TV worth watching this Summer
By Lauren Gibbs of gibbsbits.com
I have a confession.
I love cold weather & rain.
How can this be? It’s simple. It’s because I feel much less guilty curling up on my couch in front of the TV for hours on end.
In the summer (cue sunshine & roses), you feel obligated to be outside. I’m never quite sure exactly what I’m supposed to be doing (lots of walking? planting flowers? playing my non-existent guitar under a big branch?), but regardless, I know I’m considered pathetic & peculiar if I’m not out breathing the ‘fresh’ city air, so I force myself to partake in the various summer activities everyone speaks of.
This is why I’m grateful to all of the TV Gods for making certain that there is very little TV worth watching between June 1st & August 31st.
Having said that, there are a few little gems (or at the very least semi-precious stones) in the mix that provide me with my TV fix (on the blessed days of rain/evenings where I close the drapes at 6 pm & pretend it’s dark).
Here’s the scoop:
1) If you like Law & Order/CSI, you’ll love: The Closer. Kyra Sedgewick is one the most underrated actresses in the business. Her feisty southern-girl-takes-on-the-LA-bad-guys persona is charming & believable. The storylines aren’t as blatantly ‘ripped from the headlines’, but they’re clever & will keep you guessing. With a great supporting cast & impressive list of guest actors, you might just be able to get used to her slightly grating southern accent. Monday, 8:00pm TNT.
2) If you like Grey’s Anatomy, you’ll love: Saved. Following right on Kyra’s heels is Tom Everett Scott (of ‘Dead Poets Society’ fame) playing the disgruntled bad-boy with a heart of gold EMT in NYC. He’s just as McDreamy as that other doctor & bit more real as well. While the show is formulaic (Scott’s character keeps putting off Med School even though he’s smarter then every doctor he encounters, he’s in love with beautiful female doc who is dating stuffy/pretentious Chief of Staff, strained parental relationship, gambling problem, etc, etc), the dialogue is clever & witty and the music-video style direction keeps the plot moving. While not as ensemble-like as Grey’s, it provides that hospital soap opera drama we crave. Monday, 9:00 pm TNT
3) If you like Comedies of any sort, you’ll love: Kathy Griffin My Life on the D-List. I know I’ve praised her before, but honestly her show makes me laugh outloud like only ‘The Office’ & ‘Scrubs’ can. Clearly different formats (reality versus sitcom), but if your craving is laughter, you don’t care how you get it. Can’t & won’t stop recommending this show. Tuesday, 8:00 pm Bravo.
4) If you like American Idol, you’ll love: America’s Got Talent. Must be honest with this one. Haven’t watched ‘AGT’. But it’s raking in the ratings & it’s backed by everyone’s favorite critic, Simon Cowell. In this ‘talent-show’ Paula is replaced by Brandy & Regis takes over where SeaBreeze left off. There’s even a little Hasselhoff thrown in for good measure. Probably not an every-week commitment, but definitely a solid choice for your cheesy reality fix.
5) If you like Project Runway, you’ll love: Project Runway. Heidi (the ever-pregnant model) will be back with a new gaggle of dramatic-designer-wannabes vying for a piece of the Macy’s (replacing Banana Republic) pie. Expect lots of bitchy fights over forms, confusion over fabric choices & tears on the ‘runway’. Highly addictive & highly entertaining. Premieres Wednesday, July 12th at 9:00pm on Bravo.
6) If you like The Office, you’ll love: The Office. Watch it again. Or for the first time because it’s frickin’ hilarious. Thursday, 8:00 pm NBC
7) If you like Battlestar Gallactica or Invasion, you’ll love: The 4400. Never seen any of those 3 shows, but everyone I speak with who watches them, loves ‘em. USA network, repeats constantly.
If you like Scrubs, you’ll love: Entourage. Honestly, I prefer Scrubs wacky doctors to Entourage’s arrogant celebs, but both provide stand-out performances (Donald Faison & Jeremy Piven, respectively) & dramedy-style storylines that go against the typical sitcom grain. Sunday, 9:00 pm, HBO
In addition to the aforementioned Summer programming, a few shows worth catching up on (in case you missed them in the regular season) include:
-Lost (watch this even if you’ve seen them because there’s always something new to pick up) - Wednesday, ABC
-How I Met Your Mother (truly great ensemble sitcom that doesn’t receive the ratings it should), Monday, CBS
-24 (watch it in order if you can), Monday, FOX
-Veronica Mars (need to follow my own advice on this one as I’ve yet to catch it), Wednesday, UPN
Countdown to September is officially in effect.
Click here to read more of Lauren’s stuff at gibbsbits.com.
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