Welcome to TV or Not TV where I’m actually not lametning the beginning of summer.
As an avid TV watcher I’ve never been overly pleased with the oncoming of the warm season. There are many people that enjoy the heat, the sun, the extra hours of sun, and the extra hours of heat that come with this time of year. Because of people’s abnormal fascination with this time of year (give me an air conditioned room and a television any day) the television networks have traditionally reserved the summer season for their re-runs of things that we’ve already seen because they think we just aren’t watching. Thankfully that thinking has been replaced.
The pay-cable crowd I’m sure is getting geared up for the return of True Blood on HBO. I have to admit that this show had me leary after the first episode but I was completely sucked in after that (pun intended). Those of us just in cable land are probably looking forward to the summer return of Burn Notice on USA along with Psych. You’ve also got Mad Men returning to AMC and The Closer on TNT. So many interesting choices.
Every year, however, I look forward to the return of Big Brother on CBS. For some reason I just can’t get enough of the social dynamic that arises when you stick a bunch of people in a house, give them no contact with the outside world, and make them compete in stupid contest for things like food. The paranoia that sets in when these people get locked into the soundstage house is ever compelling and the producers purposely put in people that they know at almost a genetic level are in no way meant to get along. Grante the show is nothing like it was during the wonder that were seasons two and three, but it’s still the one thing I look forward to.
Enough about this summer show drivel, let’s get on to the picks for the week.
MONDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: After it failed on ABC the Peacock has decided to give I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! a second lease on US airwaves life. Â Reality show staple Stephen Baldwin joins Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Torrie Wilson, John Salley, Sanjaya Malakar, Lou Diamond Phillips, semi-crazy Janice Dickinson and the wife of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. I really hope they come through with the bees being released on Sanjaya.
ABC FAMILY – 9:00 PM: The simplicity and wonder of The Princess Bridge never ceases to entertain me. Besides, I had to break up what looks like an NBC love fest as we move on to…
NBC – 10:oo PM: It’s the series finale (on NBC) for Medium. See you next year on CBS Ms. Dubois.
NBC – 11:35 PM: Tonight is the premiere of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. I’ll definitely DVR it.
TUESDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Night two of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
CW – 8:00 PM: Two hours of Hitched or Ditched is such a sad epitath to the now gone Reaper (which fights for survival through syndication).
ABC – 8:30 PM: It’s the series finale for According to Jim. Don’t let the door hit you…
G4 – 10:00 PM: One of the movies that just screams “I was made during the 80’s!” is the teen angst to the extreme film that is The Lost Boys.
WEDNESDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Night three of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! If they are both still on I’m sure Janice Dickenson has eaten Sanjaya by now out of desperation.
G4 – 9:00 PM: Fans of Joss Whedon may want to take in Alien Resurrection as it was written by him. After the pain of Alien 3 this was a very nice return of some pride to the franchise.
NBC – 9:00 PM: Brian Williams brings us an NBC News Special titled Inside the Obama White House. With how much Obama has been in the public eye is this really needed?
HIST – 10:00 PM: A new season of Ice Road Truckers comes at us to cover 400 miles of some of the scariest road you’ll ever see someone drive.
THURSDAY
G4 – 9:00 PM: I’m starting to think that I might be programming the night time movies for G4 in my sleep. Tonight is another 80’s classic, Revenge of the Nerds. I’ll never forget when my brother took a 13 year old me to see this classic. Please don’t judge him.
NBC – 9:00 PM: If you actually stuck through another episode of I’m a Celebrity blah blah blah there’s two hours of the Canadian import show The Listener. Faster than you can say Matt Parkman we meet Toby Logan, a paramedic who discovers he can also read minds. Whackiness ensues.
TVLAND – 9:00 PM: Another classic from the 80’s features the late great Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School.
FRIDAY
FOX – 8:00 PM: Get ready for the man from downunder as former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay drops in to help out on Don’t Forget the Lyrics.
FOOD – 8:00 PM: Break out the antacid and take in Ultimate Burger Bash With Food Network All-Stars.
SATURDAY
ABC – 8:00 PM: If you missed Wednesday’s edition of Wipeout than you can take it in tonight instead. I never tire of seeing these people get the snot smacked out of ’em!
GSN – 8:00 PM: Just when you thought they couldn’t come up with any more award shows the Game Show Network whips out The Game Show Awards. Howie Mandel hosts and I can’t wait for the red carpet coverage.
ABC – 10:00 PM: Here it is, the next to last episode of Pushing Daisies.
SUNDAY
CBS – 8:00 PM: OK, I konw you may have thought you were watching The Tony Awards back in March, but no, those were The Academy Awards. I’ve got five words for you to actually watch the Tony‘s this year: NEIL PATRICK MOTHER TRUCKIN’ HARRIS!
NBC – 9:00 PM: Um, the second part of The Last Templar is on again tonight. With Angels & Demons coming out I can’t blame them for dragging this out again after just having aired it in January.
A&E – 9:00 PM: Once again I have to snicker to myself as I say that we can once again enjoy Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
FOOD – 9:00 PM: 10 hopefuls once again vie to be The Next Food Network Star. Considering how nervous I get just making a turkey for Thanksgiving I can’t imagine having to make a meal for Alton, Giada, Duff and Morimoto.
– Will Wilkins was taped in front of a live studio audience.