TV's summer highlights: The end nears for fan faves "Dexter," "Breaking Bad" and "Futurama"

For those without cable or a satellite dish, it's going to be a cruel summer.

This is the season when networks go on vacation, filling the airwaves with reruns and mindless reality shows, while Kabletown shifts into high gear with innovative programming that might tempt you into skipping a few barbecues and making a date with your small screen instead.

The next few months are particularly bittersweet for several fan favorites that will air their finales. Here's what to keep an eye out for:

"The Fosters": Lesbian moms (Teri Polo and Sherri Saum) raise a blended family of biological and foster kids. Jennifer Lopez is one of the executive producers, which means there's a good chance the school principal will be played by Pitbull. (8 p.m. Mondays, ABC Family)

"Mistresses": Alyssa Milano and "Lost's" Yunjin Kim are among the sexy sirens attempting to live up to the sultry title of this soap, based on a popular British series. Lifetime tried to adapt it in 2008 but decided to work on classier fare — like "The Client List." (9 p.m. Mondays, KSTP, Ch. 5)

"Burn Notice": After seven seasons, the sun is finally setting on this sizzling summer treat, but not before Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) try to repair their shattered relationship. Best viewed with a pitcher of daiquiris. (8 p.m. Thursdays, USA)

"Graceland": What happens when a group of undercover agents, picked to live in a house together, stop being polite and start getting real … suspicious? "Rescue Me" veteran Daniel Sunjata is among the strange bedfellows. (9 p.m. Thursdays, USA)

"True Blood": Vampires stick around forever; the same can't be said for showrunners. Season 6 marks the first without the steady hand of Alan Ball, who has moved on to shed blood on Cinemax. Will Bon Temps ever be the same? (June 16, HBO)

"Futurama": Matt Groening's animated series came back from the dead once before, but this time a return is much more unlikely, which explains why Larry Bird, Sarah Silverman and George Takei are lending their voices for what's expected to be the final 13 episodes. (June 19, Comedy Central)

"Crossing Lines": Donald Sutherland must have noticed what chasing international baddies across the small screen did for the career of his son, Kiefer. The old man headlines this promising procedural along with William Fichtner. (June 23, KARE, Ch. 11)

"Devious Maids": ABC passed on this soap from "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry about Beverly Hills domestics who manage to find time to scheme between dusting sessions. Eva Longoria is an executive producer. (June 23, Lifetime)

"Under the Dome": Stephen King's 1,088-page novel of the same name came out in 2009, which means you're probably just finishing it. This miniseries, about a small town in Maine enclosed in an invisible bubble, should be less of a strain on your eyes. (June 24, WCCO, Ch. 4)

"Ray Donovan": Liev Schreiber, Elliott Gould and Jon Voight headline a promising new series about a Hollywood fixer with a Tony Soprano-like temper. They had me at "Liev." (June 30, Showtime)

"The Newsroom": TV's most polarizing drama returns for a second season. Let's hope the Aaron Sorkin series gets a little smarter and gives more screen time to Jane Fonda. (July 14, HBO)

"Breaking Bad": This. Is. It. The final eight episodes are the event of the summer with Bryan Cranston putting a cap on one of the greatest portrayals in TV history. Surely, Walter White can't survive. Or can he? Gulp. (Aug. 11, AMC)

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