Summer TV 2010

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit what my favorite new show this summer is. Can you guess what it is?

I was so hoping that Fox's The Good Guys would be it - and I do enjoy that show. TGG has grown funnier as it has found its footing. I'd even go so far as to say that Bradley Whitford's mustache should have its own billing in the credits, lol. In short, Bradley Whitford's throwback to the 80s cop and Colin Hanks' straight man cop are an amusing, if light, duo. Definitely summer fare - little to no thought involved and several chuckles an episode.

I tried ABC's The Gates and Scoundrels. Both had oddly low production values for network television. The Gates was slightly better than Scoundrels but I don't plan on revisiting either. Let's just say that The Gates fares poorly in comparison to its same night competition, True Blood. Scoundrels was already done better by FX - The Riches. If you like the idea of Scoundrels but not the actual execution, check out The Riches with Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver. It's available on dvd.

Believe it or not, ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars is my favorite new show of the summer. It's an interesting teen drama and is filling the hole left by Gossip Girl quite nicely. I'd even go so far as to say that it's better than this last season of GG. (I do miss me some Chuck Bass though.)

Of the various returning summer shows I've seen so far, USA's Burn Notice is still entertaining, Royal Pains less so. HBO's True Blood is off to a quick start. I've found the episodes so far quite entertaining but I do wonder if they're introducing to many new characters and plotlines too quickly. Still, I'll watch TB as long as Alexander Skarsgård is on it as Eric Northman. As I've said on facebook and twitter, I really wish they'd just go ahead and make it the Eric & Pam Show (as long as they gave Lafayette a show too, lol.). I'm also looking forward to the return of ABCF's Make It or Break It.

How's your summer tv watching going? Seen anything entertaining or interesting?

summer t.v.

Summer t.v. is both wonderful and terrible. It's filled with entertaining, frothy confections such as Burn Notice, Leverage, Royal Pains and other cable network shows of that nature. Yay!

It's also the time when the main networks overload the airwaves with "reality" programming. Argh...

This summer, I plan on catching the remainder of Glee, Justified and Friday Night Lights, and new seasons of True Blood, Burn Notice, Leverage, Royal Pains, Pretty Little Liars (I know, you don't have to say anything), Make It or Break It and anything else interesting I may come across.

Jen, the Pop Culture Curmudgeon, talks about her summer choices here.

Alan Sepinwall of Hitfix.com (and formerly of the Star-Ledger) talks about his summer plans here.

What are you planning to watch this summer? Have any recommendations?

My Love/Hate Relationship with TV

I love television - it's like you get to peek into a variety of individual, creative worlds. The best television makes you laugh, cry, think, dream. I often get caught up in my favorite shows and obsess endlessly over them until the next episode is on.

I hate television - I get completely caught up in a new story and wham! It's cancelled. Argh! Unfortunately, my favorite shows often get cancelled before their time because of low ratings: Wonderfalls, Veronica Mars, Deadwood, Life, Dollhouse, to name a few. (There are actually many more on this list.) Even my favorites that stay on air are constantly on the bubble of being cancelled (Chuck, Friday Night Lights, etc.). Supernatural has stayed on the air so long only because it's on the CW.

Then there are the other shows that I watch that are entertaining in the moment but not something I obsess over - 24, House, Castle, Royal Pains, Leverage. I enjoy these shows but if I miss a week I don't have to run immediately to Hulu to make it up. For the most part, though, these shows are successful and don't really rely on my viewership.

Lately I've been enjoying the Renaissance of the sitcom: Modern Family, Community, Cougar Town, are all shows I look forward to. It's a nice change up from the 100 versions of Law & Order or CSI or the latest medical drama.

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON "REALITY" TV. I refuse to participate in the dumbing down of America and the destruction of an entire industry, all in the pursuit of saving money.

What about you? Have any shows you obsess over? Mourn any shows cancelled too soon? Any shows you despise?