What to Expect on TV in August

Unlike the rest of summer, August programming is actually going to take a break on those of us TVoholics who are already overloaded with more shows, mini-series and movies than we know what to do with.

Here are some of the programming options to look forward to in August:

The new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Gourmet Detective A Healthy Place To Die will debut at 9 PM on August 2. Dylan Neal (Cedar Cove) and Brooke Burns return for another murder mystery. This time around when a journalist is found murdered during a gourmet food conference at a luxurious resort, chef-turned-sleuth Henry Ross (Neal) teams up with police detective Maggie Price (Burns) to solve the culinary crime. Together, they work to untangle a web of mystery – involving the journalist, a movie star and high profile fixtures of the San Francisco restaurant scene – and solve the murder before the killer gets away.

On August 9, the new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Garage Sale Mystery: The Wedding Dress (the fourth movie in the franchise) will debut at 9 PM. Jennifer Shannon (Lori Loughlin from When Calls the Heart) has made a career of finding rare garage sale treasures to resell at the consignment store she owns with her business partner, Dani (Sarah Strange from Men in Trees). When she finds a wedding dress that was worn on the day a groom went missing, Jennifer uses her knack for solving puzzles to investigate this unsolved cold case. After meeting the dress’s original owner, Helen (Cheryl Ladd from Charlie’s Angels), and finding traces of blood on the dress, Jennifer digs deeper into the decades-old mystery with the help of Detective Lynwood (Kevin O’Grady from Heavenly Match), and the support of her husband, Jason (Steve Bacic from When Calls the Heart). With every clue that Jennifer uncovers, she gets closer to either finding the long-missing groom, or uncovering a wedding day murder.

The summer finale of Pretty Little Liars will air on ABC Family on August 11 at 8 PM.

The Christian-themed UP Channel will debut it first original scripted series Ties That Bind on August 12 at 9 PM. The series revolves around Allison McLean (Kelli Williams from Army Wives), a tough and experienced police detective in suburban Seattle. Like most working women, her hands are already full, balancing a demanding and dangerous job and a family — husband Matt (Jonathan Scarfe from Hell on Wheels), and teenagers Jeff (Mitchell Kummen from When Calls the Heart) and Rachel (Natasha Calis from The Firm). But when she and her partner, Devin (Dion Johnstone from Defiance and Stargate SG-1), must arrest her brother, Tim (Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210), for aggravated assault, her world drastically changes as Tim is convicted and sent to prison leaving his two teenagers Cameron (Rhys Matthew Bond from Good Witch) and Mariah (Matreya Scarrwener from Falling Skies) teetering on the brink of foster care. Having done the right thing as an officer of the law, Allison now feels compelled to do the right thing as a sister and aunt; she brings Tim’s two very unhappy teens into her home. Squeezing four teenagers under one roof proves to be an additional test of Allison’s strength and patience. It won’t be easy for her husband, her children or Tim’s kids either. In addition to investigating local crimes, the series will also focus on the joys and struggles of the teens as they adjust to their new home, their new high school, make new friends and experience love, romance, anger and jealousy.

The ABC Family drama Switched at Birth will be back for the rest of its fourth season on August 24 at 8 PM.

There are other programming options in August so please make sure to check out our full August TV calendar when it goes live later this month.