Dear Thursday: Summer TV
So summer is officially here — at least in TV Land, and I’m facing the same dilemma I face every summer: What to watch, what to watch?
This is especially important this summer as I’ll be particularly housebound with a newborn. Sadly many of my past summer regulars are unavailable to me: Damages already bowed. And Weeds, 
Entourage, and other premium-channel fare has been sacrificed to budget cuts in the ETCH household.
So the new plan is a bit of a triage.
Netflix TV Series: Right now we’re watching the first season of True Blood. Next up the second season of Burn Notice., and then the third season of Eureka. After that… we don’t know yet. But if you have any suggestions for awesome TV on DVD watching, please let me know.
New TV: Since many of my past summer favorites are unavailable to me this year, I’ve decided to give a bunch of new series a chance. So far I’ve decided that Fox’s House-lite series, Mental, completely sucks. But I’m excited to pass judgement on Royal Pains (a medical Robin Hood show, premiering June 4 on USA), Jada Pinkett Smith’s no-nonsense head nurse series, Hawthorne (TNT, June 14), and the new sci-fi Bones rip-off, Warehouse 13 (SyFi, July 7th)
Give Old TV a chance: Despite a less-than-stellar season last go-around and a horribly long, legally-induced hiatus, I’m giving Project Runway another chance. Hopefully Heidi and crew won’t disappoint. Also, after years of hearing other people go on and on about So You Think You Can Dance, I gave it a chance and was surprised to find it rather engaging and completely welcome — especially during summer drought.
But what about you guys? How do you plan to get through the summer TV drought. Let us know in the comments.
So You Think You Can Dance is my all time favorite summer show!!!! Hands down!!!
So You Think You Can Dance is my all time favorite summer show!!!! Hands down!!!
Netflix: State of Play! State of Play! The BBC series, not the Ben Affleck/Russell Crowe movie that came out a couple of months ago. It will take you less than 6 hours to watch the whole series, but it's the best 6 hours you'll spend watching anything. (Unless you've already seen it, in which case kudos. But almost no one has.)
I have no interest in new TV, so I can't help you there. I've been spending my convalescence watching Golden Girls reruns. No, really. It's on multiple channels, so there's almost always an episode on.
How about the library? Movies, books on tape… We just canceled Netflix due to budget cuts, so we'll see how long it takes us to work through every decent movie our tiny library has to offer.
Weirdly enough, I put this in my Netflix queue, b/c I had heard such great things about it, but I still hadn't gotten to it. But now I've pushed it to the top of the queue, so thanks for the rec!
Netflix: State of Play! State of Play! The BBC series, not the Ben Affleck/Russell Crowe movie that came out a couple of months ago. It will take you less than 6 hours to watch the whole series, but it's the best 6 hours you'll spend watching anything. (Unless you've already seen it, in which case kudos. But almost no one has.)
I have no interest in new TV, so I can't help you there. I've been spending my convalescence watching Golden Girls reruns. No, really. It's on multiple channels, so there's almost always an episode on.
How about the library? Movies, books on tape… We just canceled Netflix due to budget cuts, so we'll see how long it takes us to work through every decent movie our tiny library has to offer.
Weirdly enough, I put this in my Netflix queue, b/c I had heard such great things about it, but I still hadn't gotten to it. But now I've pushed it to the top of the queue, so thanks for the rec!
Put "Eastbound & Down" in your Netflix queue. Not sure when season 1 hits DVD shelves. It was only about 6 episodes, but I am dying for Season 2. Danny McBride is fanfuckingtastic. Why does HBO have to be so awesome? Why? I want to cancel it because cable bills are ridunculous, but just can't….I mean, less than 2 weeks til True Blood…oy!
Just put this in the queue. Unforch it's not available until 6/30. :(
Put "Eastbound & Down" in your Netflix queue. Not sure when season 1 hits DVD shelves. It was only about 6 episodes, but I am dying for Season 2. Danny McBride is fanfuckingtastic. Why does HBO have to be so awesome? Why? I want to cancel it because cable bills are ridunculous, but just can't….I mean, less than 2 weeks til True Blood…oy!
Just put this in the queue. Unforch it's not available until 6/30. :(
I know you're watching Burn Notice on DVD, but I'm looking forward to the Season 3 premiere tonight!
If you get G4, DVR Ninja Warrior. Trust me. Oh and Wipeout is ridiculously funny, so I'm glad that's back. If I ever get into shape, I'm gonna try out for Wipeout.
I know you're watching Burn Notice on DVD, but I'm looking forward to the Season 3 premiere tonight!
If you get G4, DVR Ninja Warrior. Trust me. Oh and Wipeout is ridiculously funny, so I'm glad that's back. If I ever get into shape, I'm gonna try out for Wipeout.
Top Chef: Masters starts next week on Bravo! I may be more excited about that show than anything. The hubs and I love Wipeout, it's our summer guilty pleasure. We need to make better use of our Netflix and stop requesting art house or indie films that sit on the coffee table for 3 months b/c we never 'feel' like watching them.
Oh, and we are currently enjoying the final, bittersweet episodes of Pushing Daisies.
Top Chef: Masters starts next week on Bravo! I may be more excited about that show than anything. The hubs and I love Wipeout, it's our summer guilty pleasure. We need to make better use of our Netflix and stop requesting art house or indie films that sit on the coffee table for 3 months b/c we never 'feel' like watching them.
Oh, and we are currently enjoying the final, bittersweet episodes of Pushing Daisies.
Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook is actually getting more and more of my time these days because I have all this free time on my hands from lack of tv. But here is my summer line up plans:
Netflix: Trueblood, Nip/Tuck Season 4, MI-5 (or as our British cousins refer to it –Spooks), Dr. Who if the most recent season comes out on DVD this summer.
Hulu: Original Star Trek – I hated it as a kid because it seemed too damned retro when I was watching Next Generation. But I am LOVIN' it now. Let me tell ya Captain Kirk is a an officer and a gentleman! Bones (because I recently saw a trailer that cracked me up and I decided I should be watching)
Tivo: I have this seasons Psych saved. Need to catch up.
TV: will try Royal Pains, wanted to try Mental (sad to hear it sucks), I live for SYTYCD (aka so you think you can dance to you newbies), Project Runway (i still have love for the show), The Fashion Show (even though it is a broke down low budget Project Runway rip off there is something alluring about the fact that they are designing ready to wear apparel and I love that Issac calls everybody darling).
If that doesn't do it for me then I guess I will have to resort to actually leaving my house to have some fun.
Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook is actually getting more and more of my time these days because I have all this free time on my hands from lack of tv. But here is my summer line up plans:
Netflix: Trueblood, Nip/Tuck Season 4, MI-5 (or as our British cousins refer to it –Spooks), Dr. Who if the most recent season comes out on DVD this summer.
Hulu: Original Star Trek – I hated it as a kid because it seemed too damned retro when I was watching Next Generation. But I am LOVIN' it now. Let me tell ya Captain Kirk is a an officer and a gentleman! Bones (because I recently saw a trailer that cracked me up and I decided I should be watching)
Tivo: I have this seasons Psych saved. Need to catch up.
TV: will try Royal Pains, wanted to try Mental (sad to hear it sucks), I live for SYTYCD (aka so you think you can dance to you newbies), Project Runway (i still have love for the show), The Fashion Show (even though it is a broke down low budget Project Runway rip off there is something alluring about the fact that they are designing ready to wear apparel and I love that Issac calls everybody darling).
If that doesn't do it for me then I guess I will have to resort to actually leaving my house to have some fun.