Sun and Schemes and Laughs, Oh My! Summer Shows Worth a Watch

Summer – the perfect time to catch up on your reading, visit the cottage, splash in the pool and relax with a cocktail or two. Okay, summer can also be really busy – with driving the kids to sports, working and weeding the garden. Whether you fall more toward the former or latter concept of summer, the warm weather is usually a relaxing time to some degree, one way or another. In the world of the television, summer used to mean nothing but soaps and reality contest shows even more inane than their primetime cousins. In recent years however this has begun to change. Now, there is a whole new breed of television show not bound by the typical September to May season. So, that in mind here are a few summer finds that are great for watching on those warm nights until Supernatural back…….

Summer – the perfect time to catch up on your reading, visit the cottage, splash in the pool and relax with a cocktail or two. Okay, summer can also be really busy – with driving the kids to sports, working and weeding the garden. Whether you fall more toward the former or latter concept of summer, the warm weather is usually a relaxing time to some degree, one way or another. In the world of the television, summer used to mean nothing but soaps and reality contest shows even more inane than their primetime cousins. In recent years however this has begun to change. Now, there is a whole new breed of television show not bound by the typical September to May season. So, that in mind here are a few summer finds that are great for watching on those warm nights until Supernatural back…….

Premise: (courtesy of ABC) “Bunheads is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl, who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law’s dance school.”

Why it’s worth a watch: Alright, this one kind of snuck up on me and wormed its way on to this list. This show comes from the quick and witty minds that gave us Gilmore Girls and with the similar feelings pop-culture humour and amusingly snippy-tongued characters; this is a great light hearted way to fill some time. 

Premise: (courtesy of USA’s website) “White Collar centers on the unlikely crime-solving partnership between Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a charming con man turned consultant for the FBI, andPeter Burke (Tim DeKay), the Federal Agent charged with keeping him on the right side of the law…[r]ather than return to jail, Neal suggested an alternate plan: he would provide his criminal expertise to assist the Feds in catching other elusive criminals in exchange for his eventual freedom.”

Why it’s worth a watch: Slick, debonair con artist with a heart of gold Neal Caffrey working with experienced-but-not-jaded FBI agent Peter Burke to solve some interesting elite crimes in New York City – what’s not to love? But if the clever writing, interesting plots and well-developed characters aren’t enough to pique your interest, well, maybe the (well-dressed and perfectly coifed) eye-candy is…

Premise (Courtesy of MyLifetime.com): “The one-hour, comedic drama tells the story of a shallow wannabe model who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney, Jane.”

Why it’s worth a watch: Unlike most other lawyer dramas, humor and heart is the driving force of this clever series. Main character Jane is a legal genius with a valley-girl attitude and a colourful cast of friends and co-workers around her. Add in the occasional musical dream featuring Paula Abdul, some romance and the unique twists that come with having a naïve flesh-and-blood guardian angel and you can’t help but be smiling at the end of this often too-short hour. 

Premise (Courtesy of IMDb.com): “In a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin”, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.”

Why it’s worth a watch: Are there people out there who haven’t watched this show or at least heard of it by now? Really? Okay, okay. Funny, romantic, action-packed and often delightfully non-PC the addition of vampires and other supernatural colours to the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps make this show an hour that will have you laughing through to the end, where nine times out of ten, the shocking cliffhanger leaves you gasping and desperate for the next installment. 

Premise (courtesy of USA’s website): “A spy recently disavowed by the U.S. government uses his Special Ops training to help others in trouble.” 

Why it’s worth a watch: Unlike anything else out there this show has a perfect balance of story-of-the-week and overarching plot, punctuated with action, drama and just the right touch of comic relief. The writing is smart, the characters rich and the world full of the unexpected. This show is a slightly-less intense and self-serious Alias with all the fun explosions, costume changes and sharp cons. 

Premise: (courtesy of USA’s website) “While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory…

Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica (Gina Torres) and Harvey’s arch nemesis Louis (Rick Hoffman), who seems intent on making Mike’s life as difficult as possible.”

Why it’s worth a watch: This one is all about the characters – not to say the week-to-week action and drama isn’t compelling. Alongside these well-conceived storylines and weekly challenges, witnessing the way the slightly naïve, not-really-a-lawyer with his eidetic memory and his best-closer-in-NYC mentor navigate the maze of dynamic and sometimes menacing colleagues, lively courts and comedy is truly the best thing about this show.