1. The White Queen
Period dramas are dominating the schedules at the moment, and while we might all be getting a bit tired of harking back to days past, BBC One has what looks to be a true quality production in the adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen. Set against the backdrop of the War of the Roses, The White Queen is set to follow the lives of the leading women of the Houses of York and Lancaster. Spearheaded by Rebecca Ferguson as Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen will deal with some of the most infamous moments in the War of the Roses, including confronting the fate of the Princes of the Tower. Taking successful elements from The Tudors including an enticing ensemble cast, and the well-honed skills of BBC Period Drama production, The White Queen will undoubtedly be one of the must-watch shows of the summer.
2. Arrested Development
Six years, countless fan protests and a slew of Internet petitions later, the Bluths are back for their long awaited fourth season. Despite receiving universal praise from viewers, critics, and even the Emmys, Arrested Development was cancelled after only three seasons due to low ratings. Those who did watch it, though, were nothing short of amazed by how different and funny it was. It truly was one of the few sitcoms anyone dared to call unique, successfully making us laugh at characters we neither sympathised with nor actually really liked. Season four reintroduces us to the Bluths, led by Michael (Jason Bateman), his father George (Jeffrey Tambor), and his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), as they do everything in their power to squeeze money out of each other and prove that they are still the funniest TV family in recent memory.
3. Hart of Dixie
Hart of Dixie stars Rachel Bilson as Doctor Zoe Hart, a New Yorker whose dreams of being a heart surgeon fell apart, leading her to accept a job offer as GP in a small southern doctor’s practice. The show balances its medical and romantic elements with ease, switching seamlessly between Zoe dealing with a pregnant teenager, and her tumultuous love-life, torn between bad boy bartender Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel) and a golden boy lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter). Completing the picture is the deliciously bitchy Lemon Breeland, played masterfully by Jaime King. The contrast between King’s practical, traditional southern belle, and Bilson’s designer shoe sporting modern woman make for an entertaining double act. Hart of Dixie is perfect summer viewing – light, carefree and comedic. What more could you want?