( 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 . 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 have n'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 , '' are n'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 . ''
HBO 's ` ` The Newsroom '' will take viewers behind the scenes of a fictional television news network . HBO 's ` ` True Blood '' has been a summer staple since season one kicked off in June 2009 . Sigourney Weaver will appear on USA 's ` ` Political Animals '' come July .