Bolstering excitement about the summer TV schedule, major networks recently released previews for their planned lineups.& Nearly every major broadcast network has brought a new family-friendly show to the air, a welcome break from sashaying celebrities and bloody, sex-filled teen dramas. Though in the case of any TV programming disagreements, multiple shows can be recorded at once with the Genie, according to install-direct-tv.com. Below are five new shows (all listed at Eastern Standard Time) you can enjoy with the kids in the same room.
1. 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' on The CW Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
This improv show, once hosted by Drew Carey, has been off the air for more than five years, but the CW revival premieres Tuesday, July 16. Though comedic actress Aisha Tyler has taken over behind the desk, it features many of the same cast members, who create off-the-cuff songs, mini-plays and sound effects based on audience cues. The games are family-friendly and sure to get a laugh from anyone in your brood.
2. 'Dads' on Fox Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
A unique turn on the family sitcom staple of parents struggling with raising kids, the new Fox comedy “Dads” portrays two single adults dealing with their own fathers coming into their lives. Seth MacFarlane is producing, and it appears “Dads” will take a turn from his pseudo-adult brand of humor to instead focus on relationships and the hilarity therein.
3. 'The Michael J. Fox Show' on NBC Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.
Some parents will remember Michael J. Fox from “Back to the Future,” while others saw him in his first family sitcom, “Family Ties.” He returns to the air on NBC this fall in a semiautobiographical show about a TV personality who balances Parkinson's disease with a career and family. The show will fill the coveted Thursday night slot, home to classics such as “Friends” and “The Office.” The honest but light-hearted portrayal of Fox's real-life struggles is a television first, and kids will get a kick out of the young kids and teens on the show, who are quickly becoming a rarity on network sitcoms.
4. 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
ABC is capitalizing on the success of “The Avengers” and comic-based films in general, with a Tuesday night spinoff about the team chosen to deal with the messy world of superheroes and supervillains. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” may be more appropriate for teens because of its dramatic nature and fight scenes. Director Joss Whedon, who has a flair for cult favorites with a dark side, brings back popular character Agent Coulson for the show, something he's had a lot of experience with between two Buffy deaths and the return of Sigourney Weaver in the aptly named “Alien: Resurrection.” Whedon refers to his long-term experience and assures the audience he knows the right way to handle this tricky plot device, according to an interview with Noelene Clark of the Los Angeles Times.
5. 'The Crazy Ones,' on CBS Thursdays at 9 p.m.
“The Crazy Ones” premiere will mark Robin William's first starring television gig since “Mork and Mindy.” The show is set in the world of high-powered advertising executives, and a preview features Williams' trademark maniacal laugh and a literal knockout punch from co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is an unexpected comedic combination of two veteran actors.
What show are you most looking forward to watching with your kids? Tell us in the comments.