TV
When I was growing up, summer used to mean the end of new TV shows. Everything was in re-runs, which meant spending evening hours outside didn’t entail missing my favorite shows. My, how times have changed. These days, there’s a host of new TV shows (both good and bad) that I can’t seem to pass up. Thank goodness for that new invention, our DVR. That way, I can watch my shows AND play outside. Lucky me.
Some of the shows scheduled in our DVR include:
Boston Med. When I first heard about this show, I yawned. Granted, I only heard the name of it, but I couldn’t help but think the networks were trying to come up with the next ER. And then I realized, it’s not a drama, but a documentary series. They’ve put mics on top residents, nurses, doctors and surgeons in three of Boston’s most prominent hospitals. Did I tell you one of my childhood friends is an ER doctor in one of those hospitals? Supposedly, she was mic’d, but we haven’t yet seen her on the show. Sweets loves this show, because he insists it’s a good representation of what goes on behind the scenes. I like this show, because I pretend I have a glimpse into what his life is like at work.
White Collar. I’m always a sucker for a good police crime drama. Only this one involves hottie, Matt Bomer (whom I recently learned is gay and with partner and children – damn!). And there really isn’t much violence or bad language. But, there are guns and bad guys and the FBI and a good, not-terribly-serious USA Network show that I’m so happy just started Season 2.
Friday Night Lights. High school football in Texas is huge. And this show does a great job of highlighting its importance within small Texas communities … as well as other politics and drama that takes place when people are trying to get by. Plus, I get my weekly dose of Tim Riggins and Coach Taylor – yummy. (And don’t worry, Sweets gets his fill of Tami Taylor, too – she’s not too bad on the eyes).
The Big C. This show hasn’t started yet, but it will be added to our DVR queue when it starts in August. It stars Laura Linney and follows her fictional bout with a cancer diagnosis. I think it’s supposed to be a dark comedy. Plus, my brother has worked with Laura Linney before and speaks highly of her. More reason to watch!
Wipeout. Not my first choice. But, did I mention Sweets finds it hilarious? (Did you check out the video of him?) Sometimes, you have to concede in order to keep matters of matrimony balanced.
Real Housewives of New Jersey (and soon to be RH of DC). Don’t hate me. I know it’s trashy. But, it’s like a traffic accident – I’m one of those rubber-neckers who must slow down to watch. Sometimes, it’s too good not to watch.
Top Chef DC. I love a good competition. I love good food. I love Eric Ripert and Tom Collichio. And Sweets loves him some Padma. Throw all those together in a mixing bowl and the Top Chef series spits out on the other end. I’ve watched every season and the show never ceases to reel me in.
Intervention and Obsessed. These shows have been on for a while, but we only recently started watching them. Intervention follows people with addictions to alcohol and drugs and shows their road to recovery. Obsessed follows people with OCD afflictions and their road to recovery. Its fascinating.
I know there are other popular TV shows … Glee (I don’t do musicals), True Blood (I don’t do sci fi), Entourage (we’re a few seasons behind, but it is in our Netflix queue), Mad Men (also in our Netflix queue) and others. What are the top shows you’re watching this summer? And does the good weather affect your ability to watch them and/or affect how full your DVR gets?
July 21st, 2010 at 7:46 am
Emily was telling me that I had to check out “Boston Med”, and now you are saying it’s worth a watch… Hmm. Guess I will just have to plunk myself down one of these nights and see what all the fuss is about! :)
July 21st, 2010 at 7:50 am
While I don’t really care for what’s on tv right now. I have a few shows that I’ll watch in the fall (Parenthood and Criminal Minds) but thats probably it. However, a few weekends ago I sat down and flipped the tv on, then proceeded to lose about 3 hours of my life to a Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami marathon. Trashy tv at its finest. I actually made a point to watch the new episode this past Sunday night.
July 21st, 2010 at 7:52 am
Gay? With a partner? And kids? DAMN. Matt Bomer was on my Free Pass Five list.
I’m also a RH watcher…for better or for worse, I can’t get enough of the trainwreck. My DVR is sadly lacking in good programming so I think I need to check out some of your recs.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:35 am
I caught Boston Med the other week while channel surfing. It was really good and I was instantly hooked. Oh, and don’t feel bad, we’ve watched our fair share of Housewives of NJ ;-)
July 21st, 2010 at 8:43 am
I love Big Brother. Super-mindless, but I can’t help it. Real Housewives are just amazing. I can’t wait for DC!
July 21st, 2010 at 8:44 am
We are fans of How I met your mother, The Big Bag Theory and 30 Rock. But some of our favorites also include Anthony bourdain’s No Reservations and yes the Real Housewives.
Boston Med sounds intersting, I will have to add that to our DVR as well.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:44 am
i’m a fan of intervention for sure. i have been watching for a while. obsessed i watch here and there, but am not as huge a fan of that show, as i find they don’t focus much on getting people help afterwards. they are gearing more towards that than they were at the beginning, when they used to just have the big junk truck come, a therapist in there for a day, and then leave the person. i didn’t like that aspect to it.
you know im into boston med! what do you think of the “nurse of the year?” im not a big fan of her. i’ve been keeping an eye out for a certain shared friend of ours, thanks again to you for introducing us! :)
i’ve been watching the bachelor (ahem), no reservations, and other than that, haven’t been keeping much tabs on tv these days.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:49 am
Confession: I don’t watch a lot of TV. If it is on, it is background noise at best. The only exception to my rule is Deadliest Catch. My mother reminds me that America’s Got Talen, which airs at the same time, is on every week and I thank her, and promptly turn on the Discovery channel. Is it just me or does the narrator have an incredible voice? ;-)
July 21st, 2010 at 8:50 am
We don’t watch any of those shows, not a single one. Our only shows are 24 and House, and now 24 is over so it’s really just House. Oh and American Idol. So yes, the DVR gets much less full in the summer because those shows aren’t on then.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:54 am
I actually haven’t been watching a lot of tv shows this summer. I watch RH of course…and have been watching Bethanny getting Married because she is hilarious. CP and I love Top Chef. But other than that? We have been watching HGTV. Nothing too interesting.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:15 am
This season of Top Chef is so disappointing to me. I don’t really care for any of the chefs. :( Some are downright creepy!
July 21st, 2010 at 9:18 am
RESCUE ME! Love that show. If you haven’t tried it, do. They are on season 6 right now (I think?) and next year is the last one. It’s an FX show, Tuesdays at 9.
Also, HUNG. I really like that show for some reason; it’s on after True Blood and it’s pretty entertaining.
Confession: I started Mad Men and didn’t like the first episode all that much. I might have to give it another try.
I also have Friday Night Lights season 1 in my Netflix queue!
July 21st, 2010 at 9:18 am
Friday Night Lights is so authentic it makes me homesick for small town Texas. It reminds me of my town and my childhood/adolescence. Plus it’s filmed in Austin and around where I’m from. I just love that show. I’m also a huge Mad Men fan. Love the plot…and the clothes, hair, set design, I could go on and on.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:22 am
1. wipeout
2. the bachelorette
3. true beauty
4. big brother (although, i’m not so diligent)
5. bethenny gets married (thanks SoMi)
6. soon to be show: dating in the dark
7. soon to be show: bachelor pad
July 21st, 2010 at 9:28 am
Brian loves FNL too! I haven’t yet gotten in to it. I prefer much trashier, ‘reality’ shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette. We also both like watching Pawn Stars and American Pickers on the History channel. We did watch Wipeout at his parent’s house this weekend and can definitely see why Sweets was cracking up so hard in that video you taped of him!
July 21st, 2010 at 9:36 am
I don’t watch too much TV but the ones that I’m in love with right now are:
1. Lie To Me
2. Millionaire Matchmaker
& we’re watching Bones and Burn Notice from the beginning, but we’re buying seasons of DVDs for that :)
July 21st, 2010 at 9:56 am
I don’t have a working television. But in the winter, I watch Celebrity Rehab (I have to. Sunday morning breakfast is all about whose gonna make it and whose not.) and Glee online, the day after they come out.
July 21st, 2010 at 11:55 am
My husband also looooves Wipeout. I watch it, enjoy it, and will admit to having laughed until I cried a couple of times, but he is at a completely different level.
I have FNL in my Netflix queue and haven’t watched it yet. I’ve heard such good things about it. Boston Med I can’t watch while pregnant because it makes me anxious. I need to avoid reality right now…
July 21st, 2010 at 11:55 am
I’ve watched every season of Top Chef, but I’m so not feeling it this year. I think it’s because they are making it too Real World-y in that it’s way too centered on the drama between the contestants. I don’t really care if they like each other or not; I care if they can complete a challenge successfully!
I’m watching Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, Wipeout (as you might remember, I am on team Sweets here!), Work of Art, and Persons Unknown.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:04 pm
It’s summer, so my TV load is lighter than normal--my current DVR list is: Deadliest Catch, Top Chef, Work of Art (mostly because N.C. likes to yell at the TV and it’s funny to watch him get so worked up), Burn Notice & Futurama. I totally forgot about Boston Med, I was going to give that a shot (I love real life stuff like that!).
July 21st, 2010 at 12:52 pm
I like White Collar too, and I admit I am a little bummed to hear the news about Matt Bomer, but he’s still some nice eye candy. And I like Burn Notice, speaking of USA.
I wouldn’t classify True Blood as Sci Fi. Seriously.Not that I think you’re going to rush out and watch it…but you’re definitely missing out on some good eye candy there. lol
Other summer TV: Top Chef, True Blood, and next week: Project Runway.
July 21st, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I love Wipeout :) I react the same way Sweets does.
I’ve just started watching the Good Guys. It’s not great but Colin Hanks is a cutie.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Well I just finished true blood season two on dvd. I was totally addicted. I’m also watching the bachelorette (lame, I know), So You Think You Can Dance, and anything on the food network and HGTV.
July 21st, 2010 at 8:31 pm
For the record, True Blood is horror, not sci fi.
As for our summer shows: Covert Affairs, White Collar, Psych, Royal Pains, The Closer, Mad Men, Rizzoli & Isles… basically all better stuff than the regular season.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:21 pm
I LOVE Boston Med. Love it!
I’m watching The Bachelorette. I am kind of over it but now that it is down to the last 2 I can’t quit now.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Boston Med is one of my favorite shows around. It doesn’t even come close to the normal types of shows that I watch but I like it because it’s REAL and I care about the patients each week.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I like White Collar too! I also like Burn Notice and Royal Pains. USA has some good shows with some decent eye candy.
J likes Deadliest Catch and Axe Men. I can watch them but they aren’t my thing.
We watch True Blood and it is a good show with a good story line. But it does have the fantasy side of vampires and werewolves. And there is a fair amount of eye candy.
We’re also following America’s Got Talent. There are some good acts particularly singers this year.
Our DVR is a life saver. We like to go to bed at 10:00 so we record shows and watch them later.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
My top summer shows are Mad Men (which starts up again this weekend), Bethany Getting Married (that couple cracks me up), and Top Chef.
I love my DVR. I never seem to be home to catch these shows live! I love zipping through the commercials!!
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I love the summer because I don’t HAVE to watch TV! I get so sucked into shows during the regular season, I love not having a DVR queue to get caught up on during the summer! That said, I’ve been watching The Bachelorette (yeah, yeah I know…) and reruns of Glee. And we just got through the Season 6 DVD of Entourage. Mostly, Mr. W and I watch HGTV and Food Network shows. I’m enjoying new episodes of The Outdoor Room w/Jamie Duree. And I can never get enough of Giada or Iron Chef. :)
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Wow. Of all the shows you listed, only Mad Men and Entourage are ones that I know and of those two, I’ve seen maybe 10 episodes of Entourage and none of Mad Men.
I don’t really watch much TV during the summer, but mostly try to catch up on shows I’ve missed. I have Netflix and Hulu Plus, so that should help me catch up using my iPad.
But if I did have to list new episodes of a show, it would be the return of Futurama. So far, the 4 episodes I’ve watched are great.
July 26th, 2010 at 11:03 am
I adore my DVR. Before I had one, I didn’t really think it was necessary. Now? I can’t live without it. I feel like I can watch more of the shows I love in less time…and I can watch TV when it’s convenient for me.
Also? Real Housewives? Probably my favorite guilty pleasure. I just can’t help myself.