Summer TV.

Ugh.  As someone whose ENTIRE LIFE revolves around TV (if that's all there is, then that's all there is), summer is obviously a tough time.  And hello stupid SciFi channel, THANKS SO MUCH for choosing to postpone the second half of the last season ever of BSG until next January.  Thanks for going that extra mile and helping me out here.

SO, what will you be watching?

Well, I'll definitely be watching The Closer.  I don't think it's the greatest show, certainly not to the level of its hype, and I ALWAYS think the season opener is very weak (they always go a bit too far in dumbing down the team and making Brenda the only person who can figure anything out in that episode, every season so far), but I really enjoy the different relationships among the team, the "camaraderie" (whether it be snarky and mean or sweet, depending on the participants), and I LOVE Fritz.  So there's that.  And it's definitely willing to operate on a goofier fun level than other cop shows.  (And I know Michelle would not let me get away without mentioning J.K. Simmons!) Somehow that all makes it possible for me to get past the grating Southern accent.

I'll also be watching Burn Notice, the Eggplant's favorite show. I just don't get why everyone on earth thinks the lead dude is so charming (seriously, every article you read), because ALL I can think about when I see him is the mean nasty dude he played in Hitch.  Seriously.  And the voiceover, while being somewhat self deprecating and amusing, is always said in this smarmy self satisfied voice that makes me CRAZY and contributes even further to me thinking of him as the mean nasty dude he played in Hitch.  That said, I love Sam and Fiona, and there is a lot of humor on this show, and hello this season "Smokin #6" as my Dad calls her (Tricia Helfer to the rest of us) will be in multiple episodes.  So there are certainly enough reasons to watch.

I won't watch Saving Grace on purpose, but given it comes on right after The Closer, chances are I'll wind up seeing it.  It's not the God stuff that bugs me (because frankly it's NOT about "saving grace because she's a drunken ho" although you would have to assume that from the previews), it's just that so many of the characters are one dimensional dead ends and while Bailey Chase (who you may remember from Buffy, he played one of Riley's military cohorts) is yummy, his character is kinda...dumb.  It is fun to see Angela Chase's dad again (he plays one of Grace's brothers) and Laura San Giacomo is playing so much against type here (the nerdy best friend) that it really cracks me up.

I was considering watching The Cleaner because (BSG obsession again) Boomer/ Athena/ Sharon/ #8 is on it...but it's getting BAD reviews, like rubbing your face in kitty litter bad.

And....what else is out there?  I believe Damages won't be on until 2009 (or so I've heard).  I HATED the episode or two of Mad Men I watched last year and hello that show is sooooo overhyped, I'm out hunting for reviews of other people who didn't like it and I just can't find any!!!  I may try it out again (maybe...if I'm really really desperate and lying on the floor doing nothing and staring at the ceiling is somehow not an option that night) but I doubt it.  I just have no interest in that women-repressing time period and that's ALL I could think about when I watched it.

Got any other suggestions for me?  Because it's looking very desert-like at this point....

Comments

[Michelle]

Meh. I think I'm just going to watch all of Lost all over again.

I have liked the previous seasons of the Closer but I don't feel like watching it this time around (despite my J.K. love -- thanks for the shout-out there).

So I don't know--not feelin' any of the summer TV shows. It may be the summer of TV on DVD, as I still have catching up to do with Bones. And then there's The Wire, which I hear was a pretty good show.

[juno]

I'm thinking about netflixing Weeds, which I have heard good things about. But the TV is off a lot.

[Girl Detective]

You might want to give Mad Men another try. I didn't like it at first, but tried again, and was impressed both by the production values, and the nuanced stories. Yes, it was boozy and sexist, but seeing how the women had power was interesting.

We tried Burn Notice again, but no go. The guy has little charisma, Gabrielle Anwar looks plastic, and even Bruce Campbell can't pull it off by himself.

We've been catching up on the last season of Torchwood, watching Dr. Who, and rewatching Buffy season 1. I'll add Project Runway and Mad Men when they start up again.

[Dani in NC]

For me, the summer is a mixture of DVDs and streaming online shows while I wait for the shows I really want to watch to show up. The Closer, Saving Grace, and Mad Men are all on my list, as well as Eureka.

What am I watching while I'm waiting? So You Think You Can Dance is my summer addiction. I've also been watching Doctor Who on the Brit schedule. The other day I watched all 8 episodes of Secret Diary of a Call Girl in a marathon sitting. Gavin and Stacey, another Brit show that hasn't made it to the US, kept me busy for a couple days. If your conscience doesn't bother you, I would highly recommend Gavin and Stacey.

[Jennifer]

Re: Summer shows. I don't know if you've mentioned "In Plain Sight". I've watched a couple. Not bad. I really like the lead (my mind's gone blank on her name).