicing medicine in the character-filled town of Cicely. Northern Exposure would go on to rank in the top 15 shows for three seasons, from 1991 to 1994. The show’s creators tried to put a spin on the same formula with 1992’s Going to Extremes (big-city medical students attend a school in the Caribbean), but that one left viewers cold. —Michael Slezak