It's summertime, y'all! Maybe not officially, but it's sunny and warm here more days than most and the kids I work with are starting to go ca-razzy (thanks, Tom Haverford), so that means that summer is upon us. Ron Swanson gets what I'm talking about. And you know what they say, April showers bring May season finales, so as all of the great and terrible shows from this year start to end my mind looks ahead to the wasteland of nights with nothing new to watch. Oh, sure, you could do something silly like go outside in the summer, but once you're tired of that or the fog starts rolling in or if you live in a place where it actually gets too hot to go outside, well...that's what this list is for. It's a reminder of shows you may have forgotten about or put off watching until you had the time, and of the shows that will be airing new episodes this summer that are worth checking out. And, IMO, summer is a time for shows that are silly, lighthearted, and not too thinky (unless you're Mad Men, but there's no new Mad Men until NEXT YEAR. *SOB* Blame the effing bureaucrats.). That's why you'll find Wipeout on the list, but not Breaking Bad (which is too dark, depressing, and gruesome for me any time of year, thankyouverymuch), along with some of my favorite shows that I haven't gotten a chance to talk about on here yet.
Away we go!
Weeds
No summer list would be complete without Weeds, now entering its seventh season. Ok, yeah, I'll admit that, like the rest of you, I'm a little disappointed that this show has gotten so far away from the simple smoking and dealing of drugs that it began with. But if they had stayed in that mold for too long, it would've gotten stagnant, and the writing on the show hasn't suffered a bit for all the changes in theme and location. Letting go of the fact that Nancy would have been killed a thousand times over by now, this show is still hilarious and unpredictable and the acting is all great. I do still miss Conrad, though. You can read my post about it from last year here, and you can watch past seasons on Netflix Instant. It's a fun show to catch up with old episodes on those lazy, stoned summer days.
Huge
I maintain that it is a national tragedy that Huge was cancelled last year. But if you can get the first season on dvd, DO IT. My love and admiration for this show has already been extensively documented, but suffice to say this is a show for everyone, not just teenagers, fat people, or camp people, and certainly not just for people who already watch ABC Family. It's funny, sweet, realistic, and has an amazing amount of depth for a show about teens. Seriously, everyone should watch Huge, and it's perfect summer fare. Indulge yourself a little and give in to its joy for the infuriatingly-short season.
Undeclared
This show about a group of college freshman is like Freaks & Geeks' younger, less-appreciated brother. I mean, it's definitely not AS good - the lack of Martin Starr assures that - but it is still a great show that wasn't given a chance to really explore it's potential. For those who don't know, it was Judd Apatow's second tv project, and Fox gave it just as much support as the first one - which is to say, none. It's got the silly un-hipness of early Apatow, but the real stars here are...the stars, meaning the cast is phenomenal and obviously celebrates the Apatow improvisational style. Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogan, Charlie Hunnam, Jason Segal, Monica Keena, Amy Poehler, Busy Phillips, Louden Wainwright...not to mention countless amazing guest stars, including my favorite recurring characters played by Kyle Gass and David Krumholtz. Undeclared also just does a really great job of portraying the awkwardness, bad decision-making, and sexual hijinx that come with being a college freshman. I mean, if you've never seen Freaks & Geeks, you definitely should go watch that RIGHT NOW, but if, like all sane people, you already have and loved it, then Undeclared is definitely the next step.
Wipeout
When I was in high school, Wipeout was called Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, and it was just erroneously dubbed segments of Japanese game shows that aired on Spike TV. "Why would anybody do that to themselves?" We wondered, "Is is a Japanese cultural thing?" Well, past-me, the answer is NO, it is not, people from AROUND THE GLOBE will volunteer to climb a wall whose sole purpose is to punch you in the face as many times as possible for a shot at a middling sum of money. I'm not saying that I wouldn't do a lot for 20,000 bucks or however much they get, but I also know that I value my body and if I fuck up my back while ricocheting between giant balls, it will not be worth it. But I never would have eaten a pig uterus either, and how many seasons was Fear Factor on? That being said, this show is endless fun to watch, especially because people rarely get really hurt (at least that we see) and because it appeals to that base part of ourselves that thinks it's funny to see someone get punched in the nuts by a wall. I don't know exactly when new episodes of Wipeout will be returning to ABC, but I can bet you'll see a lot of promos for it in the near future.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Ok, a-holes, that doesn't mean that I give you permission to waste all summer watching Wipeout. Let's try to intersperse it with a little culture, shall we? The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a great place to start. There's only one short season, with a two-hour premiere which was the last completed project that the great director Anthony Minghella worked on before he died. But there is so much packed into that one season that it feels like a complete package, an eight-hour-long movie, and is completely satisfying - probably because it was skillfully adapted from a set of books by Alexander McCall Smith. TN1LDA tells the story of Precious Ramotswe, a strong, educated woman living in Botswana who moves to the city to open a private detective agency. It stars Jill Scott and was filmed entirely in Botswana, so the scenery is not only realistic but also captivatingly beautiful. Scott, who, we are reminded, is of "traditional build" and proud of it, wears these dresses that are, to put it mildly, envy-inducing. Bright prints, perfectly cut, with just the right amount of detail - if I could I would wear Mma Ramotswe's dresses every day. Anyway, TN1LDA does not shy away from dealing with the darker side of things - warlords (played by Idris Elba, yum!) stealing medicine, por ejemplo - but it also revels in the light and the goodness in people. There's romance, dancing, mystery, comedy, amazing music by Botswanan musicians, and, of course, endless cups of Bush Tea. The directing is visually stunning, the acting superb, the people are beautiful and the tone is perfect for the days you wish you could be hanging out with giraffes in Africa. I really could not recommend this show more highly. Sadly, it is nigh impossible to find links online, but I really suggest getting the dvds anyway, the extras are great. You can get them on Netflix, or do what I did and see if your local library has them. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is worth the extra leg-work.
Psych
I have loved Psych since forever. You can read more about my love for it here, where I go into great detail, but I'll say it again: Psych is the perfect summer show. You don't have to be committed to it (though it does help, especially with recent plot developments, if you have at least some basic knowledge of the characters), but once you start watching, it will make you happy. And isn't that all you need to know? It's funny, irreverent, shamelessly goofy, and has plenty of eye candy for the ladies AND the gentlemen. They've had increasingly great guest stars and so many pop culture references and homages that you'll wonder why it's not cited as an influence on Community more often.
Dawson's Creek
I'm not really sure about the best way to succinctly explain why Dawson's Creek is one of my favorite shows. So instead, I'm going to say this: stop complaining that "teenagers don't talk like that!" It has been over ten years, and that has never been the most important part of the show. Besides, just because some people were illiterate idiots in their teens doesn't mean all of us were, and if you watch the show you'll realize that the pompous language fits perfectly with Dawson's character of a narcissistic, cluelessly pretentious kid with a huge forehead and eyebrows that are out of control. MOVING ON, I love Dawson's Creek because it combines well-written teen drama with an incredible lack of self-awareness of how hilarious the show actually is. It pretty perfectly encapsulates the six years from 1997 - 2003 I spent as a teenager. The clothes are RIDICULOUS. Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams (and occasionally, Kerr Smith) are super hot. Speaking of Kerr Smith, The Creek handled the gay issue MILES better than Glee has - probably because Jack was developed as an actual character with real conflicts than as a paragon of gay sainthood. Dawson's Creek is one of the few shows that didn't get a thousand times worse with the transition to college - they got rid of Andie (best move ever) and added Busy Phillips, Chad Michael Murray, and that dude from Supernatural and maintained at least a semblance of believability. They didn't let the show go on until it became awful - they ended it at the right spot, with a fantastic series finale. I really could go on forEVER, but suffice to say if teen drama is at all your thing, go back and check out The Creek. I should really get testimonials from all the people I've convinced of its awesomeness, because there are a buttload of them. The trick to loving Dawson's Creek is to simultaneously laugh your face off at it while allowing yourself to revel in the soapy ridiculousness. Ideal for summer days when you just want to drink a beer and laugh with your friends, and perfect for anyone who experienced the turn of the millennium - frosted tips, belly chains, and all.
Entourage
Don't waste your time watching Entourage, please. Instead, go back and catch up on Parks & Recreation, Archer, Mad Men, Bob's Burgers, Fringe, Downton Abbey, or any of the other shows I've been trying to get you to watch all year. Friends Don't Let Friends Waste Their Summers Watching Too Many Seasons Of Self-Indulgent Celebrity Nonsense. I mean, if you really WANT to, go ahead, but don't come bitching to me about how you're not all caught up with Parks & Rec in time for the fall premiere. YOU were the one who thought hanging out with E and Drama would be more fun than chilling with Ron Swanson and a puppy, sucker.
Old Nickelodeon Awesomeness
So they've been releasing a bunch of our favorite 90s SNick shows on dvd lately - The Adventures Of Pete & Pete has been out for a while, and now we've got Clarissa Explains It All, Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, Doug...I could go on. Anyway, if you're looking for nostalgia over newness, this is the way I would go - Pete & Pete might just be the pinnacle of children's programming, IMO...you just can't go wrong. I'm pretty sure they've got Boy Meets World and Sabrina on dvd now, too, if TGIF was more your scene. Something for everyone!
America's Next Top Model Marathons
This is not so much a recommendation as a reminder that there are Top Model marathons on all the freakin' time and yes, I think rewatching past episodes of this ca-razzy reality show is a more worthwhile way to spend your time than watching Entourage. Tyra Banks is NUTS, y'all!
Party Down
Your life must be so empty without Party Down. Wasn't somebody (me) just saying something about needing more Martin Starr? Summer is the time for filling in your pop cultural blanks! That means - Party Down, Arrested Development, Firefly, Seinfeld, Veronica Mars, even Friends - if you've haven't seen all or most of these shows, your cultural canon is incomplete. They're all perfect, hilarious summer shows - I shouldn't have to tell you why, just add them to your list. If you've never watched Party Down, you are not allowed to waste your Tuesday afternoon watching Top Model reruns like all the good boys and girls who DID their homework and already saw "Nick DiCintio's Orgy Night". No Wipeout until you finish "Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh" AND "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday"!
Well, there you go. I'm sure I've got more recommendations rattling around in my brain, but I don't want to overwhelm you guys. I know most of you, like me, still have work in the summer, but that doesn't mean there's not time for some great TV. Watch the new stuff or catch up on the old, whatever you want - just make sure it's worth your while. And if anyone has any suggestions for me, or more Ron Swanson gifs, put them in the comments!
Images via NBC, Geek Propaganda, Daily Mail, TVRage, NY Post, Cats That Look Like Ron Swanson, CaveMengo, Chicago Tribune, The Age
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