Anson Mount stars in “Hell On Wheels”

End of the line: AMC's twist on the classic western is nearing the end of the line.

"Hell on Wheels" pulls out of the station one last time starting Saturday, July 18, with the premiere of its fifth and final season, the first half of which is airing this summer; the second half will be broadcast in the summer of 2016.

The Anson Mount-headlined drama is set shortly after the ravages of America's Civil War, when a former Confederate soldier (Mount, "In Her Shoes," 2005), still reeling after the murder of his wife and child, takes on a job working on the legendary Pacific Railroad.

It's a gritty, dirty western with a historical twist, and this season features what is perhaps the most iconic event in the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad: the driving of the final, golden railway spike when the east and west lines finally met up at Promontory, Utah.

That moment marks the end of an era in American history, and it's a fitting event to happen in the final season of "Hell on Wheels."

Beyond Mount, "Hell on Wheels" stars Colm Meaney ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), Phil Burke ("100 Million BC," 2008), Robin McLeavy ("Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," 2012), Christopher Heyerdahl ("Sanctuary") and Jennifer Ferrin ("As the World Turns").

This season will also introduce a new cast of characters, the workers on the western end of the railway. While TV watchers so far have only seen the goings-on in the east, as the two sides creep ever closer to each other, the crew in the west -- made up mostly of Chinese workers, as opposed to the mainly Irish workers in the east -- will be introduced.

Season 5 may be the end of the line for "Hell on Wheels," but it's not over quite yet. In what's become something of a tradition for AMC, the season will be split, with half airing this summer and the other half being held off until next summer.

The train pulls out of the station starting Saturday, July 18, so all aboard for one last trip with Anson Mount.

Rock on: Denis Leary is back in the game. Formerly known for his foul mouth and raunchy humor, after voicing Diego in the family-friendly "Ice Age" franchise, starring in the superhero romp "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012) and headlining the gritty firefighter drama "Rescue Me," he's definitely made a name for himself as a skilled and diverse actor.

Since "Rescue Me" wrapped up in 2011, he's been busy behind TV screens writing and executive producing with "Sirens" and "Maron," but he's finally headed back to a starring role on the network that gave him a chance with "Rescue Me."

"Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll," Leary's latest project, hits FX beginning Thursday, July 16.

Leary plays Johnny Rock, the washed-up singer of The Heathens, a defunct '90s band that broke up on the very day that their first album was released. Now, more than two decades later, the broke and jobless Rock sees a spark of hope that his dreams of fame and fortune may come true.

Elizabeth Gillies ("Victorious") stars as his daughter, an ambitious singer with a love of The Heathens' distinct rock 'n' roll style. She wants to get the band back together, but with herself as the lead singer and her dad just being credited as a songwriter.

John Corbett ("Northern Exposure"), Robert Kelly ("Good Luck Chuck," 2007), John Ales ("Spy Hard," 1996) and Elaine Hendrix ("Superstar," 1999) also star in the comedy about a father and daughter who are equally ambitious for fame and fortune and the things they'll do to each other to get that shot at stardom.

FX's latest Denis Leary project premieres Thursday, July 16.

Sparking a late-night reaction: Syfy is getting into the late-night game. Thursday nights on the network will feature a new hour-long programming bloc starting July 16 with two new half-hour programs from Zachary Levi ("Chuck") and comedian David Huntsberger ("Premium Blend").

First up is "Geeks Who Drink," hosted by Levi. Based on a pub game, the new game show pits teams of "trivia geeks" against each other in a series of trivia contests, with subjects ranging from classic science fiction to modern day pop culture.

Each team of three is made up of two trivia masters and a celebrity looking to prove his or her geek cred.

Immediately following "Geeks Who Drink" is "Reactor," hosted by Huntsberger, whose "Professor Blastoff" podcast has been met with critical acclaim -- and a massive number of downloads.

"Reactor" is a geeky spin on a more traditional weekly late-night talk show. With the help of video clips, movie trailers and celebrity guests, Huntsberger digs into the subjects that have had people buzzing through the past week.

Both "Geeks Who Drink" and "Reactor" premiere Thursday, July 16, on Syfy.