Next week summer programming will begin in earnest on the cable (and even some of the major) networks with returning favorites coming back as well as new freshman dramas debuting in the hopes of catching viewers’ eyes.
What will also catch the eyes of many viewers are the new faces that will be cropping up all over the TV landscape over the summer. Among those fresh new faces will be the following, who appear in order of their series debut:
Maia Mitchell
Maia Mitchell – This Australian actress will star as Cassie, one of the fosters kids on the new ABC Family drama (executive produced, by the way, by Jennifer Lopez) The Fosters focuses on a “new kind of family” (much like the motto of its home network): a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids being raised by two moms (played by Teri Polo and Sherri Saum). Maia is a newcomer to the US market, but has starred in the Australian TV shows Castaway and Trapped. She will also be seen later this month in the Disney Channel movie called Teen Beach Movie (that will be reminiscent of High School Musical crossed with the box office film Pleasantville).
The Fosters will debut at 9 PM on June 3 on ABC Family.
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Tveit – This Gossip Girl alum, who also had a role in the box office film Les Miserable – has jumped into the leading role of Mike Warren on the new USA Network series Graceland that is about a group of undercover agents from the FBI, DEA and US Customs who reside and operate under one roof. Aaron has also appeared in the box office film Premium Rush and guest appearances on Ugly Betty, Body of Proof, The Good Wife and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Graceland will have its series premiere on the USA Network on June 6 at 10 PM.
Luke Newberry
Luke Newberry – This British actor will have the lead role of Kieren Walker on the BBC America 3-part mini-series In The Flesh that will take a decidedly different take of zombies, who are called PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers and reintegrated into their families and communities. Luke had a role in the box office film Anna Karenina, a small role in the Sherlock episode entitled “A Scandal in Belgravia” and an uncredited role in the final Harry Potter movie.
In The Flesh is set to debut on BBC America at 10 PM on June 6.
Elliot Knight
Elliot Knight – This British newcomer has the lead role in the upcoming Syfy drama Sinbad that will actually only air for one season as the decision was made not to continue the series beyond 12 episodes. The series follows the sea-bound journey of the young man after he is forced to flee from this home town of Basra. This is the first acting role for Elliot.
Sinbad will air its series premiere on June 8 at 9 PM on Syfy.
Kyle Bunbury, Avan Jogia and Maddie Hasson
Kylie Bunbury, Maddie Hasson and Avan Jogia – This trio of new faces will be the focus of the new ABC Family drama Twisted that centers on a charismatic 16-year-old with a troubled past who has recently reconnected with his two female best friends from childhood. Jogia will play Danny Desai, the aforementioned 16-year-old while Bunbury and Hasson will play Lacey Porter and Jo Masterson (respectively), his childhood friends. Jogia is not a new face to anyone who has ever seen an episode of the Nickelodeon series Victorious and he also appeared in several episodes of Caprica and Aliens in America. Hasson is a relative newcomer who got her first big break in the short-lived series The Finder and has also appeared in an episode of Grimm while Bunbury is also a relative newcomer, appearing in the box office Prom and an episode of Days of Our Lives.
Twisted will make its debut on ABC Family on June 11 at 9 PM.
Edy Ganem
Edy Ganem – Edy will appear as Valentina Del Barrio in the Lifetime series Devious Maids that will follow five maids with ambition and dreams of their own who work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Edy is a relative newcomer to TV although she has appeared in her fair share of short films. She has, however, appeared in several episodes of Entourage, an episode of CSI, the short-lived comedy Rob and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Devious Maids will air its series premiere at 10 PM on June 23 on Lifetime.
Colin Ford
Colin Ford – Colin is best known to long-time viewers of Supernatural as the younger version of Sam Winchester, but he will get a chance (hopefully) to shine in the new summer series Under the Dome from CBS. The series is based on the Stephen King novel with Colin playing teenager Joe McClatchey, one of the townsfolk of Chester’s Mill, Maine who are trapped inside a mysterious, impenetrable barrier that surrounds the town. Among Colin’s other recent credits are an episode of Revolution and the box office film We Bought a Zoo.
Under the Dome is set to debut on CBS on June 24 at 10 PM.
Demian Bichir
Demian Bichir – Demian may be a new face to most TV viewers here in the States, but for those who have seen the independent films Che and A Better Life (for which he received an Oscar nomination, by the way), then you know exactly who he is. Demian will be paired with box office actress Diane Kruger in the FX series The Bridge, playing Marco Ruiz, one half of an American-Mexican team of police detectives working to stop a serial killer menacing both sides of the border.
The Bridge will debut on FX on July 10 at 10 PM.
Garrett Clayton
Garrett Clayton – This Detroit native, who got his first big break in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie Holiday Spin (starring opposite former Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio) will be seen as Tanner in the upcoming Disney Channel movie called Teen Beach Movie that will be a mixture of High School Music and Pleasantville (as I mentioned above in the details about Maia Mitchell). Garrett also appeared in one episode of Days of Our Lives and an episode of the Disney Channel comedy Shake It Up.
Teen Beach Movie will debut on the Disney Channel on July 19 at 8 PM.
Max Irons and Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Ferguson and Max Irons – This will be one of the hot new couples to grace the small screen this summer, as Rebecca and Max will be playing Elizabeth Woodville (the “White Queen”) and Edward IV of England respectively in the Starz 10-episode mini-series The White Queen. This series is based on the Philippa Gregory best-selling historical novel series “The Cousins’ War”. The year is 1464, before the Tudor dynasty ruled England; war has been ravaging throughout the country over who is the rightful king. Ferguson is a Swedish actress best known for her role in the soap operas Nya tider and Ocean Ave. Irons, on the other hand, just appeared in the box office film The Host and also had roles in the box office films Red Riding Hood and Dorian Gray. He is also the son of legendary actor Jeremy Irons.
The White Queen will debut on Starz on August 10 at 9 PM.
So those are my picks for the new faces of summer TV for 2013. What shows (or made-for-TV movies) are looking forward to seeing on the small screen this summer? Have there been any new faces that you have seen in trailers for the new shows that caught your eye? Please share your thoughts in our comments section below.
Read Full Post »
Rueben's Ramblings 