Showtime Sets Summer Premiere Dates

Also firms up season finale dates for “United States of Tara,” “Nurse Jackie”

Augmenting its previously announced summer premieres, Showtime has set debut dates for several more series.

Premiering Thursday, June 10, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, the half-hour "The Green Room With Paul Provenza" puts the comedian-actor together with his fellow comedians in a round-table setting before a studio audience. The Real L WordPanelists include Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bernhard, Eddie Izzard, Paul Mooney, Bob Saget and Jonathan Winters.

Starting Sunday, June 20, at 10 p.m. is "The Real L Word" (left), a reality show "inspired" by Showtime’s long-running "The L Word." It follows a group of lesbians at work and play in Los Angeles.

Dark comedy "The Big C," starring Laura Linney, debuts Monday, Aug. 16, at 10:30 p.m. Linney plays a reserved, suburban wife, mother and teacher whose terminal cancer diagnosis forces her to shake up her life and find the light side of a dark situation. Oliver Platt plays her husband, and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe has a recurring role as her precocious student.

As for season finales, "Nurse Jackie" will wrap its second season on June 7 at 10 p.m., followed at 10:30 p.m. by the second-season finale of "United States of Tara."

Returning shows include "Penn & Teller: Bulls–t!," whose eighth season starts Thursday, June 10, at 10 p.m. "Weeds" kicks off its sixth season on Monday, Aug. 16, at 10 p.m.

Showtime also plans several comedy specials. On Wednesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. is "Pride: Gay and Lesbian Comedy Slam," hosted by Bruce Vilanch and featuring Alec Mapa, Sandra Valls, Poppy Champlin and Scott Kennedy.

"Hal Sparks: Charmageddon" debuts Friday, June 4, at 10 p.m., featuring the actor and former "Talk Soup" host.

"I Am Comic," debuting Friday, June 11, at 11 p.m., is a documentary exploring the world of working comedians through the eyes of retired comedian Ritch Shydner. Interviewees include Sarah Silverman, Louis CK, Lewis Black, Tim Allen, Jeff Foxworthy, Janeane Garofalo, Kathy Griffin and Carlos Mencia.

In July, former Vibe host Chris Spencer presents four ethnically diverse rising stars in "Chris Spencer’s Minority Report."

Kevin Pollak returns for his third one-hour stand-up special, "Kevin Pollak: The Littlest Suspect," in August.

Also airing in August is music documentary feature "The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights," following the White Stripes on a 2007 tour of Canada.

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