Small Screen Sizzles

Networks roll out new programs for the summer season By Magdalena Burnham Summer might be the time when a lot of your favorite television shows go away, but networks are pumping out plenty of interesting new shows to fill the void. Here is a rundown of the most buzzed about new summer programs. Dallas Get out your "I Shot J.R." T-shirts-someone has decided to reboot that show you heard about where the last season turned out to be a dream. Patrick Duffy returns to his Dallas roots, joined by newcomers Jesse Metcalfe, from Desperate Housewives, and Jordana Brewster. The previews TNT has released make the show look dead serious, but it would be nice if it were cheesy fun and focused on Metcalfe's abs. Premieres June 13 on TNT. The Newsroom This is easily the most anticipated-and prestigious-show of the summer, so be sure to watch it if you want to have opinions on this year's Emmys or talk to your pretentious nephew. The Newsroom was created by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, Sports Night) and stars Jeff Daniels (Terms of Endearment, The Squid and the Whale) as a news anchor. It will go behind the scenes of the cable news world; the previews promise the signature Sorkin dialogue his fans have become accustomed to. Premieres June 24 on HBO. Duets Duets is a reality show in which four alleged superstars search for a talented unknown artist to compete with them in a singing competition-not the most original idea a network ever tossed out. The talents involved are Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and John Legend. They all seem like perfectly nice people, but you'd think ABC would get a bigger variety of stars to draw a wide audience. Compared to the careful musical diversity on display in The Voice's panel of judges, this show seems like it really only cares about the mom audience. Premieres May 24 on ABC. Dogs in the City When you start to feel exhausted by shows like The Newsroom, where you have to think and pay attention, flip over to this CBS reality show. Hopefully, it'll be mostly footage of cute dogs; the only way it could go awry is if it gives us too much of the human star of the show, dog trainer Justin Silver. Premieres May 30 on CBS. Anger Management Exactly what Charlie Sheen's new series on FX will be like is a bit of a mystery, since none of the trailers have included any actual footage from the show. But reports say that the show tested very well, so Sheen might just get his victorious comeback. The cast also includes Selma Blair. Premieres June 28 on FX. Magdalena Burnham studied television writing at New York University. She currently resides in the East Village.