As always, the summer has flown by. I made it a point this year to let my DVDs rest for a bit and devote most of my home-entertainment time to new television shows. So I decided to use this Clicker to discuss what I watched on my “summer vacation”. I think I found the perfect blend of reality shows, dramas and comedies and I even threw in a couple regular rerun-watches for good measure.
In terms of reruns, I made it a point to do two things this summer. The first was to find out what the big deal is with that ‘Veronica Mars’ show. Since I’ve made quite a few positive references to the show in previous articles this summer, it’s safe to say I was not disappointed in the series. I watched both seasons of the UPN show and look forward to season three when it starts up on The CW network in October. Not only did I figure out what all the hype is about surrounding ‘Veronica Mars’ but I now consider myself a fan of the show an actually have to bite my tongue (both literally and figuratively) to keep from gushing on about it like some 14 year old girl trying to make everyone they know listen to a boy-band CD.
The second show I watched in reruns was ‘The Office’. Even though I’d seen just about every episode of the second season when it was on NBC earlier this year, I just cant get enough of it. The episodes are the perfect blend of fresh humor with a little bit of drama thrown in to keep the show interesting. I could watch the episodes over and over.
As far as summer-season shows go, there were only a few that I watched regularly. Two of the shows were shows I watch every summer. Two of the shows were brand new and two shows I should’ve been watching when they first aired years ago but I was a bit slow on the uptake so here they are:
Why I love it – ‘Big Brother’ is the ultimate reality TV series. Not only do we get three one-hour episodes per week (including one that airs live) but for those of us who are willing to shell out the $15/month fee, we also get the live feeds! That means that no matter what time of day, I can log on and watch what’s going on in the ‘BB’ house. Luckily I have a job and a husband that I’m dedicated to because otherwise, I might’ve spent the entire summer watching the houseguests play and plot together day in and day out. This season of ‘Big Brother’ is an All Stars season so not only did I get my ‘BB’ fix this year but I also got to see some of my favorite houseguests from seasons past back in the house.
‘Rescue Me’
Why I love it – I missed last season of ‘Rescue Me’ but I was able to get caught up between reruns and episode recaps. This season was full of humorous twists and dramatic turns with every episode. Denis Leary will be remembered for his role in this show above all of the other stuff he’s done. With one episode left to the season, I think its safe to say that this was a pretty fantastic season. Fantastic writing mixed with great acting pretty much guaranteed I’d have at least one hour of great TV to watch each week this summer.
‘America’s Got Talent’
Why I love it – Variety! With all of the talent competition shows out there, they finally came up with a sort of catch-all show that showcases a wide variety of talents. It amazed me to see how many people there are in this country who’ve perfected (or come close to perfecting) a rare skill like yodeling, harmonica playing, acrobatics, juggling and just about every other kind of talent you can think of. I have to say I was a bit disappointed that a singer won the competition this season but perhaps it’ll take more than one season for America to learn to appreciate some of the more unique talents out there.
‘Psych’
Why I love it – It’s a goofy sleuth-type show. There are plenty of mystery-solving dramas on TV now – great ones like ‘House’ and ‘CSI’ but I find ‘Psych’ refreshing because it doesn’t take itself all that seriously. The main character poses as a psychic but really he’s just a slacker-type guy who’s mastered the art of observation and deduction. It’s light and entertaining – the perfect summer show.
‘Monk’
Why I love it – This is the show I was late getting into but I have my father to thank for nagging me to watch it. Based on one season I can summarize it by saying it’s about a guy coping with a serious behavioral disorder who helps the police solve crimes. Like ‘Psych’, it doesn’t take itself too seriously but the show certainly has its merits. Great characters and witty writing are the reason this show has done so well, not to mention a phenomenal performance by Tony Shalhoub. The best part about ‘Monk’ is that it’s the kind of show you can jump into pretty much anywhere along the way. While I didn’t feel like I needed to see the previous seasons in order to follow the show, watching this season definitely made me want to go back and watch the previous seasons.
‘Entourage’
Why I love it – I was able to get caught up on season 2 through HBO-on-Demand just in time for the premiere of season three. Entourage is another light-and-funny show that’s perfect for the summer. Like any other HBO show, it’s got good writing, a solid cast and the occasional appearance of celebrity guest stars to keep it fresh. Watching the humor and drama of a Hollywood almost-A-lister like Vince pal around with his friends and try to find the next big role is good entertainment.
In terms of shows I watched regularly, that’s about it. I have Tivo to thank for almost all of them. Being summer, it’s hard to stick to a solid TV schedule but I felt I made some good choices in terms of the shows I stayed up to date on.
There was one show I didn’t watch and don’t regret watching. I saw the first couple of episodes of ‘Windfall’ (that show about the group of people who win the lottery). From what I saw of it, it seemed like one of those shows where more bad things would happen to the characters than good things. Too much drama for me. If there’s anyone out there who did watch and enjoy ‘Windfall’ this summer, I encourage you to comment and let me know what you thought of it – especially if you think I’m wrong about it. What did you watch this summer?
2006 Emmy Red Carpet Special (NBC) 7:00 pm
Watch the stars as they strut and saunter down the red carpet. Billy Bush (whom I find to be kind of annoying) and Nancy O’Dell host this special. The alternative is to watch Ryan Seacrest host E!’s Red Carpet special (starts at 6 pm EST) but I have to go with the lesser of two evils here.
”58th Annual Emmy Awards” (NBC) 8:00 pm
Conan O’Brien hosts. I love the Emmy’s – my only complaint is that they tend to run way too long.
”Prison Break” (FOX) 8:00 pm
Otis - (New!) – Gotta be honest and say I don’t watch ‘Prison Break’ but people seem to like it. This is the 2nd episode of the new season. Tweener and T-bag are out of prison and trying to keep from getting caught and thrown back in.
”Vanished” (FOX) 9:00 pm
The Tunnel - (New!) – I saw a preview of this at the movie theater a few weeks ago and in terms of shows like this, it looked pretty good. The pilot was on last week so if you didn’t catch that, you’re only one episode behind. Its not too late to start watching!
”Big Brother” (CBS) 8:00 pm
Veto Competition and Ceremony - (New!) With just 6 people left, find out who wins the Veto competition and whether or not they choose to use it. Feed watchers already know who won it but its always fun to see how the competition plays out. Rumor has it, this Veto comp is the “morphamatic” one in which the houseguests are shown scrambled up pictures of the other houseguests and they have to guess who is who.
”Veronica Mars” (UPN) 9:00 pm
Look Who’s Stalking - (Repeat) – The beloved Altera-prom episode in which Logan drunkenly pours his heart out to Veronica only to break her heart less than 24 hours later when she returns to reciprocate the feelings.
”Justice” (Fox) 9:00 pm
Pilot - (New Series!) – The start of Jerry Bruckheimer’s legal drama which stars former Alias star (and top TV dad), Victor Garber. The show will center on a law firm that goes after high-profile cases. It actually looks pretty good.
”The Office” (NBC) 8:30pm
The Dundies / Take Your Daughter To Work Day / Conflict Resolution- (Repeat) Three episodes of Officy goodness! What can you expect in this hour and a half ‘Office’ mini-marathon? Lots of humor, drama and awkward silences.
”100 Most Wanted Bodies” (VH1) 7:00pm
(Special) – Starting at 7, the network will air all five hours of their “Most Wanted Bodies” series. Be prepared to get your judgment on as they countdown the hottest of the hot.
”A Day in the Life of Television: A Museum of Television & Radio Special (CBS) 8:00pm
This show, narrated by Dennis Haysbert shows a behind the scenes look of the production of some of televisions top programs (‘CSI’, ‘ER’, ‘Everybody Hates Chris’, ‘The Simpsons’, ‘TRL’ and more).
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