Amazing Race Season 15 Looks To Be … uh Amazing!

Sam & Dan - Not Your Stereotypical Gay Guys

After 15 years of watching, I thought I’d seen it all, but this season looks to be off to a very promising start.  Without giving away any spoilers, I can tell you that for the first time, one of the 12 teams will be immediately eliminated without leaving the starting gate.  I have mixed emotions on that concept as on one hand, it’s thrilling on the drama meter, but on the other hand, there could be one team of interest that you’ll never have a chance to get emotionally invested in.  Still, it does keep you glued to this race from the very start.

I immediately found myself rooting for Sam & Dan, who are brothers who both happen to be gay.  The nice thing about them is they are not gay guys that typically populate the scripted series as their is nothing flamboyant or stereotypical about them.  As I watched Modern Family, I had to think that as much as I enjoyed the gay couple, why can’t someone include a Sam or Dan character.  Someone who doesn’t scream “girlfriend” with every sentence.  And Big Brother casting agents, are you watching??????  Stop with the flaming queens already.  Anyhow, the nice thing is that Sam and Dan are not openly gay to the rest of the teams and have no problem using their flirtation skills with the women to get what they need.  I LOVE IT!!!

The 11 remaining teams go to Tokyo right off the bat after their starting point in Los Angeles (the place in the movie Grease had there famous car race scene).  The task that had me howling was when each of the teams participated in a “Japanese Game Show” stunt (complete with live audience) where a wheel was spun and they had two minutes to eat a Burrito size of Wasabi.  (Trust me, the stuff is awful!)  While I enjoyed watching the task, there was a sense of unfair task play here as each team was at the mercy of a spinning wheel before they had a chance to participate.  To make matters worse, after completing the task, they had to take 20 of the audience members with them to the finish line.  Luck was not great for all as some of them proved to be problematic with bathroom breaks and losing their way in the crowded streets of Tokyo.  Still, entertaining as heck!

As for the rest of the teams,  Eric & Lisa, the yoga instructors could be a more clean cut version of the hippies; Marcy & Ron are the token oldsters this season; Maria & Tiffany are professional poker players and not afraid to tell a lie or two to get ahead; Meghan & Cheyne are the cute dull dating couple; Lance & Keri prove to be the most volatile couple if they last long enough as Lance is a truly arrogant lawyer; Herbert & Nathaniel remind me of the stunt men or the clowns from past seasons and are Harlem Globetrotters; Zev & Justin should score high on the entertainment scale just based on their opening interview as Zev has Asperger’s Syndrome and says what’s on his mind; Mika & Canaan are country sweethearts with Mika pursuing a career in Country music – both look to be bland; Garrett and Jessica are the token on again / off again dating couple and Gary & Matt, a father and son team that looks to be a lot of fun.  But as I said, one of these teams will be gone in a blink of an eye.  More on the relationships after you’ve seen episode 1 including the Christian Conservatives who want to pray for their victory.

All I can say is… watch and find out who the first is to be Phileminated!

Big Brother 11

Russell gets a massage from Casey

Another fun season of Big Brother is here and as you all know by now, it’s more of a team competition this year as groups of 3 comprising of High School Cliques (Nerds, Popular, OffBeat and Athletes) all compete against one another to gain control of the house.

So far as expected, the Athletes are dominating the competitions and they are the force to be reckoned with.  You have to hope the others, when they get a little control will turn on them, but who knows.  The IQ’s are not that bright.  I was just reading the live feed transcripts and one of them, a blond named Jordan pretty much lives up to the dumb blond stereotype.  It seems that she can’t tell time.  No really.  If you tell her it’s a quarter to 1, she takes that as 1:15.  YIKES!!!

The token screaming queen this year is played by Kevin, who is an Asian / African-American Mix.    I have to ask Big Brother some day if it really is there belief that only screaming queens are the only Gay people that they find interesting.  Russell is the troublemaker of the house and he seems to do it in a way that keeps him out of the spotlight.  And then there’s Ronnie.  Now Ronnie is every nerd stereotype roled into one.   He lacks the street smarts to get far in the game because he is obvious about the gossip he spreads and follows people around, sits and stares saying very little.  You can see he wants to fit in with the popular people, and as long as they have a need for him, he will.  But his lifespan in the house looks very limited.

Like last year when the very funny and popular Dan was eliminated, the first target looks to be the very funny and popular Braden.  Braden, who has done some acting though.  You can find him on Season 2’s Dante’s Cove, which is a gay Supernatural Series courtesy of the pay per view Here TV channel.  DVD’s now on sale – go get yours today and you’ll find some frontal nudity shots.  (These are mandatory for all of the bit part players on the show so the stars never have to show it.)  But enough about that.  I’ll be sad if like last year, all of the personality people leave.  I’m looking forward to seeing the hourse turn on Jessie again once he is out of power.

For a much more interesting synopsis of life in the house (which just includes highlights, not details of a conversation about lint), I highly recommend this link —> Morty’s TV.

And now as I leave you, you have to check out this fight between Braden, Jordan and Lydia.  The language is very graphic.   Braden shows a good example of what NOT to do when you are put on the block.

Is More To Love The Next Fox Travesty?

The Fox Network has never been known for it’s inspirational reality TV.  From The Swan to Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire, they’ve pushed the limits on tacky television.  Now, here comes another Reality offering which, while described as “an inspirational dating competition”, may or may not be the next American TV Travesty.  The premise we’ve heard a million times, boy meets girls, boy eliminates girls, boy ends up with one girl and the after the show is over, boy never talks to girl again.  You know it. I know it.  But we watch anyways.   Of course this has not been screened so you’ll be just as surprised as I am if this truly turns out to be inspirational.  Now if we want to guarantee some inspirational TV, let’s have Luke and the Winner all go on to The Biggest Loser next season.   Anyhow, here is how Fox is pitching the show….

HUSKY HUNK LUKE CONLEY FINDS “MORE TO LOVE” THIS SUMMER

WITH 20 BEAUTIFUL, FULL-FIGURED WOMEN

 

New Inspirational Dating Competition Premieres Tuesday, July 28 on FOX

 

MORE TO LOVE, the new dating competition show from Mike Fleiss (“The Bachelor”), follows one regular guy’s search for love among a group of real women determined to prove that love comes in all shapes and sizes. The inspirational new series, hosted by iconic supermodel Emme, premieres Tuesday, July 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

 

Luke Conley is a 26-year-old former college football offensive lineman who stands 6’3” and weighs over 300 pounds. He’s a successful sub-contractor and real estate investor who has his sights set on building a long-lasting relationship. Luke’s ideal woman is intelligent, passionate, down-to-earth, full-figured and comfortable in her own skin.

 

This eligible guy will have the chance to find the woman of his dreams when 20 voluptuous ladies vie for his heart. These unique women have careers ranging from waitress to teacher to lawyer to rocket scientist, but they all have one thing in common: They are also looking for love.

 

This brawny prince is searching for one curvy Cinderella to take on the romantic adventure of a lifetime. Throughout the course of his journey, Luke will wine and dine these women during romantic outings, where some will experience their first real dates. As Luke narrows the competition each week through emotional elimination ceremonies, he will be one step closer to finding the woman who is his perfect fit.

 

 The MORE TO LOVE leading man is:

 

Name: Luke ConleyAge: 26 Occupation: Real Estate Investor/ Sub-Contractor     Hometown: Santa Maria, CA

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The female MORE TO LOVE participants are:

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Name: AmandaAge: 23 Occupation: College Student Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Funny, tall, motivated, honest and attractive.”

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Name: AnnaAge: 27 Occupation: Plus-Size Model Hometown: San Francisco, CA; currently lives in Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Spontaneous, cool under pressure, determined but patient, forgiving, smart, kind, loving and someone I can trust with my heart with.”

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Name: ArrianeAge: 37 Occupation: Entertainer Hometown: Wichita, KS; currently lives in Santa Monica, CA

Her perfect guy: “A great sense of humor, excellent communication skills, emotionally available, an abundant life in all ways and a consciousness of loving and living fully.”

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Name: BonnieAge: 25 Occupation: Make-Up Artist/Stylist Hometown: Portland, OR

Her perfect guy: “Talent. I live for a man who can create: art, music, stories. Blend that with a handsome smile and a sarcastic wit, and you’ve met my match.”  

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Name: ChristinaAge: 23           Occupation: Student Hometown: Brighton, MI

Her perfect guy: “I like when a man is established or has goals and ambitions. I prefer a man who is intellectual and can challenge me.”

 

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Name: DanielleAge: 25 Occupation: Theater Company Technical Director  Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Someone funny, caring, respectful, creative and has something they care about in the world beyond themselves. A life-long learner always looking for the next adventure and what more they can learn or teach the world.” 

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Name: HeatherAge: 22          Occupation: Recent College Graduate/ Cocktail Waitress  Hometown: Bondurant, IA; currently lives in Ankeny, IA

Her perfect guy: “Caring, dependable, honest, funny, confident, smart and a positive outlook on life.”

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Name: KristianAge: 26 Occupation: Substitute Teacher Hometown: Wallington, NJ

Her perfect guy: “Loyal, trustworthy, successful, driven, spontaneous, great sense of humor and family-oriented.”

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Name: LaurenAge: 26 Occupation: Event Planner Hometown: Alexandria, VA; currently lives in Atlanta, GA

Her perfect guy: “Honest, reliable, considerate, fun, outgoing, caring and responsible.”

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Name: MagaliAge: 24 Occupation: Teacher Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Tall, hard-working, caring, lovable, respectful, successful and wants me and loves me for who I am.” 

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Name: MalissaAge: 26 Occupation: Waitress Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Someone who is friendly, funny, good-looking, responsible and on time – all the time.” 

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Name: MandyAge: 26 Occupation: Fitness and Dance Instructor Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Her perfect guy: “Religious, outgoing, adventurous, athletic, family-oriented, ambitious, philosophical, affectionate, romantic and funny.” 

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Name: MelissaAge: 21 Occupation: Nanny Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA; currently lives in Beverly Hills, CA

Her perfect guy: “Honest, kind, humorous and compassionate.”

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Name: MichelleAge: 32 Occupation: Production Coordinator Hometown: Los Angeles, CA; currently lives in Orange County, CA

Her perfect guy: “Honest, easygoing, can balance fun with business, dependable, outgoing, goal-oriented and passionate.” 

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Name: NataliaAge: 28 Occupation: Make-Up Artist Hometown: Fort Worth, TX; currently lives in Dallas, TX

Her perfect guy: “Honest, trustworthy, funny, witty, family-oriented, moral…a man who knows how to treat a woman and is just an all-around respectful person.”

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Name: NatashaAge: 25 Occupation: Rocket Scientist       Hometown: Sebastopol, CA; currently lives in Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Honest, intelligent, ambitious and fun-loving.”

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Name: SandyAge: 30 Occupation: Dancer Hometown: Meyer, IA; currently lives in New York, NY

Her perfect guy: “Someone who can make me laugh and can support me in my career and my life goals. I am looking for someone who will keep me on my toes at all times.”

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Name: ShariAge: 34 Occupation: Corporate Trainer Hometown: Miami, FL; currently lives in Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Tall, dark and handsome, but it’s more of an attitude. If he has a certain ‘grrrrr’ – that really appeals to me.”

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Name: TaliAge: 26 Occupation: Artist and Motivational Speaker Hometown: Aurora, CO (originally from Israel); currently lives in New York, NY

Her perfect guy: “Someone who knows what he wants from life and knows where he is heading and doesn’t give up – no matter how hard things get.”

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Name: VanessaAge: 32 Occupation: Criminal Defense Attorney Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Her perfect guy: “Honest, loyal, ambitious, humorous, considerate, respectful, athletic, social and open-minded.”

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 MORE TO LOVE is produced by Next Entertainment and 495 Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and SallyAnn Salsano serve as executive producers.

 

 

 

 

Hell’s Kitchen – Season 6 is Here!

Unlike other culinary competition’s like  Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star, Fox takes a less sophisticated route by continually selecting folks that seem like they came from Trailer Parks all over America to face off against Gordon Ramsey.  Yet, Hell’s Kitchen continues to remain oddly addictive for Reality Show lovers like myself.

Season 6 is here and Fox is offering up the latest info regarding the show as relayed below:

SIXTEEN ASPIRING CHEFS HEAD INTO “HELL’S KITCHEN”

TO ENDURE THE WRATH OF CHEF GORDON RAMSAY

Two-Hour Season Premiere Airs Tuesday, July 21 on FOX

Winner Receives a Head Chef Position

at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Tuesday nights will sizzle this summer when Chef Gordon Ramsay welcomes the nation’s most talented and trained chefs yet to a sixth course of his unscripted series HELL’S KITCHEN. The cutthroat competition begins with a two-hour season premiere Tuesday, July 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and makes its time period premiere the following week Tuesday, July 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

Each week Ramsay grills the ambitious hopefuls, putting them through rigorous culinary challenges and testing them to see who can handle the pressure of a fast-paced kitchen where only the skilled survive. In each episode, Ramsay will eliminate one chef while the rest remain to fillet their way toward the grand prize of a Head Chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1981, Araxi continues to raise the culinary bar in Whistler. The winning contestant will have the added privilege of joining executive chef James Walt in welcoming the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

On the two-hour season premiere, Chef Ramsay wastes no time and sends the 16 chefs to the kitchen to create their signature dishes. Unlike past seasons, the signature dish challenge becomes a team challenge, pitting the men against the women. After the signature dishes of each team are presented to Gordon, one team will receive a coveted special prize, while the others will experience the agony of losing in Gordon’s kitchen. Don’t miss when an aspiring chef goes head-to-head with Chef Ramsay for the first time ever in the most explosive, most outrageous and most intense elimination round ever seen on HELL’S KITCHEN.

The 16 HELL’S KITCHEN chefs are:

The Red Team:

Name: Amanda

Age: 27

Occupation: Sous Chef

Currently Resides: New York, NY

Hometown: Vancouver, WA

Name: Ariel

Age: 27

Occupation: Sous Chef

Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA

Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA

Name: Lovely

Age: 23

Occupation: Children’s Camp Executive Chef

Currently Resides: Chicago, IL

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Name: Melinda

Age: 38

Occupation: Private Chef

Currently Resides: Philadelphia, PA

Hometown: Chadd Fords, PA

Name: Sabrina

Age: 34

Occupation: Restaurant Manager

Currently Resides: Phoenix, AZ

Hometown: New Caney, TX

Name: Suzanne

Age: 24

Occupation: Sous Chef

Currently Resides: Las Vegas, NV

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Name: Tek

Age: 27

Occupation: Line Cook

Currently Resides: New York, NY

Hometown: Greenwich, CT

Name: Tennille

Age: 28

Occupation: Executive Chef

Currently Resides: Fairfax, VA

Hometown: Hampton Roads, VA

The Blue Team:

Name: Andy

Age: 39

Occupation: Executive Chef

Currently Resides: Boston, MA

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Name: Dave

Age: 32

Occupation: Executive Chef

Currently Resides: San Diego, CA

Hometown: Chester, NJ

Name: Jim

Age: 34

Occupation: Sous Chef

Currently Resides: Nashua, NH

Hometown: Mendham, NJ

Name: Joseph

Age: 27

Occupation: Sous Chef

Currently Resides: Massapequa Park, NY

Hometown: Massapequa Park, NY

Name: Kevin

Age: 35

Occupation: Executive Chef

Currently Resides: Middleton, CT

Hometown: Plymouth, MA

Name: Louie

Age: 45

Occupation: Diner Owner

Currently Resides: Fitchburg, MA

Hometown: Fitchburg, MA

Name: Tony

Age: 30

Occupation: Culinary Store Manager

Currently Resides: Chicago, IL

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Name: Van

Age: 26

Occupation: Fish Cook

Currently Resides: Dallas, TX

Hometown: Buford, GA

HELL’S KITCHEN is produced by ITV Studios (formerly Granada America) in association with A. Smith & Co. Arthur Smith and Kent Weed serve as executive producers.

Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia is firmly established as one of Canada’s finest restaurants. Located at the base of the spectacular Whistler and Blackcomb peaks and between the bountiful Pacific Ocean and the fertile Pemberton Valley, Araxi Restaurant’s combination of breathtaking natural setting and local ingredients is unsurpassed. Since opening in 1981, Araxi has changed the face of dining at the mountain, supporting Whistler’s long-standing reputation as North America’s top ski resort.

Re-Inventing Bonaduce

One of the most interesting and outlandish Reality “Celebrities” to date has been Danny Bonaduce.  His candor and his ability to act like a jerk to his wife in front of America without any remorse or regret has made him legendary for Reality die-hards.  His last reality show, Breaking Bonaduce was one of the most fascinating train wrecks I had ever witnessed.  Danny crossed so many lines in order to outdo himself on the badness scale that it resulted in the breakup of his marriage.  He fully admits to being at fault with numerous affairs totally over 50 during their time together.

So with Danny being the bad guy and his wife coming off like a saint, could there be any interest in a Reality show featuring his wife?  Well the Fox Reality Channel apparently thought so and put out a small 4 episode series featuring Gretchen and her trying to make it out on her own.  The end result was unspectacular at best.  That is until Danny came into the picture on the last 2 episodes.  Their fight on his radio show was once again legendary TV and it’s something that you really should check out if you are a fan of this kind of train wreck TV.

While all four eps have aired, Fox Reality will be re-running them over the next month.  You can skip past the non-Danny eps where Gretchen dates, drinks a lot of wine with her gal pals and looks to sell her jewelry line to Hot Topic.  But the series finale brawl was definitely must see TV.  Danny Bonaduce remains the king of trashy reality TV! 

Summer Cable Offerings

While Broadcast TV continues to go with cheap and mostly unremarkable programming (noted exceptions on my last blog), Cable remains as aggressive as ever with both scripted fare and non-scripted.

Scripted Series Recommendations:

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Royal Pains (Thurs USA Network): Mark Feuerstein hasn’t had a successful run since he played one of the boyfriends on Caroline In The City, but here is strictly in his element as a successful doctor fired from his hospital gig due to hospital politics.   The fun starts when he finds a new beginning in the works catering to the calls of the rich folks in the Hamptons.  This show started out strong in the ratings and remarkably improved in its second outing, which is something rare when it comes to new shows.  Check out this clip for yourself.

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Burn Notice (Thurs USA Network): A compatible pairing with Royal Pains, the Jeffrey Donovan spy series continues to attract more viewers each Season and is now one of the highest rated USA series with an average of over 6 million per airing.  A strong cast, including cult favorite Bruce Campbell (The Adventures of Briscoe County),series veteran Sharon Gless and Gabrielle Anwar, who brings a surprise fun to her gun loving, bomb building, sexy character, makes this show a winner despite the outlandish scripts.

Leverage (Wed TNT Network): Starting July 15^th.  Oscar winner Timothy Hutton is only a small part as to why this is one of the best scripted cable shows on the air today.  The supporting cast each has something to offer in this series that could be renamed Mission Impossible 2009.

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Particularly of note, Christian Kane, plays the muscle of the group and brings a highly entertaining quality to the stories as does Beth Riesgraf, who brings likable qualities to a character that on paper would be highly unlikable.

The Closer (Mondays TNT):

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The granddaddy of all cable shows, this is the most watched series on cable. Kyra Sedgewick plays Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, the sweet-talking Southerner who leads the Priority Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.  Early episodes focused more on her proving herself and getting acceptance from her associates, but the show has morphed into a much better than your average procedural series thanks to an interesting cast of characters.  If you haven’t checked this out during past years, you are missing out.

Dark Blue (Wed TNT Network): Starting July 15^th

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Dylan McDermatt returns again post The Practice after one unsuccessful attempt (Big Shots) with Dark Blue.  This series is described as a show that “focuses on a team of undercover police officers — so undercover, in fact, that many officers in their own department don’t even know their operation exists. McDermott plays Carter Shaw, the deeply flawed officer at the head of the team, whose life outside the unit is in shambles; his underlings include a newly married cop who doesn’t know how to handle the relationships he forms undercover and a young patrol officer with a shady past and a penchant for lying.”  This clip was offered for preview.

This is just a small sample of promising shows that you’ll want to check out, but if you have the time, there are others to sample as well including USA Network Series Law & Order Criminal Intent, In Plain Sight; TNT’s Raising The Bar and HawthorNRe (which features Michael Vartan from Alias and Big Shots) .  Showtime has Nurse Jackie featuring former Sopranos star Edie Falco, while HBO has “Hung” about a High School Coach who moonlights as a male escort.  And returning in August is the critically acclaimed Mad Men from AMC.

As for Non-Scripted Shows, you aren’t going to want to miss:

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The Next Food Network Star seems to be off the lists of all of the entertainment publications when it comes to their summer preview series, yet still draws a surprising high number of food network fans.  This show may emulate the Bravo Top Chef series to a degree, but it also has the added factor of not only cooking great food, but being judged on Presentation skills.  After all, the prize is your own Cooking Show on the food network.  So far, it seems like only one of the former winners has turned into the Network’s breakout star, that being Guy Fiero who hosts the high rated Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Also of note, The Next Design Star, which is basically the same concept on HGTV, returns on July 19^th.

Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, which features 6 weeks of initial head to head competition between 4 World Renowned Chefs that leads into the Championship.  While this installment lacks the cattiness that first endeared me to the show (as well as regular series host Padma Lakshmi), watching the pros sweat is surprisingly fun.

Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D List, the emmy winning purposely controversial Kathy Griffin returned with a bang thanks to guest star Bette Midler, who made this one one of her funniest outings to date.

Kathy & Bette

Watching the clips for the season, this looks to be the funniest one yet!  While a lot of the humor seems forced (as in her video diary speeches), the show is at it’s best when she is working off of her family and friends for laughs and has no qualms about her D list status.    Check out this clip from her time with guest Lily Tomlin.

Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO),

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The only political show that I can sit through thanks to an interesting host (who I hear is a total jerk in real life) and guests who come from both the conservative and liberal front.  Although Conservatives are spare due to the liberal audience, it is really when the show is at it’s best when both sides duke it out.

Entourage (HBO)

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hasn’t lost it’s edge after 5 seasons. The best comedy on ever to grace Premium Cable’s airwaves,  (with Lisa Kudrow’s shortlived The Comeback a close second) Entourage returns on July 12th.

Big Brother After Dark, is the unedited live feed on Showtime2 that runs overnight 7 days a week. .  Nothing you’ll want to sit through the entire 3 hours of, but it’s occasionally fun to fast forward through.

Other Reality shows you might want to look out for are Project Runway (Lifetime), Intervention (A&E), Jon & Kate plus 8 (TLC), Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo), Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood, Gordon Ramsey’s F Word (BBC America), How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria (BBC America), Penn & Teller’s Bull*hit (Showtime), Hammertime (A&E) and of course Bridezilla’s on We.

So there you have it.  Too many shows to compete with an active summer schedule.  Please do not attempt to watch them all.  Go out and have some fun first!

Sorting Through The Summer TV Landscape – The Networks

TV has always been a virtual wasteland when it comes to summer TV viewing and growing up, has always been a tradition of having few choices for alterative programming other than reruns.  And because at the time, Cable offered very little new or innovative programming, shows like Cheers and Cosby easily could score over 20 million viewers in reruns.  These days, the top TV comedy Two and a Half Men only can muster around 9 to 10 million viewers.  So while networks are setting for less viewers in this cable landscape, here are a couple of  recommended first run viewing options on Network TV over the Summer.

Comedy

Better Off Ted (ABC Tuesday Nights): The show has had very small ratings but ABC is sticking with it and in an effort to find more viewers, will be running first run episodes beginning on June 23^rd!  If you were a fan of Arrested Development, this kind of had that type of humor going for it.  Some of this is very hit or miss, but if you give the show a chance, you may find it will grow on you.  Like The Office, 30 Rock and other non-laugh track comedies, this one will never find a mass audience like the established hits of yesteryear, but hopefully enough will tune in to warrant a few years.  Check out this clip courtesy of ABC

Drama

The Listener (NBC Thursday Nights): Canadian TV gave CBS a surprise hit last summer courtesy of Flashpoint and NBC is hoping to strike gold with this one which is kind of a mix between Medium, The Mentalist and Heroes.  The gimmick here is Craig Olejnik who is the “listener” also known as Toby Logan, a 25-year-old paramedic with a secret telepathic ability. the lead can read minds to help solve cases.  Nothing here is unique but the show is good escapist TV.       Check out this clip courtesy of NBC

Dirty Sexy Money (Sat Nights – July 18th – Aug 8th)

This Dynasty for the next generation never caught the audience it deserved, so now the final 4 episodes (and yes, the show has a show ending finale that will tie up all loose ends) will be airing on Saturday Nights on ABC beginning July 18th.   Expect very little promotion from ABC (and no new video clips are available ) about this so you’ll be on your own to remember to set your recorders.     Dirty Sexy Money – Home – ABC.com

ABC also has the return of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire primetime coming in August with Regis as host!

Reality

Big Brother (CBS – Sun, Tue, Thurs Nights): Don’t knock TV’s guiltiest summer pleasure until you try it.  The live feed in combination with the Primetime antics makes for the perfect escape and it is so oddly addictive that you’ll find yourself hooked before you know it.      Fall Preview 2009 on CBS.com

Of course there is plenty more to watch thanks to cable.  Next will be looking at all of  the innovative variety of offerings on the cable nets.