Summer 2009 TV Preview - June

It used to be, back in the day, that the summer months for television were a big VOID - filled with endless repeats of network shows, horrible made-for-tv movies, theatrical releases watered down and dubbed for tv, and horrible reality shows. And while all of these things still exist on summer-time tv, lately the summer months have also been a chance for cable networks and even "the big 4" networks to try out new shows; often quirky, interesting things that they won't give a shot to any other time of the year.

2009 is shaping up to be a great summer for lots of new and returning shows. I am only listing the ones that I'm excited about, or at least going to give a trial run (it's still a long list - I am a television junkie afterall).
I am already thoroughly entranced with the trashy goodness that is The Real Housewives of NJ. And as soon as the audition eps are over, I'll become obsessed once again with the latest season of SYTYCD. But here's what I'm looking forward to this month.

New stuff:
Royal Pains (USA) Premieres June 4
Cutey-patooty Mark Feuerstein is a NYC doctor who is exiled to the Hamptons where his brother lives or something? And he becomes an on-call doctor that does house calls for wealthy weirdos? I don't know. It sounds stupid but I love little Feuerstein so I'll give it at least a couple of eps.

The Listener (NBC) Premieres June 4
Paramedic Toby Logan (HOT Craig Olejnik) is secretly a telepath, which I guess comes in super handy when he's on the job. It sounds like "Ghost Whisperer" meets "Third Watch". Again, the hotness of the lead is doing a lot for me here.

Nurse Jackie (Showtime) Premieres June 8
Edie Falco from "Sopranos" fame returns to TV in this Showtime series that looks really dark and edgy but I think is a comedy? She's a nurse who's addicted to painkillers, hates her coworkers, and isn't above making morally ambiguous decisions if she thinks it will help her patients. Plus it has “The Fatch” (aka my boyfriend Peter Facinelli) who I would watch read the phone book.

Top Chef Masters (Bravo) Premieres June 10
Some of the mentors that have appeared/judged on Top Chef and other famous executive chefs are competing for charity. I'll watch it because it's Bravo and they serve the best crack, and because any time I can get more Tom Colicchio I'll take it.

Hammertime (A&E) Premieres June 14
Yet another reality show about a former star trying to make a comeback and their weirdo family. In this case it's MC Hammer. I'll probably only get through one show, but I like the title.

NYC Prep (Bravo) Premieres June 16
It's like Gossip Girl, but a reality show. Or like Laguna Beach but "real"? This series follows the lives of spoiled teens who live the high life in Manhattan. Again it's Bravo, and except for that matchmaker show and the one with the lesbian personal trainer, I've never NOT watched one of their reality shows.

Hawthorne (TNT) Premieres June 16
I'm going on record as saying that I hate Jada Pinkett Smith. She heads up this medical drama that I'd normally pass up. But Michael Vartan (sigh...so beautiful) is in it and I flove him. I'll probably just "bleep-bloop" through these eps to all of the scenes with Vartan hoping he takes his clothes off. It is cable after all...

The Philanthropist (NBC) Premieres June 24
I haven't heard anything about this scripted drama about a billionaire (played by James Purefoy) who loves to spend his money and do reckless things in order to help out the world. It also stars Jesse L. Martin (LOVE!) and Neve Campbell (HATE!!!!!!). This is really going to depend on the amount of room on the DVR and how much my hate for Neve Campbell affects my ability to sit through an ep.

Hung (HBO) Premieres June 28
Thomas Jane (Yes.) stars as a down on his luck, recently divorced high-school teacher who turns to making porn films to make ends meet. (Yes!) There better be some nudity HBO! (yes.)

More to Love (Fox) Premieres June 28
Us fatties need love too. I can't decide if I'm super insulted by this reality dating show focusing on overweight people looking for love, or if I'm intrigued. It's done Bachelor-style where one "Kevin James-esque" (Fox's description not mine) (read: fat) guy is looking through a bevy of curvy (read: fat) beauties in order to find his dream girl. Again I'm going to watch the first ep to quench my curiosity and then probably be so disgusted that I'll quickly delete it off Tivo.

Returning Shows:
True Blood (HBO) June 14

The first season ended with a scene straight out of the second book and I’m a little concerned.

Because all I know is that, Lafayette BETTER NOT BE DEAD. Or if he is, they better work in something funky like he’s a vamp, or zombie, or talking ghost or something because I will seriously be PISSED OFF if I don’t get my Laf fix from brilliant Nelsan Ellis. I’ve read most of the books that this great series is based on so I know that HBO has already taken liberties and changed some elements of various characters and the show hasn’t suffered because of it. So they better have done some script finagling to make my favorite character still a part of this show. It's not looking promising based on the info from imdb.com though. Gawddam it!