How to Beat the Summer Repeats

Don’t worry about falling into the summer rerun doldrums. There are a slew of specials, movies and even a few new series to sample--mostly courtesy of PBS and the cable channels. For some sizzle, check out the fresh episodes of HBO’s “Sex and the City” and “Oz,” Showtime’s “Rude Awakenings,” MTV’s “The Real World” and PBS’ “Evening at Pops” and “P.O.V.” And just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water . . . the Discovery Channel’s popular “Shark Week” returns.

Here’s a glimpse of summer’s best with Sunday’s American Theatre Wing’s Antoinette Perry “Tony Awards” setting the stage.

NEW SERIES

“Power Play”: Drama about a New York sports agent who returns to his Canadian hometown to run its professional hockey team. UPN, June 14.

“The Man Show”: An unapologetic look at the things men do and like. Comedy Central, June 16.

“Beggars and Choosers”: Comedy-drama about a group of people trying to survive in today’s cutthroat world of TV. Showtime, June 19.

“Rock Across America: Street Games”: Music trivia series. VH1, June 22.

“Backstory”: Behind the scenes of great movies. AMC, June 27.

“Passions”: New daytime drama. NBC, July 5.

“The Hoop Life”: Tom Fontana (“Oz”) created this series about the world of pro basketball. Showtime, July 4.

“GvsE”: Clayton Rohner and Richard Brooks star as two afterlife agents looking for lost souls who’ve made a deal with the devil. USA, July 18.

“Undressed”: Director Roland Joffe created this series about what people talk about when they are getting ready for bed. MTV, July 19.

“MTV Downtown”: Animated look at city life. MTV, Aug. 3

“The Lot”: Nostalgic series about life on a movie lot circa 1937. AMC, Aug. 19 .

SPECIALS

“The 53rd Annual Tony Awards”: Broadway theater honors its best. PBS and CBS, June 6.

“Clara Bow: Discovering the “It” Girl”: Documentary on the silent screen star. TCM, June 14.

“AFI’s 100 Years . . . 100 Stars”: Three-hour unveiling of the top movie stars. CBS, June 15.

“The Story of Fathers and Sons”: Documentary. ABC, June 17.

“Biography: Brian Wilson: A Beach Boy’s Tale”: Two-hour documentary. A&E;, June 20.

“Donna Summer: Live & More”: A live TV concert. VH1, June 20.

“The Bunny Years”: Documentary on Playboy Bunnies. A&E;, June 27.

“The World Dog Show”: The “World Cup” of dog shows. USA, June 30.

“A Capitol Fourth”: Holiday concert from Washington, D.C. PBS, July 4.

“Savage Seas”: Four-hour examination of the power and inner workings of the oceans. PBS, July 11-12.

“To the Moon”: “Nova” special tells the inside story of the Apollo space project. PBS, July 13.

“Disney’s Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra in Concert”: Gloria Estefan hosts the concert of U.S. and Canada budding talent. Disney, Aug. 7.

“The 1999 Teen Choice Awards”: Celebration of hottest teen icons. Fox, Aug. 12

“Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth”: Documentary on controversial satirist. HBO, August.

MOVIES

“Jackie’s Back”: Robert Townsend directed this satire starring Jenifer Lewis. Lifetime, June 14.

“The Pirates of Silicon Valley”: Noah Wyle and Anthony Michael Hall star as computer titans Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. TNT, June 20.

“The Count of Monte Cristo”: Gerard Depardieu stars in eight-hour miniseries based on Dumas’ classic. Bravo, June 21.

“Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story”: Drama starring Christine Lahti. USA, June 23.

“Smart House”: Comedy about a young computer whiz. Disney, June 26.

“Small Vices”: Joe Mantegna stars as Robert B. Parker’s Boston detective, Spencer, in a mystery. A&E;, July 18.

“The Hunley”: Armand Assante and Donald Sutherland star in a Civil War drama. TNT, July.

“Take My Advice: The Ann and Abby Story”: Wendie Malick plays identical twins and advice columnists Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers. Lifetime, July.

“Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story”: Edward James Olmos and Martin Landau star in a six-hour miniseries about the legendary Mafia figure. Showtime, July.

“AMC’s Seventh Annual Film Preservation Festival”: Showcase of preserved or restored films. AMC, Aug. 6-8.

“First Daughter”: Mariel Hemingway stars in a thriller about the kidnapping of the president’s daughter. TBS, Aug. 15.

“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”: Halle Berry plays the famous black actress. HBO, Aug. 21

“Strange Justice”: Delroy Lindo plays Clarence Thomas in this historical. Showtime, August.