The 2009 TV season is over, and summer shows are now upon us. Honestly, all the good shows that I watch on a regular basis are done for the season, and I find I just don’t look as forward to evening shows as I did a few weeks ago. There are a ton of reruns on, but I already DVR’d all the series that conflicted with other shows that I wanted to see and watched those already, too. So now I’m trying to find shows that I’ll enjoying watching for the next few months, and here are a few that have hooked me so far.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Premise: ‘Idol’ whatsit? Fox’s other (and, some might argue, better) performance reality show will attempt to ease America’s post-Lambert pain by bringing us not just one but two seasons of ultra-competitive dancing, the second to follow in the fall. Cat Deeley returns as host for both seasons, so let the waltzing, tango-ing, Bollywooding and hip-hopping begin.
THE BACHELORETTE
Premise: Jillian Harris, who finished third on last season of ‘The Bachelor,’ gives love a second chance with the help of a whopping 30 potential suitors — hopefully none of whom resemble Jason Mesnick. As usual, men are eliminated week by week until Jillian finds her Prince Charming. I really liked Jillian Harris from the previous Bachelor, and so far I’m really enjoying this one, too.
THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR (Food Network)
Premise: Boasting one of the coolest prizes in all of reality TV, season 5 gets cooking with 10 new Food Network star wannabes, all vying to win their own cooking show. Sometimes dubbed the other reality cooking competition, we prefer to think of it as ‘Top Chef’ Plus, since the dramatic challenges aren’t just about skills in the kitchen — they’re also looking for new personalities for the network.
SHOWS I’M CONSIDERING — There isn’t a whole lot on regular TV, so I’ve been taking a look at what’s coming on cable, and there’s some good new series coming!
LEVERAGE (TNT) Starts in July!
Premise: Though Nate (Hutton) is usually the glue for this band of thieves, this season they’ll need to try to keep him from leaving. The group moves HQ to Nate’s place in Boston and Nate will be facing temptation every time he meets clients at the bar.
TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
Premise: Sookie (Paquin) and Bill’s (Moyer) relationship deepens, four characters from season 1 will be brought in as regulars and several new characters are introduced. Interestingly, the latter are mostly female: a new waitress at Merlotte’s, preacher Steve’s wife … and a new powerful vampire, played by Evan Rachel Wood.
NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
Premise: Falco stars in this deeply dark comedy about an ER nurse whose cynical outlook on life is tempered only by the prescription painkillers she snorts — and the occasional life she saves. Compared to Jackie, Carmela Soprano’s a softie.
HAWTHORNE (TNT)
Premise: As the newest strong female lead in the TNT lineup, Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, a tough-as-nails nurse who is determined to give every patient in her Richmond, Va., hospital the best care possible. Christina’s got baggage — she’s a widower left raising a rebellious teenage daughter — but she also has heart. And, of course, some chemistry with the head of oncology (Michael Vartan).
HUNG (HBO)
Premise: A well-endowed, but down-and-out high school coach (Jane) apty discovers how to use his best, um, assets. We’re not exactly sure what that means. But it appears HBO may have found its next big hit.
DARK BLUE (TNT)
Premise: McDermott returns to TV as Carter Shaw, the head of a team of undercover cops. Think of the ‘Shield’ strike team — wounded characters who can’t be reined in by the rules and regulations of the department — then add in the fact that these officers are even deeper undercover, working drug connections and busting prostitution rings. We foresee some personal problems for Carter and his crew.
So, what new shows are you watching for the summer? Any good ones to recommend that I can add to my list?
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
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Until America’s Got Talent comes on, I am done with reality TV for the summer. Well, not really. Gene Simmons Family Values is starting, I have been watching Jon and Kate since the beginning. I find the kids hysterical and am not playng into their marital troubles. As a grandmother of twins, I find watching all the kids fun.
I always watch True Blood, Burn Notice, Psych, Monk (last season
), In Plain Sight and Army Wives (which started again last night). I have added to the line up Royal Pains, and most of the new ones you have mentioned except Leverage.
I actually tend to enjoy summer TV more every year than the fall line up.
I like it when characters are welcome. And they keep them around.
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I’m sure we’ll watch So You Think You Can Dance … we’ve started with it. Leverage definitely! Entourage starts in July …
We’re in the middle of Rescue Me … trying to think what else we plan on watching. I don’t watch the others you mentioned … It’s always a LONG HOT SUMMER with boring nights, LOL!
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I have the first episode of Royal Pains on my dvr. I can’t wait for Monk to start. I wish it wasn’t the final season, but am very excited to get my weekly Monk fix. I’m going to catch up on all of last season’s NCIS episodes. I saw most of them, but missed a few since it was on against The Biggest Loser Couples. I’ll give all the shows you are considering a shot, but not sure that I’ll stick with all of them. I tried True Blood last year and saw most of the episodes, but missed a few, so I’ll have to on demand them before Sunday.
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I am loving Burn Notice for the third season in a row! LOVE IT!!! The Closer starts tonight and I always enjoy that. I watch Law and Order Criminal Intent (have a major crush on Vincent D’onofrio!!!) whenever I can. Other than that I will probably brush off some DVD collections of other shows that have been cancelled or off for the summer like FIREFLY and Supernatural.
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I absolutely love Leverage and True Blood. Burn Notice is back but I haven’t had time to watch
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the only show ive counted the days for was the season premiere last night on lifetime of Army Wives..and it was worth the wait..i love that show…
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I can’t watch “The Bachelor” type shows…it makes me too angry (what the producers allowed to happen last time). I can’t watch “Jon and Kate’ because I think it is just feeding on the tabloid frenzy surrounding their lives. I did watch “I am a celebrity” which is really bad. I have started re-watching “The West Wing” and lovin’ it!
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I can’t wait for Sunday’s season premier of True Blood!! I’m hooked.. Burn Notice started last thursday, and i’m waiting for Pysch to start back up. I loved the first season of Leavage and i’m looking forward to the new season.
I have to look up Hung, sound funny. Is the main character Thomas Jane?
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Ugh I forgot Royal Pain, I have set my DVR to record this one. I loved the first episode.
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Oh my I am feeling soooo old lol.
My kids love Burn Notice me well I watch Regis
and Kelly Live. I am a reader not a Tv..er.
Heck I can’t stay awake much past Wheel of Fortune.
Janelle I am your biggest fan and Wild for Her 2010
Gives me yet another reason to grow older.
Okay..OKay Zoey`s whining. She’s still going to
Have to be fan #2
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Not much of a TV fan (other than THE MENTALIST with the cute Simon Baker), other than watching it for baseball & other sports.
As to series just starting, I really like ARMY WIVES whose 3rd season just started last night (“Lifetime” at 10 PM–also believe repeats throughout the week). Though it continues from 1 episode to the next, even if you haven’t seen the previous years’ episodes, I think you can still pick up the story & enjoy it. I like that this is not a preachy series, pushing any Service’s agenda. Certainly makes one appreciate how rough it is for those wives, & the vets, too.
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I can’t wait for Leverage! I love that show. I’ll be in DC for Nationals and the DH already has sticky notes everywhere to remember to set the DVR! Dark Blue looks intriguing, too, but it takes something truly special to keep me hooked and watching.
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Hey everybody…Janelle, I am interested in watching two of the shows you mentioned…Hawthorne, because I love my girl Jada Pinkette and Leverage…I thought about Royal Pains, but I am just not feeling it yet…I am an Army Wives junkie, so that is a given…I loved the season opener last night…The Closer is also on my list and reruns of L&O SVU…I hope that everyone has a wonderful day. I should really stop procrastinating and finish my work…talk to you all later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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The new season of Burn Notice has started so we definitely watch that. And the new season of The Closer
starts tonight! Nurse Jackie and Hawthorne are shows I really want to check out. I never watch reality shows because well, I don’t care. We have watched True Blood occasionally but there is only so much blood letting that I can stand. I used to love Moonlight however. It wasn’t so much about blood letting. The focus was more on the characters and Mick’s conflict about being vampire. I’ve never watched Leverage.
Cher
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I find this season to be quite lacking in entertainment thus far. The only series I’ve been watching is So You Think You Can Dance…and honestly I won’t be heartbroken if I miss an episode or two.
Happy Monday!
<3 J
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The new season of Weeds starts tonight at 10 on Showtime.
Entourage on HBO, is another great show, I’m not sure when the the new season starts but i think its the end of july.
Happy watching!
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Leverage rocks! Love Burn Notice, too. And Eureka returns in July on Sci Fi.
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Yes! I have one to recommend! For all you Burn Notice lovers, stick around for Royal Pains right after. It was a terrific show!! It premiered last week and my hubby and I loved it!! (I think I might have even liked it better than Burn Notice.)
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Been waiting for KINGS to return. Now I see it might already have and I missed an episode but this blog reminded me to check! And now we’ll TIVO!
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I’m not watching any new shows this summer, though I’m sure I’ll pick up episodes of the next Food Network star. Mostly, I’m catching up on shows that I missed during the year with reruns.
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We’ve been watching a lot of shows/movies on DVD’s. Right now we’re in the middle of watching the John Adams miniseries that was on HBO. Really good!
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My favorites: Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, The Closer, Leverage, and Eureka.
I heard something about brand new episodes of Gilmore Girls coming to ABC Family. If it’s true, I’m so there.
On heritage networks: The Mentalist, Castle, and Bones (and all the other forensic and cop shows). I refuse to watch “reality” TV on any channel. Rewarding bad behavior is a lousy idea, whether you’re raising children or building a society.
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Don’t get HBO or Showtime. I use the summer to catch up on the shows I missed during the year. Often two shows I like are opposite each other. It also gives me a chance to watch more on PBS, History, and Discovery. We also don’t watch as much TV in the summer. Tend to do yard work in the evenings.
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TRUEBLOOD, DEXTER, LEVERAGE watched NURSE JACKIE tonight and have a feeling we’re going to be adding another show, and I think ENTOURAGE is coming back, too. HUNG looks interesting. I told my hubby about it, so if it doesn’t interfere with anything else, I think we may try and watch it. Strangely enough, I was getting into SAVING GRACE and may try to watch it again. Someone earlier mentioned BURN NOTICE and I tried–I really, really, wanted to get into it–but it conflicted with SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL. (We can only record so many shows). But I love Jeffrey Donovan’s character.
I also started watching this new show on Thursday nights called THE LISTENER. The main character is a paramedic with a special gift. Needless to say, the guy is H-O-T and I have never seen such piercing blue eyes…. Oh, and even though they teased you with one episode, I’m looking forward to watching GLEE when it comes back in the fall.
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I’m all about the SYTYCD, but then I have been since Season 1.
It literally changed my life in fangirly ways I’m too ashamed to admit in public. Suffice to say, it will always be one of my faves–even as I stand there and shout at the TV.
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Lisa, Gilmore Girls is coming back? Tell me it’s true…I loved GG…I would love to catch up with Lorelei and Rory….OMG…Hopefully, it is on a Tuesday though…I am going to have to google that and check out what’s going on…
Peace and love,
Paula R.