Ben Kingsley stars in “Tut”

Telling Tut's tale: The story of one of history's most fascinating figures is coming to the screen. Starting Sunday, July 19, Spike is peeling back the burial mask and traveling back in time to tell the story of the life of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun -- known to millions around the world as the Egyptian King Tut.

The three-night special event series is a dramatic retelling of the life and times of a young man who has fascinated people around the world since his tomb was discovered in 1922.

Headlining the cast is Ben Kingsley as Ay, Tut's Vizier, adviser, guardian and eventual successor. The renowned actor is no stranger to historical dramas. He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 1982's "Gandhi," in which he starred as the famous Indian pacifist, and he starred in the Academy Award-winning films "Schindler's List" (1993) and "Hugo" (2011).

Avan Jogia stars as the young King Tut himself. The actor has starred in TV's "Victorious" and "Twisted" and has also popped up in "iCarly" and "Aliens in America."

Of course, no courtly drama would be complete without a host of allies, enemies, plotters and schemers. Sibylla Deen ("Home and Away"), Peter Gadiot ("Once Upon a Time in Wonderland"), Iddo Goldberg ("Salem") and Kylie Bunbury ("Under the Dome") all help round out the cast -- and the royal court -- of Tutankhamun.

The discovery of Tut's nearly intact tomb caused a global sensation in 1922, and, since then, the various ancient artifacts found within have been displayed in museums worldwide, allowing millions of people to witness a small piece of the majesty of ancient Egyptian royalty.

The dramatic retelling of his story has its two-hour premiere Sunday, July 19, on Spike.

Third time's still charming: Well, that escalated quickly. The past two summers have been witness to bizarre weather patterns, first hitting Los Angeles in 2013, then hammering New York City in 2014. This summer, though, the forecast is even more dire: huge swaths of the East Coast, from D.C. to Orlando, are at risk of Sharknados.

The campy and satirical Syfy disaster film "Sharknado" ended up being a huge hit with audiences, who fell in love with the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Its 2014 sequel, "Sharknado 2: The Second One," ended up being just as big of a hit, starting what's become a summertime tradition of freak, shark-based weather patterns.

"Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!" has its premiere Wednesday, July 22, on Syfy and features both returning stars and some new faces. Tara Reid ("American Pie," 1999), Ian Ziering ("Beverly Hills, 90210") and Cassie Scerbo ("Make It or Break It") are all returning to help save America from the toothy tornados.

They'll be joined by a host of newcomers, including David Hasselhoff ("Baywatch"), Bo Derek ("Fashion House"), Jack Griffo ("The Thundermans"), Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the Middle") and Ryan Newman ("Zeke and Luther"), who will all be joining the fight or else heading for their storm shelters.

The "Sharknado" films are far-fetched (they're about waterspouts that pick up sharks and deposit them on land -- always conveniently in major cities), campy and weird, which is exactly what Syfy viewers are looking for in the summer; at least, that's the conclusion to draw based on the big numbers of viewers who tune in.

The third installment in the "Sharknado" series, "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!," premieres Wednesday, July 22, on Syfy.

International supernatural: Talk about an international collaboration. Canada's Global has teamed up with the U.K.'s ITV to produce a new supernatural drama, and they've already licensed the American rights to Fox in anticipation of a planned 2016 release date.

The international connections of "Houdini & Doyle" don't stop there, though. The period adventure series will feature American escape artist and paranormal debunker Harry Houdini teaming up with Scottish author and Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to investigate inexplicable crimes at the behest of Scotland Yard.

That's a lot of ocean-crossing connections! Cast in the lead roles are American Michael Weston as Houdini and Englishman Stephen Mangan as Doyle. Weston has appeared in "House M.D." and "Six Feet Under" and starred in the films "Coyote Ugly" (2000) and "State of Play" (2009).

Mangan is a Tony-nominated stage actor who's also had a successful career on the screen. He's starred in "Episodes" and "Green Wing" and had his big screen debut in 2000 in "Billy Elliot."

Canadian actress Rebecca Liddiard will round out the international casting as Const. Adelaide Stratton, the first female constable in London's police force.

It's the early days yet for the globetrotting "Houdini & Doyle," but the international production is moving ahead at full speed. Watch for it on Fox in 2016.