The Dead Season for TV

The other day one of my coworkers (who is known for his taste for reality shows like American Idol) said that this is one of the few times in his memory that he's watching nothing on TV. With reruns on the networks, no AI or Nashville Star to snark, and terrible summer programming choices (the poorly-executed ballroom dancing show on ABC and that abysmal-looking Ashton Kutcher show spring immediately to mind) he's just not tuning in. So I've been planning to do a post offering up some excellent alternatives for great summer viewing. Until I spent a couple of days thinking and came up with very little. But there are a couple of things that have kept me watching lately, and some things I'm looking forward to.

- A few weeks ago, I mentioned my interest in the upcoming US premiere of Green Wing on BBC America, as I had heard it was funnier than Scrubs. I have not been disappointed in the least. Tasmin Grieg was the perfect comic foil in Black Books, but she shines Dr. Caroline Todd in Green Wing, actually generating chemistry with every actor she shares screentime with. Moreover, a large ensemble cast seem to work together almost seamlessly to create an atmosphere of zaniness with heart. You can't help but care about most of the characters, and even the ones you hate (i.e. Dr. Guy Secretan, the most slimy male character ever written) are interesting enough to want to keep around. And there's neat little things, like the staff psychologist (played by my favorite guest stars on Manchild) who's a secret dominatrix, and the intern who spends his free time unraveling the frayed edges of the consultant radiologist's psyche. The character played by Sarah Alexander (formerly of Coupling) is actually the most boring of the bunch, which is pretty ironic. And I adore Dr. Martin and will gladly take him if Caroline is dumb enough to not snatch him up.

- Coming soon to America (July): Footballers Wives. Which, incidentally, preceded Desperate Housewives by several months and taught it some hype lessons as far as backstage drama goes. Also another Must-See on BBCA - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville and Eric Idle and just looking deliciously farsical.

- I do watch networks other than BBCA, really. There is this little thing called the NBA Playoffs going on, which I find infinitely more interesting this year without the Lakers involved (I make sure to buck the trends.) I enjoy baseball more than I used to, although I rarely make it through a whole game. But my new sports fix is NFL Europe on the NFL Channel. Ratings for the games are supposedly skyrocketing, and I'm not surprised, because it's just entertaining. Sure, it's not big-name players or on the level of the US version, but that's almost what makes it cooler. Plus with the Titans going through their well-documented woes, you can watch Jarrett Payton (Titans draft pick last year and son of Walter) making waves with the Amsterdam Admirals and hoping for his chance with the Titans this year. If Travis Henry doesn't come to town, who knows?

- I am known for my unabashed love for cheesy sitcoms. I make no excuses, other than they're cheaper than therapy, and easier to schedule. And even if you aren't normally into them, you can always find something to like, if only for nostalgic reasons.
Ex: I was recently visited by a friend of mine, a soldier at Ft. Campbell. His tastes in TV are polar-opposite of mine - 10 minutes of The Office left him stone-cold, and I tried valiently to figure out the civilian interest value of Mail Call. But then while he was perusing my TiVo with little success (obviously, he's no Reba fan), we hit pay dirt.
Friend: Murphy Brown!
Me: You like Murphy Brown?
Friend: What's not to like? Boy, I wish this show were around now for this Bush presidency.
That launched us into a discussion of that era in politics, and why I watch Murphy Brown - because it takes me back to, dare I say, a simpler period of political life, at least for me. You honestly could reduce a debate over TV indecency to a 30-minute sitcom plot, and it was actually funny and entertaining because it wasn't such a sore subject. Nowadays politics is a whole mess of jangled nerves, but Murphy Brown existed in an era when civility still existed in D.C., extremists were still funny, and you could almost believe that press and politcos were best buddies. And if you work in the news biz nowadays, in the era of imaging and sound-bites, it's fun to see that stuff satirized way-back-when and laugh at how far it's come. And for me, an early-30-something who finds myself occasionally questioning some of my more liberal worldviews, a recent show where the anchors all realized that they've lost a little of their lefty souls with age kind of hit home.

- The Happy Hunting Grounds for cheesy sitcoms is Nick at Nite, and it's celebrating its 20th anniversary this month (damn, June must be a big month for cable.) So in celebration, they are devoting three days to the best of 1985, which was a particularly good year in sitcom history. There's Moonlighting before it sucked, the best Must-See-TV lineup of all time (Cosby Show, Cheers, and Night Court) the best Facts of Life ever (Mrs. Garrett wearing the Hawaiian shirt - even if you hated the show, you probably know the shirt), and Benson! Since Sports Night is gone, I need some Benson. So get your TiVos ready - this runs June 21st-23rd.

That's about all I'm thinking of right now. If anyone has any more Summer Doldrum programming suggestions, feel free to comment. And if anyone in the Nashville area has any of the new Dr. Who eps around (not that I advocate t0rrenting or anything, but BBCA should get that on the air across the pond yesterday) lemme know.