July 10th: Summer Season Blues

First off, I'd like to welcome you all to another effort of mine to create a weekly blog. Basically, as many of you know, I love television. So before I talk about my issues of the week, I will give you a little of a background on what I know and what I don't know. Basically, I don't watch near the amount of tv I wish I could, but the genres I do seem to cover are dramas and teen soaps (like Gossip Girl or O.C when that was on). I am not a fan, however, of sex-filled dramas or procedurals, but shows that either cause you to think and absorb what you are viewing. As my avatar suggest, my favorite show is Lost, but I also have a following for many other hits like Heroes, 24, House, Shield and Dexter. When it comes to comedy, my fan-dom is a lot weaker. I do extremely enjoy Chuck, but most of my laughter comes from dramas with comedic elements (a good example of this would be Burn Notice). I don't have a huge liking for sitcoms or thirty minute comedies, although I will show respect for those that deserve it, even if I am not personally a fan. Lastly, I, like many tv fans, am very wary of the reality craze. While I don't hate it as much as the next person, there are way too many low quality gameshows or competitions stealing the air that a good scripted show deserves. For example, there is only one new scripted show on the major four networks this summer, and that is the weak and trivial Swingtown, a show not worth the airtime. However, I don't completely avoid reality shows, as I am a huge Survivor fan, and have spent a decent amount of time this summer growing fond of The Mole, once again. As some of you know, I am a graduate student currently, so I basically only watch the shows that I love, or have become accustomed to (like 24, its not very good anymore, but I watch it anyway). However, if there is big news about another show, like Boston Legal or Greys, I will still talk about it, because it is part of the industry. Anyway, my first topic will be brief and just about summer television in general this year.

To start off with, I feel desperately sorry for people without cable in the summer. During the regular tv season, viewers can do pretty good with ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. This dies in the summer, when suddenly a show like Wipeout is a new hit. Summer tv is all about reality and what is the best bang for the buck. A perfect example of this is how Big Brother is consistently a summer show, because it brings in mediocre ratings for only a little cash. The Mole, a show I actually enjoy, is another example because they give up less than a million dollars in prize money, while making much more back in advertising. For the past three years we have only received one scripted new show each year on network tv, and two of them have failed and the third is failing. Both Windfall and Traveler premiered as new scripted tv, and while they each had a loyal following, tv analysts knew that if they were moved to the fall they would be ravaged by already hit shows. Swingtown is heading that exact same route, and if you are a fan I would be very wary for the coming months. However, there is the escape of cable television. Tonight Burn Notice returns for a second season and in a few weeks Mad Men will join them. The Closer has already returned with its high ratings, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent is coming up with new episodes after its move to USA. Cable is willing to put on summer scripted shows, because the competition is a lot weaker. The Closer is the biggest hit, ratings wise, and would likely survive in the fall season, but it wouldn't thrive. And if it wasn't for the strike pushing up FX dates, we would have The Shield, Rescue Me, and Damages all coming back this summer, making cable the place where it's at. So while network tv continues to go way down hill in the summer; TNT, AMC, ABC Family, USA, and FX (except this year) will pick up the slack. However, when it comes to hit dramas we forget about all these new emerging networks. When we check our television guide we only look at the four major stations, when completely original and risk taking shows are on cable. Many of the great summer shows are starting soon too, as only now are some of the biggest hits returning, and do yourself a favor and check out Mad Men. It is the most intelligent show out of a great summer crop of cable television.

Before I leave you just some quick notes:

*First some bad news for Street or Smash fans on FNL, as both have been demoted to only reoccurring characters. This actually makes sense for the show, because neither really fit into the storyline anymore, however the creators promise that there will be a satisfying conclusion to both characters.

*The only other major news of note is for Lost fans, as Michael Ausiello of EW reported earlier that Lost is in talks with John Terry and Alan Dale (Jacks dad and Penny's dad respectively) about reoccurring roles in their contract with an option to pick them up as sixth season regulars. Interesting development, but both characters have shown that they are greatly invested in the island.

*In non-cast related news, Battlestar Galactica will be making another prequel movie and Showtime is picking up a series about bug exterminators... Well, thats all I have for you this week and enjoy watching the few good shows you can find. Oh and a quick side note, I love comments, it makes me feel important, and I will respond quickly if there is a question involved.