Heat Wave

Today was a run-around day but I promised myself I would update so here I am: SUMMER TV! First off, I had to admit that summer television got off to a rough start. Due to the writers' strike, many of my beloved cable shows (Entourage, Damages) got pushed back to mid-summer if not fall or winter. But right now we are smack dab in the middle of an entertaining summer.

MONDAY:
If you are not watching The Closer than I don't know what your problem is. Brenda Lee Johnson is one of the most captivating characters ever created and I personally love a great mystery. Also since it's a procedural you can miss a few episodes and still catch right up. Here's the important details: she's a Southern cop living in L.A., and she has a sweet tooth, but now she can't have sweets. Thank yew!

TUESDAY:
Perhaps, like me, you have a slightly masochistic streak and you may be interested in The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family. I mostly watch because there is NOTHING on Tuesday nights. I'd advise going out for a drink rather than watching this show though. But come Aug. 26th ABC Family will redeem itself with a new season of GREEK, one of it's best shows.

WEDNESDAY:
AKA "Bravo night". There's nothing better than champagne and back to back episodes of Project Runway and Shear Genius. Although I will admit to some drawbacks of this season of PR. First, there's the tanorexic Blayne, who much like Gretchen, keeps trying to make "-licious" happen. And then there's Suede who keeps referring to himself in the third person and pointing his fingers like guns, no I'm not over exaggerating.

THURSDAY:
Much like during the fall, Thursdays are packed. First there's My Boys on TBS, which is actually having it's season finale this week. Then there's Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List on Bravo which is a laugh a minute romp. Right now it's a tie between whether Kathy's mom, Maggie or Steve "Woz" Wozniak is my current love. CBS just moved it's new summer show Flashpoint to Thursdays and once again, if you like a good procedural you're in for a treat. This show follows a SWAT unit as they defuse various hostage situations, sometimes with dire results. Then there's MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. The dancing on this show is phenomenal and the final three groups are spectacular, though I suggest taping the episodes. It makes it easier to fast forward Mario Lopez. And believe me you want to fast forward Mario Lopez.

FRIDAY:
A lot of people go out Friday night but it's usually a stay-in night for me and I like to unwind with The-N. Episodes of Degrassi and Queen Bees. I'm a Degrassi fan from way back so I don't usually recommend it to the uninitiated but Queen Bees is a brand new show which follows a group of girls as they try to change their Mean Girl ways. Long story, short: They finally get a taste of their own medicine and it's delightful to watch. There's also Psych on USA if you want a really good laugh.

SUNDAY:
Another day of rest, Sundays are the best if you want to move from excitement to sadness and back again. I like to watch In Plain Sight on USA, then bawl a little over Army Wives on Lifetime before going crazy watching Million Dollar Password on CBS. Million Dollar Password is hosted by Regis Philbin and features a melange of stars from Rosie O'Donnell to Tony Hawk to Betty White. And you will literally be yelling at the television while you watch it.

Those are the shows that have sustained me this summer. I also want to remind my fellow tv addicts that fall television is coming back as soon as Sep. 1st. I'm completely psyched since over the past few years some shows have returned as late as the end of October. So even if you don't get a chance to check out any of these shows, don't worry. Fall tv is just around the corner :)