We’re not even one week into summer, and already, summer TV has me going nuts. I’m obsessed with great new comedies, and worshipping established dramas. Usually, I can’t wait to get to the end of the summer for fall TV to start, but with the stuff the networks are throwing at me, I don’t want the summer to end!
Here’s my take on what you should be watching if you haven’t already been –
1. Flight of the Conchords – oh my heavens, these two New Zealenders, Bret and Jermaine, have made life so much better this summer. Aside from reruns of The New Adventures of Old Christine (which have really been better than I would have given them credit), there isn’t another show on TV that has me laughing. Their musical interludes are just the right kind of crazy that make the show work. They’re awkwardly hilarious, which is what I would use (and probably have used on more than one occasion) to describe my own personal hero, Michael Cera. Dry, unaware of just how hilarious they are, this is a show worth checking out for sure!
2. Rescue Me – I’ll be the first to admit that Season 3 lacked some luster. The plots were out there in a bad way, and all the “everyone wants to sleep with Tommy” crap was starting to get on my nerves. So far this season, they’re handling everything with aplomb. Tommy’s got women chasing him, but not in the crazy way they used to. Tatum O’Neill is really cracking me up as Sean Garrity’s wife. Garrity is still hilariously dumb, and Mike (no longer The Probie) is most likely going to lose his mother, but he just can’t accept it. Franco and Natalie is believable, and I like the friendship he’s formed with her brother. Chief, Lou, even the replacement Chief, and Peter Tolan as the head of the station – it’s just great stuff. If you tuned out for whatever reason in Season 3, Season 4 is the time to get back in – Susan Sarandon’s coming up soon, too, and expect a big shock in this week’s episode that will blow you way!
One of the greatest things about this column and this website is the incredible chances we get to talk to the brilliant minds that make our favorite shows more terrific than we think possible. Case in point, I recently had the opportunity to spend some time on the phone with the very charming creator, executive producer, and writer of the TNT original series, The Closer, Mr. James Duff. James was well spoken, smart, friendly, and he truly cares about every single aspect of his baby, his show.
