Summer Viewing

Well folks, summer is upon us. The TV season is over and we left with a drought of good quality programming until September at the earliest. But, we mustn't fret or get upset! There is still a good number of shows worth watching some scripted, some not, but all good. Here are a few:

30 Days
If you liked Super Size Me, you will like this. The creator and star of Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock started 30 Days three years ago with a simple premise. Exactly like his famous movie, someone spends 30 days doing something they are not comfortable with as a mind opening experience.

There are some crazy match-ups. Here are some examples: Living on Minimum Wage, a devout Christian lives with a Muslim family, a couple nightclub employees stay at a commune, a computer programmer who's job was outsourced moves to India to see how they work, and an atheist lives with a Christian family. These are just some of the episodes from the first two seasons. Season 3 started two weeks ago and it is as good as always. There is more packed into one hour of TV then almost any other show out there.

This show also does what most other TV does not, it really makes you think and can open up your mind along with the people on the screen. It may not change the way you live, but it might change the way you think, and honestly, isn't that what quality entertainment should do?

Stargate: Atlantis
Atlantis comes back on July 11th with new episodes, and isn't that a good thing? For those out of the loop, Stargate: Atlantis is the spinoff of Stargate: SG-1, which was a spinoff of the Stargatemovie that came out in 1994. Atlantis takes place in a different galaxy than SG-1, but it still maintains the fun adventures of the original series.

For a good understanding of this show, just think Star Trek set in the modern era with the military running things and no such thing as the Prime Directive. The SG teams can and do mess with anyone that gets in their way. The show features an enemy race (the Wraiths, an alien race who feeds off of human the human life force) and deep mythology that is not necessary for understanding the episodes. The Stargate team is working to defeat the Wraith and keep the humans in their galaxy safe. The show is very witty and fun, it is more comedy than drama, and you can tell that the actors have just as much fun. The Stargate series is one of my favorites and it's too bad more people don't watch it. Check it out if you've never seen it.

The Mole
The Mole is back this summer after a four year break. Anderson Cooper, the old host is not back with the show, which is too bad, because he was fun, but now he's off as one of the biggest names in news. Oh well. The Mole is a different kind of reality show. There are 12 people competing, but one of them is a plant, they are working to sabotage the game and keep the group from winning money. The challenges are kind of cooperative, as all of the money goes into a group pot, which the last player standing wins. People are kicked off the show by getting the lowest score on a quiz all about the Mole. The more they know about who the mole is, the longer they stay in and the better chance they have to win the money.

There are two things I really enjoy about this show. The first is that there is not as much backstabbing or silliness on other reality shows because people are working to build a common pot. There is, however, a lot of suspician, which is kinda fun, because every tiny thing makes people suspicious. The other fun thing is that we don't know who the mole is. That's right, we play right along with the other competitors, trying to figure out who is sabotaging the game. It's great fun! I'm glad it's back!

Mad Men
Mad Men, the A&E show all about ad men on Madison Ave in the 1960s comes back July 27. Now, this isn't one of my favorite shows, as it can move a little slow and doesn't grab me as much as these others, but boy is it something different. The show is really great to look at. Everyone wears stylish '60s outfits. The sets are lush and colorful, and the atmosphere really seems accurate. Everyone smokes, everyone drinks, there is a definite and obvious boys club, and people are excited about the world of business and advertising.

The story is where I get a little bored. For instance, last season they built up a big mystery about lead character Jim Draper's past. This story didn't really have much of a conclusion and it kind of let me down. A few of the characters are just really unlikable and I don't really feel the need to watch them every week. However, these weaknesses aren't nearly enough to make me stop watching. The show is wonderful to watch and almost makes me wish I lived in the sixties. There was a definite innocence to the era, although, I have a feeling that we will see that go away as the series continues.

Anyway, there's tons on to watch this summer, so stay inside and out of the heat and enjoy the idiot box, it's the gift that keeps on giving!