June 4, 2012
With no space to waste on your DVR, its important to know which shows you need to catch and which you can skip. Here is a preview of what the summer TV season has to offer:
Single Ladies
I’m not going to lie; last summer this show was my guilty pleasure. I can’t do nonstop-drama shows like Basketball Wives and all that nonsense, but there was something about Single Ladies that made me overlook the blatant ignorance and poor representations of black women and DVR the hell out of it. Maybe it was the way the fashion choices veer from hawt to hot mess with each episode. Maybe it was the parade of beautiful people men, with everyone from T.O. to Common making guest appearances. But this season opener made me seriously rethink my ladies night TV pick. I mean, how did the already bad acting and plot lines get worse?? Stacy Dash playing Val, with her showstopper body and incredibly naïve storyline, is gone. Replacing her is the younger, but no more believable, Denise Vasi as Raquel, whose storyline is so disempowering (she leaves her high paying job to become a wannabe model?). LisaRaye as Keisha and Charity Shea as April have the same complicated storylines, but without Stacy Dash to anchor all the drama everything seems way too convoluted. In short, I think I am going to be switching over to re-runs of Sex In The City on ladies night. It never fails!
Duets
Sigh. Yet another singing competition show hits the airwaves just in time for the summer season. Duets features Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Netters, who are not only mentors for a group of up-and-coming singers, but also singing partners who compete with them as well. Potentials from around the country will perform alongside these stars in order to win a recording contract with Hollywood Records. I’m not sure how this show based around a recycled premise plans to cover new ground, especially since Kelly Clarkson and Robin Thicke are already regulars on The Voice, but I do know that my momma is already hooked.
Dallas
Premiering June 13th TNT is bringing back the classic 80’s soap Dallas. Not quite sure how they managed to resurrect Patrick Duffy (Dallas, Step By Step) for this one, but the cast including Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) and Josh Henderson should liven things up. This show is bound to be chalk full of drama and backstabbing. Nowhere else on TV will you be able to watch a rich family torture each other and lie, cheat, steal in order to get even richer. Oh, wait I forgot about the Kardashians…
True Blood
Everyone’s favorite group of vampires, witches, fairies, werewolves and shapeshifters are back starting on June 10! The last season of True Blood left viewers with a lot of questions. Is Tara really dead? What is going on with Arlene and Terry? How the hell does Sookie manage to have 3 of the hottest men in town all drooling over her? Will we ever get tired of hearing Bill say “SOOK-EH!”? True Blood loves reveling in its completely over the top fantasy-world and getting as wild and out there as possible, and that’s what makes watching this show so much fun. Even when some of the story arcs get a little ridiculous (Jason in a cult, anyone?), this show is impossible to tear yourself away from. You never know what new thing they’re going to cook up next, and it definitely doesn’t hurt that you get to watch Alcide’s amazing body running around shirtless, either. My DVR is already set!
Newsroom
This one is not for the casual couch potato. The Newsroom is a fast paced, new drama starring Jeff Daniels (THE Jeff Daniels! Love that guy.) that explores what happens when a news anchor actually, you know, tells the truth. The preview for this one looks like what might happen if Bill O’Reilly took a truth serum right before his show. And maybe a few shots of vodka. It has me intrigued. Can people really tell the truth on TV?? The Newsroom plans to find out. Premiering June 24th on HBO, vote yes for original, scripted television and tune in for this one.
