"I want candy!"

This morning while I was cashing in $10 worth of Oregon state lottery tickets at a Pantry Pride convenience store, I looked down at the candy racks in front of me at the counter and was met with the full-on complete roster of the Hershey Company's "Good & Plenty" family. The box that caught my eye was one I'd never seen before - Good & Fiery. I was intrigued enough to plunk down $1.18 of my lottery winnings on a box.

"Good & Fiery" is described as a "sweet & spicy chewy candy." There were four flavors in the box - lemon, orange, apple, and cinnamon. The inclusion of fruit flavors struck me as really weird. The cinnamon pieces are, like the box promises, both sweet and spicy. They pack more heat than a Hot Tamale but they're small enough that I wasn't overwhelmed by the spiciness. The other flavors? I can't decide if I love them or feel like I'm eating potpourri. The apple "plenties" are a slightly lighter, brighter red color than the cinnamon ones and they sort of taste like apple cider. The lemon and orange ones taste like citrus and cinnamon. Which is fine for a tea but I don't know if I dig it in candy form. I usually love any citrus candy but I'm on the fence about these. I kind of wish the whole box was just the apple though.

I would recommend "Good & Fiery" if you see a box in the store, especially if you're a Hot Tamale fan.

SYTYCD - 16 are cut down to 14

This season of So You Think You Can Dance has been so interesting. For the first time in 5 seasons, the people that "deserve" to be in the bottom, have been in the bottom three. The judges, and more importantly America, for once have been getting it right.
In previous seasons there was always one or two couples that got the tween vote that kept them out of the bottom and on the show too long.
But this season, everything seems to be going my way. So far my favorite couple (Melissa and Ade) seem to have charmed the voters, and seriously, with performances like this week's how could you not be charmed?


I'm looking forward to much more from these two.

So again, for the third week in a row I'm quite satisfied with the elimination results. Can't wait for next week!

SYTYCD Week 3

First, I want to take a moment to actually thank Fox for their continued promotion of the greatest show on tv - Glee. I can't wait until September!

Ok, it was the top 16 tonight. I enjoyed this week better than last's. And who would have thought that my favorite dances of the night would all be ballroom?!

The Good:
Melissa/Ade - Melissa's body IS SICK! I loved their Rhumba. Nigel's dumb pun aside, "what a difference Ade makes" indeed. These two are now firmly cemented in the number one spot as my favorite couple this season. And they danced to one of my favorite Bee Gees covers, Destiny Child's version of "Emotion".

Kayla/Kupono - Lame Jewel song aside, I loved this Viennese waltz and loved these two as a couple. I don't really get what Nigel was talking about when he said it wasn't exciting. Anyway, I'm rooting for this couple.

Caitlin/Jason - It could have had a bit more staccato movements and Jason's posture could've been better. But considering their lack of ballroom background I enjoyed this paso doble a lot.

The Bad:
Now and forever - Mary Murphy's screaming.

Karla/Johnathan - ugh, I really didn't like this hip-hop routine at all. Karla tried her best, but Jonathan was not good.

The Blah:
Asuka/Vitolio - Mandy Moore sure does love the 80s doesn't she? They danced their jazz to one of my fave songs, "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar, but it still didn't really do much for me. Agreed with Toni on this one that they were letting their "technique" get in the way of stuff.

Janette/Brandon - Okay, I can't deny that they did very well with their Dave Scott hip-hop routine. Why can't I get into this couple? If I analyze the individual parts - Brandon, I like; Janette is sort of charming - I feel like these two should be in top for me, but they just aren't.

Janine/Philip - They truly need to take Broadway away from Tyce, although I think it was a good idea to go the Donald O'Connor route for Philip. I wanted to love these two this week and it was just okay. The feathers DID upstage them a bit.

The Weird:
Whenever Toni Basil is a judge on this show, she says the strangest things. She's very intense.

Randi/Evan - I don't know about this Mia Michaels' routine. I did not dig the choreography and although I agree with Nigel that Evan and Randi "followed through"on it. It was just too odd for me. And how can you be a sexy poodle?

SYTYCD - 2 of 18 go home

6/18/09 Results show
First things first. That opening routine from Mia Michaels was FAWKING AWESOME. Definitely one of my favorite group numbers. You know I think Mia completely grates as a human, but I do have to give it to her, sometimes her choreography just blows me away. In fact, in my top 5 group dances on this show, Mia Michaels routines occupy 3 of the spots.
Someday, maybe towards the end of this season or before the fall edition, I'll post about my top 5 couple and top 5 group dances.
Speaking of the upcoming season 6 - how great was the teaser they showed as a surprise for Evan about Ryan Kasprzak going through the L.A. auditions to Vegas (because d'uh)?

Anyway after the previous night's performances I was left with two worries - either that two of my favorite couples would be in the bottom 3 because of their poor showing (Jason/Caitlin and Philip/Jeanine), or that a couple that did really well like my other favorite pairing (Melissa/Ade) would be in the bottom because they don't have as strong a fan base as Philip or say Evan.
In the end the bottom 3 couples were sort of a mixture of these scenarios: Pono/Ashley, Jason/Caitlin, and Max/Kayla.

Male Solos:
Kupono - He's very quirky no? Interestingly for both his and his partner Ashley's solos, I think that if they'd had more than the 30 seconds that they're given it would have been brilliant. Pono was just starting to go somewhere great with his solo when the dreaded 10 sec countdown started. (And for the love of God people in the audience! Stop screaming the along with the screen as the seconds count down - it always takes the dancer and the viewer out of the moment and ruins things. HATE)

Max - I've already mentioned that the "dance for your life" solos from the ballroom dancers on this show never really excite me (with rare exception - see: Dmitry and Artem). And Max's solo was just kind of rote. I did sort of like that he did it to "Footloose" and that he had the solo and the music perfectly timed to 30 seconds. But I was hoping that he might mix it up and add other dance types in because he's actually very good at other stuff. He did really well with Friedman's choreography the night before.

Jason - I saved the best for last even though he was the first to perform. Jason was in a word - PHENOMENAL. I could watch his solo on a continuous loop. Nigel wasn't talking out of his ass when he said it was probably the best male solo they'd seen on the show ever. (So cute watching Jason's humble face when he registered what Nigel said) The minute he was done I knew he was definitely safe.
So when it was obvious that it was between Pono and Max, well I felt for sure that Kupono was going home; thus I was shocked when they booted Max. He looked so incredulous too like he couldn't believe it either.

Girl Solos:
Caitlin - She's very good. And I seriously keep forgetting that she has a fake hip or whatever. Totally crazy. Because she was the first person out of the gate last night I wasn't sure if her solo would be enough to save her.

Kayla - Again I agreed with Nigel when he said that she tried to cram every move in the dancer's encyclopedia into her 30 second solo. It was totally spastic and desperate, but hell, I knew there was no way this chick was going home.

Ashley - As mentioned above, I so liked where her routine was going; it looked like it would've been awesome with a 2 minute time period. It was just like she'd taken a longer piece and just done the first 30 sec of it. Contestants on this show have got to realize that they can't do that crap. They have to have a few "DfYL" 30 sec solo pieces in their repertoire along with other solo stuff that they might use in the audition process. So I wasn't that surprised that she was the one to be cut; and girl took it like a champ.

Kind of overly excited about the idea of a Kupono/Kayla partnership. Might just be dancer heaven.

So You Think You Can Dance - week 2

First off, for my money there isn't a better judge on this show than Lil' C. I just love him.
Second, having both Shane Sparks AND Brian motherfawkin' Freidman back as choreographers? Total bliss.
Overall, this week wasn't as strong as last week's premiere, but still the best two hours of tv this week.

Randi/Evan - Yes, their jive technique was a little lax, but their enthusiasm and sense of "fun" made the routine totally work for me. So glad that Louis Van Amstel seems to be a permanent choreographer this season, even with Nigel patting his own back every 5 seconds about hiring him. His routines rock.

Melissa/Ade - Boy, am I loving this couple. LOVE THEM. I could watch them dance all night. I really want to find everything out about Ade - he's so intriguing.

Caitlin/Jason - How cute was Jason as baby Michael Jackson? Hee! Ok, Jason did all the work in this routine. Caitlin was totally "white girl". But I still think they have really good chemistry. I am a little worried about them though.

Janette/Brandon - Why can't I get into this pairing? Individually I like them, but together? I don't know, they just fall flat. What can I say about their routine - it was a Doriana Sanchez, who I hate. But it was actually one of her better dances and B&J did pretty well. But still...meh The judges praised it more than they should have IMO.

Asuka/Vitolio - Spit bubbles, Asuka? Ugggh. Louis Van Amstel is amazing people! That was some gawddam dance therapy, even if Vitolio was a little stiff for me, he brought the emotion; they both did.

Kayla/Max - Brian Friedman y'all! Was he wearing Hammer pants and boots in the rehearsal studio? Hee hee. I enjoyed this routine a lot. Max was better out of the ballroom style than I thought he'd be and Kayla is definitely one of the best girls.

Karla/Jonathan - New choreographer Stacy Tookey! Loved this, although I kind of wish another couple had been dancing it, although Jonathan and Karla did well. And they're just so cute. A little too cute. But they brought "Deely chills" and made the judges go ga-ga.

Jeanine/Philip - I was soooo worried about this one. I love these two so much and I thought the tango would be their downfall. And it sort of was; but I thought they did well considering. I hope they're not in the bottom three.

Ashley/Kupono - Oh Pono my little OCD love - organizing shoes by the shape of their sole? And the to-do list? So cute. Excellent Shane Sparks routine. But they both kind of sucked at it. Totally agreed with Mary Murphy's judgement - "Just there".

I don't want any of these people to go home. But I dialed for Ade/Melissa and Philip/Jeanine. Should be an interesting elimination episode.

Summer TV - June Report Card Part 1

The first half of June is already over, and my summer tv watching schedule is in full swing. But there have already been some casualties in the line-up and some pleasant surprises. Below a review of the shows that have premiered so far:

Shows that have already been axed off the Tivo season pass list -

The Listener
Even having shirtless HOT Craig Olejnik couldn’t save this poorly written and even more poorly acted show for me. So bad.
Hammertime
MC Hammer is a fool. And not in an entertaining way like Bret Michaels.
NYC Prep
Technically this show doesn’t even premiere until next week, but I watched the preview special and these bratty kids are so fawking heinous and spoiled that I don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach watching it.

Surefire gems -

Nurse Jackie
Loved every little thing about the first episode of this amazing show. Jackie is the kind of anti-hero I love rooting for. Looking forward to the rest of the summer.
True Blood
Lafayette is ALIVE (for now)!!!! I haven’t been that surprised by a tv show in quite some time. I was completely unspoiled for this twist, and so damn happy about it that it took me awhile to settle in and enjoy the rest of the season 2 premier. But although graphic and gory, it also set the stage for what looks to be a great season. And did I mention the Lafayette not being dead thing? Hurray for more Nelsan Ellis deliciousness!

Surprises -

Royal Pains
So surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed this new show. I thought for sure it’d be really stupid but it’s actually quite clever.
Top Chef Masters
The first ep of this competition series was just ok. Loved seeing Hubert Keller and the other chefs struggle not only with the type of whacked-out challenges the previous TC contestants have had to deal with, i.e. having to cook a gourmet 3-course meal in a dorm room with only a microwave and a toaster oven; but it was hilarious to see them flounder with seemingly simple tasks like grocery shopping (Hubert has never done it) and knowing the difference between a freezer and a refrigerator. Ahem, Tim. But overall, the show fell kind of flat for me. I might get more enthusiasm as other chefs I like, or love to hate, compete.

Never Can Say Goodbye...

Last night was the last episode to be aired of the phenomenal show Pushing Daisies. I am sad about this show's cancellation more than I thought possible. I've ranted about how much ABC sucks as a network ad nauseum so I won't go into it again, but suffice to say that I'm pissed off that amazing shows like "Daisies" meet an early end while horrendous programs like Super Nanny keep getting renewed.

Anyway, due to some unfortunate cable provider issues, my DVR didn't actually record last night's "Daisies" finale, but I will be catching it online and of course buying the second season on DVD when it comes out later this year. Evidently I missed awesome scenes like ones involving Olive and Emerson wearing matching orange and chartreuse tracksuits(!), so I have that to look forward to.

Pushing Daisies was the most magical, well-written, technicolor joyous dreamsicle of a show ever to entertain a television audience. I'll miss Kristin Chenoweth's Olive and Chi McBride's Emerson the most out of all of the delightful characters. But I also loved the sister characters of Lily and Vivian and gorgeous Lee Pace's Ned.

Here I'll end this post with a few more of my favorite scenes. Man, I'm getting misty just thinking about the fact that this is over!

SYTYCD Season 5 - 2 of 20 sent home

Well, unlike last night's finale of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, I was fine with the results of tonight's So You Think You Can Dance.
The night started off well for me when not only my four favorite dance teams were declared safe, but the three that I thought deserved to be in the bottom 3 were.
Male solos:
Vitolio - his solo was amazing. I don't know what crack Nigel and the judges were smoking when they said it wasn't good. Glad he got to stay.
Jonathan - Half the people on the dance floor at Neighbors could do better than he did during his solo. He was lucky.
Tony - dude, channeling ReRun from "What's Happening", and doing it poorly isn't going to save your ass on this show. The judges totally got it right for once sending his ass home, but I am super surprised that they actually did it. Actually I'm surprised that Tony and Paris were even in the bottom 3 considering the tween vote block that this guy had. Anyway good riddance.

Female solos:
Asuka - Meh, just okay. Generally I find the ballroom solo stuff to be goofy so it's hard for me to be objective, but her solo routine was just okay. She's got a lot of personality though.
Karla - Girl, that was awful. Seriously, bad. Nigel was focused on your boobs and cute butt too much when he said it was a good solo.
Paris - I totally disagree that she had a worse solo than Karla but in the end I'm not that sad that she's gone. She's the local King county girl though, so that kind of sucks.

All in all a very satisfying results show. Can't wait for next week.

SYTYCD - Top 20 Performance review

Hands down the best top 20 first competition performance of any season of this show. Even the performances/choreography that I didn't like (more below), weren't really that bad.

Jeanine/Phillip - Y'all, I just love Phillip Chbeeb; his movements - so precise and yet so fluid and beautiful. He and Jeanine rocked this routine. And contrary to most of the fans of this show, I really enjoy Napoleon and Tabitha's choreography. I mean yes, they do tend to be very literal in their interpretations of the song lyrics but they always have a great balance of emotional impact with sharp moves that really works for me. I don't think they need to have more than one routine per show though because as with last night, their second hip-hop effort suffered from weaker choreography.

Asuka/Vitolio - This has to be the most exotic dance pairing this show has seen. On paper them doing a "Tasty Oreo" Broadway routine sounds like a good idea but it did not play out well at all. First of all, please, give Tyce a break from Broadway. Let him still choreograph jazz and contemporary routines but give Broadway to Shankman or someone fresh like say, Ryan Kasprzak? Tyce's Broadway stuff is so TIRED and LAME. And Asuka and Vitolio did not embody the albeit silly characters and looked stupid. I felt really bad for them.

Karla/Jonathan - zZzzzzzzzzzzz These two are so very cute and they seem to have good energy, but they didn't really use it for this routine and I didn't get this cha cha at all. And to Lady GaGa's "Poker Face"? Huh?? And Jonathan's gay right? Right?

Randi/Evan - Very sultry. Evan went from adorkable to sexy and Randi went from bubbly to sensual which was very surprising considering these two are like the human equivalent of Care Bears and gumdrops. They took boring choreography from Tyce and made it come alive.

Paris/Tony - First of all, Paris has some sort of neuropathy that causes her left leg to be numb from the knee down?! And she can still dance like that?! I have problems walking and standing when my foot falls asleep much less dancing. Anyway, she and Tony were okay, but definitely one of the weakest couples of the night. Tony sure does seem to have the tween contingent pulling for him though so I think they'll be around for awhile.

Caitlin/Jason - My crush on Jason continues and he impressed the hell out of me with his amazing control and fluidity during their Bollywood number. You could see Caitlin THINKING the whole time, but halfway through you could see her let go and really enjoy herself. These two have great chemistry which I wasn't expecting when I heard they were matched up.

Jeanette/Brandon - I was expecting a lot more from these two; they're not syncing for me. It's great to see Louis Van Amstel as a choreographer for their foxtrot and considering that Brandon isn't built for ballroom they did very well (except Brandon's arms weren't fluid at all), but there was still something missing.

Ashley/Kupono - Wade Robeson is weird y'all. His choreography is so fascinating and complex, and yes, weird but wonderful. This crash-test dummy piece was very layered. I really liked how light-hearted it was which is something that Wade pieces usually aren't. And I don't think a lot of people will realize how difficult the body movements were for Ashley and Pono to express the story of the dance. They did well, but boy was it strange. And that Goldfrapp song? Wade continues to boggle with his song choices.

Melissa/Ade - Another person who confuses me with their dance songs is Mandy Moore. Um, Richard Marx? Uhh, it is 2009 right? Anyway, Melissa and Ade were inspired! They are both tremendous dancers. Their routine was breathtaking. Ade is so intriguing to me. I hope they're not in the bottom but if they are it's because they haven't been showcased like everyone else which is a shame. And Melissa, you go on with your badass grandma self!

Kayla/Max - Louis Van Amstel said it all when he said that Maksim was one lucky bastard to pull Latin ballroom as his first dance. Their amazing samba definitely benefited from Max's experience and from Louis' kick-ass choreography. But I agree with Nigel that Max has a long way to go to equal the intensity and energy of past contestants like Dmitry, Pasha, or Artem. I went into this kind of not getting why everyone loved Kayla, but I sort of get it now. Really interested to see how they do outside of this genre.

You're ON NOTICE, Angelina's dad!

Actor Jon Voight was the master of ceremonies at a Republican fundraiser dinner held yesterday. Newt Gingrich was the keynote speaker at the event that pretty much seems like it was dedicated to bashing President Obama and the Democratic party. I kind of expect all of this bullshit out of the mouths of Gingrich and Senator Mitch McConnell, but Jon Voight? Hustler Joe Buck? Crippled 'Nam vet Luke Martin? Conrack?

Here's just a sampling of some of the vile nonsense that Voight opened the evening with:

"We are becoming a weak nation," said Voight, calling Obama a "false prophet." Republicans need to find their way back to power to free the nation from "this Obama oppression". We are moving towards a Socialist era that America has never seen before and our great country is weakening in every way."

Dude! No wonder your daughter isn't speaking to you or letting you see your grandkids - you're a freakin' nutjob!

For the love of Gladys Kravitz

Most people who know me know that children aren't my favorite things. I have purposely not had any kids because I find them really annoying.

So imagine my chagrin when I discovered last summer that I was moving into a neighborhood that had a plethora of humans under the age of 16. No joke - there are at least 35 kids between the ages of 2 and 14 that live within a 3 block radius of my house. And I live a half block away from a park, and 4 blocks away from an elementary school. So basically I'm fucked.

This past year I've had to deal with the horrible raspy sounds of skateboards, razor scooters, big wheels, wagons, trikes etc; little people tearing off stalks of my bamboo to use as swords; that summertime creeptastic ice cream truck "music" playing every warm night; young boys pretending the key pad lock on my house was a secret agent spy thing and accidentally (astonishingly) figuring out my actual lock code and opening my door while I wasn't home(!); and just in general the constant sound of laughter and joyful screaming that I'm sure some people find charming but I HATE.

I've complained about these things with my fellow childless neighbors hoping to get some sympathy and have been met with fairly unsympathetic shoulder shrugs and head shakes. And as this summer approaches and the sun sets later, all of these activities are increasing and threatening to drive me crazy.

Tonight I reached my limit and went into full-on Gladys Kravitz mode. Two boys around 8 years old or so kept on walking up and down the block gathering various branches and long sticks for God knows what. All of a sudden they stopped in front of one of the elm trees in my part of lawn. Our young trees all have support posts that they're tied to, to you know, SUPPORT them. I watched in horror as these kids untied the twine holding the post to the tree and then preceded to rock the post back and forth until they wrenched it out of the ground!!

I was out of my house and racing around the corner within a minute screaming at the kids to put my post back. Meanwhile one of the kids' mothers who was sitting on her porch came down to the sidewalk and started yelling at me to stop yelling at her son. And it. Was. ON!

Needless to say I don't think I'm one of the favorite ladies in the neighborhood now.

SYTYCD - Season 5 Top 20 Finalists

And now it begins...My total obsession and geek love for this dance competition show. I enjoyed the hell out of last night's top 20 pick episode.
The dramas - Judges fighting over Brandon! Two brothers, only one will make it!
The joys - Phillip made it! Ashley is finally good enough! Randi is bringing her unitards!
The sadness - Alex Wong can't get out of his Miami Ballet contract! Ryan Kasprzak got cut!
By the way loved the use of Ray LaMontagne as the "we're sorry you didn't make it" montage music.
Here are my pre-show top 5:

Phillip Chbeeb - Love him! Love love love. After not making it to Vegas in S3, and then being deathly ill with pneumonia in S4, this season he finally made it. Can't wait to see him partner.

Jason Glover - Adam Shankman said in Vegas that this kid is pretty much the definition of SYTYCD and he's exactly right. Jason sort of reminds me of a monkey. An utterly adorable dancing monkey. He makes me smile.

Ashley Valerio - This was the 4th time (!) that Ashley had tried out for the show and made it to the Vegas round. She's the little engine that could, never giving up and this year she made it! I like her style.

Evan Kasprzak - I was a little heartbroken when the choice for the final guy's spot came down to between brothers Evan and Ryan Kasprzak. This was totally "Sophie's Choice" to me - I'm just glad to have one of them in the competition this year. Now the producers need to bring Ryan on as the Broadway style chroreographer - his stuff kicks Tyce Diorio's ass!

Paris Torres - I have to root for a local girl. Seattle (erm, Issaquah) represent!! Seriously, this girl is a little firecracker. I'd like to see her paired up with Phillip.

For the love of Landon

The Real World/Road Rules Challenge is probably my #1 guilty pleasure tv show. But I just love it for the silliness like random drunken bikini fashion shows like this one. WARNING: Not really SFW


Ahh I just love Landon. And that juicebox...

Make Me A Supermodel Finale

Tonight is the second season’s finale, and besides knowing for sure that the winner is a guy (the top 3 are all male so duh) I am surprisingly unspoiled for the outcome. I'm rooting for Sandhurst as I have been for most of this season. Since my other faves have been ousted, Sandhurst has been getting all of my love.
Jonathan kind of seems like the sure bet, since they’re always talking about how they see “money” when they look at him; and yes, he has an interesting big-nose face that photographs well, and YES, Jonathan’s body is outer limits.
However, I have a feeling that Branden might be the one that takes the title. I know he’s very green, but the judges are always talking about how fresh he is and how modern his “look” is, and the winners of these shows are so often who I don’t think deserves it – so in other words, I’m preparing myself for a Branden win. And heck, he’s very cute and doesn’t annoy me that much, so it’s all very win-win for me.
I’ve said this before but this season of MMASM hasn’t resonated with me as much as the first season did. I didn’t connect with the contestants as much as I did with like Perry, Shannon, Casey, and Ronnie from S1. And while I was happy that they got rid of the audience voting (because seriously, what the hell do we know?), I was sorry to see the “almost-real time” filming go by the wayside. This season’s judging was also hit and miss; with the judges’ opinions often completely contradicting the photographer’s. But unlike most people I actually liked the main core of panel judges with model caster extraordinaire with the weird accent Marlon, and always smokin’ Jenny Schmizu (even Perou – shoot me, I think he’s hot). I liked that Tyson Beckford was in the mentor role instead of being a judge; it suited him much better, because last year his favoritism towards Perry and Ronnie stuck out like a sore thumb. They could probably get rid of the other model chick mentor though. What’s her name? Nicole? Anyway, yeah make her a goner before season 3.
Go, Sandhurst!

For the love of Carl Fredricksen

A lot has already been said about the latest effort from Pixar that opened this past weekend. So I'm not going to bore you with a long review of "Up". I'll just express my opinion in under 100 words -
I LOVED this movie. Hands down my favorite Pixar film, topping WALL-E and even the "Toy Stories". I loved the story, the characters, the animation. Even the dogs which were the weakest link in the computer animation chain, were so endearing that they didn't bother me at all. The first 15 minutes of the movie were so poignant and perfect that I could have happily left the theater right then and been satisfied. I love old men, Ed Asner especially, so to have a perfect little cartoon version of one of my favorite things? Excellent.
Go. See. This. Film.

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!