Fun Not in the Sun

Dear reader(s?),
I’m sorry we have neglected our responsibilities to you. I can’t speak for everyone else but I have not needed the distraction of working on these blog posts for quite some time.

For you, though, I will try to put in some effort.

I’m sure you have your opinions of what’s happened in Lost and want to read my insights for the past few weeks but my recaps of Lost are gonna be put on hold (there is an explanation: it’s very time consuming).

Instead, I want to start our summer posts off with something to keep your tv sets on:

Top 5 Cable Series that are Coming Back this Summer!
Just because the broadcast networks concluded their seasons of Lost, The Office, and House, doesn’t mean new episodes of quality programming stop.

5. Mad Men (AMC) – Coming back July 27, 2008
Set in the1960s advertising world, Mad Men intertwines the ideals of simple American values with the grim realities of an era covered up by images Leave it to Beaver. It’s not a show of nostalgia but a look at how well people a generation ago could hide their flaws through misanthropy, substance abuse, and lies.

4. Weeds (Showtime) – Started June 16, 2008
Mary Louise Parker is hot. Look, I know last year was a little rough around the edges and I am sure the writers probably could have figured out a better direction to go in. Some things were worn out a little thin. And a certain girlfriend was the worst idea in the history of television. But the guest performances of the opening credits is still an amazingly ingenious idea. And Mary Louise Parker is still fucking HOT.

3. Monk (USA) – Coming back July 18, 2008
I may be in the minority here, but I am actually a bigger fan of Traylor Howard over Bitty Schram. I will say, I am quite fond of the Jeff Beal instrumental theme. Tony Shalhoub takes every nuance of Adrian Monk and plays it in such a grounded and natural way that one can’t help but feel for him. And I am a sucker to get closure on season (or in this case, series) long plot arcs. I believe in him, and in his ability to close the case on the car bomb.

2. The Closer (TNT) – Coming back July 14, 2008
In case you didn’t know, I am kind of a sucker for police procedurals. I like mysteries and I like answers. Unlike case of the week shows like Monk, Psych, Bones, or even House, The Closer’s protagonist, Brenda Leigh Johnson, has no near superhuman powers of deduction and even her supposed supreme skills in interrogation have been downplayed in recent times. Perhaps this quality lends itself to realism and its subsequent ability to engross the viewer. Perhaps I just enjoy feeling like I am solving cases too.

1. Psych (USA) – Coming back July 18, 2008
At first I was a little weary about this show, trailing on the success of Monk, another gimmick-y crime of the week tv series. Honestly, I first gave it a look because it’s set (though not filmed) in my lovely hometown of Santa Barbara. Why I kept coming back was the chemistry of James Roday and Dule Hill. Their friendship has such an amazing dynamic that I can overlook the ridiculousness that they sometimes need to employ to move a plot along. Plus the psych-outs help reinforce this with Out of Character antics. I love it when casts have fun together.