Summer is a great time for getting away from it all, whether through travel, a good book or a good television drama. This summer NPT has four series to keep you engrossed and entertained ‒ and you can watch on air or online.*
Saturday, June 18, at 8:30 p.m., it’s time to get back to Downton Abbey. Enjoy the splendor, the scandals and the wittiest lines of the beloved series starting with the first episode of the first season.
Sunday, June 19, at 8 p.m., marks the return of Endeavour on Masterpiece, the prequel to the Inspector Morse mysteries of the 1980s and 1990s. In Season 3, young constable Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) works through four investigations in Oxfordshire and makes a decision about his future on the police force. Endeavour, by the way, is the third television show inspired by the Colin Dexter books; Inspector Lewis, featuring Morse’s former sergeant (Kevin Whately), will also be back for a new season later this summer. (NPT will re-air Season 7 of Inspector Lewis Sundays beginning July 17.)
Sunday, June 19, at 9:30 p.m., is the premiere of The Tunnel, a dark crime drama about a psychopath carrying out a series of crimes along the UK/French border. In this British remake of cult-favorite Swedish series The Bridge, British and French police maintain an uneasy partnership as they attempt to solve an escalating string of crimes, the first of which is the murder of a French politician in the Chunnel under the English Channel. The Tunnel stars Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones) as Karl Roebuck and Clémence Poésy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I and II) as Elise Wassermann. The 10-part series continues through Aug. 21.
Sunday, June 26, at 7 p.m., is the PBS premiere of Dancing on the Edge, an eight-part series set in 1930s London. In the story, Louis Lester (portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave) leads a jazz band poised for success after being discovered by critic Stanley Mitchell (Matthew Goode of Downton Abbey) and breaking the color barrier at a luxury hotel. Despite the glamorous gowns and tuxedos, posh settings and the patronage of royalty and an American millionaire, the band faces a number of obstacles to stardom, including racism, precarious immigration status for the American members and a violent crime. John Goodman and Jaqueline Bisset also star. Dancing on the Edge continues through Aug. 14.
*For a limited time in the days following the broadcast.