Hollywood stars shine in new wave of HBO shows premiering this summer

While 2015 has seen the end of long-running US hit series such as Mad Men, Parks and Recreation and Two and a Half Men, a host of new television shows premiering this summer on HBO will vie to, if not replace them, at least keep viewers glued to the box.

Most, if not all, of these new series are capitalising on the ongoing trend of movie stars dabbling in small-screen acting. And judging by the proliferation of these productions, the formula seems to be working.

Kicking off June 22 is HBO's latest original series Ballers, which sees Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing a football player-turned-sports agent following his retirement.

Although nominally a comedy, the show appears ready to delve into the more serious side of football. Trailers show characters struggling to deal with the unsavoury elements of money, drugs and career-ending injuries, all while trying to maintain their passion for "football, God and family".

If Ballers sounds like a sports version of Entourage, it's because both are produced by Steven Levinson and Mark Wahlberg.

Also premiering on HBO on June 22 is The Brink, a political comedy starring Jack Black and Tim Robbins. When a coup d'état takes place in Pakistan, US government officials decide to send Alex Talbot, a lowly Foreign Service officer (Black) to conduct on-the-ground surveillance. Turmoil and comedy ensue.

While filmgoers will be familiar with Black's brand of humour, Robbins may surprise a few with his role as a scandalous and irresponsible secretary of state.