I guess I should have made the title Our Summer Viewing Pleasure. These are just a few of the programs Pam and I are looking forward to over the next couple of months.
Beginning tomorrow night from Staples Center in Los Angeles, my Lakers host Boston in game 1 of the NBA Finals. This is the 12th time the Celtics and Lakers have met for the NBA championship. Boston is 9-2 in those series and is looking for its 18th title in 21 trips. My Lakers are looking to defend last season's title and win their 16th championship in 31 finals appearances.
I'm confident, but very nervous for my guys.
True Blood begins its 3rd season on HBO. We bought the first season on DVD and enjoyed it. Then we watched the second season, repeated on HBO. The show is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels, written by Charlaine Harris. My mom read these last year and turned Pam onto them. Then I picked them up. The books are very enjoyable. We've learned to tolerate the extremely explicit sexual content and graphic violence that HBO tosses in because they can. The series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie. Season three premiers on 13 June and airs every Sunday at 9pm on HBO.
Lie To Me finally returns for its second season as a summer replacement. The first season has been repeating on FOX for the last few weeks. We're both fans of Tim Roth, and as this show settled in, we really enjoyed it. The cast works really well together, and the stories are plausible. Monday nights are so crowded during the fall. I guess it's better for this program to air in the summer. The premier is 7 June at 8pm on FOX.
White Collar takes its sweet time getting back on the air, returning 13 July at 9pm on USA. Matthew Bomer stars as Neil Caffrey, a con artist and high end thief, released from prison to assist with FBI investigations into white collar crimes in New York. Tim DeKay is outstanding as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke, who is in charge of Caffrey. It's a buddy show, but the chemistry these two actors generate makes it work.
So You Think You Can Dance premiered last week with the first round of open auditions. Only the Top 10 will make the live show this time around after an intense week of call backs in Las Vegas. Each week, the dancers will select a style. Then one of 10 all stars from previous seasons will join them to perfect the choreography. Only one dancer will be eliminated each week until the finale, which is currently scheduled for 11 August. Live performance shows air every Wednesday at 8pm on FOX, with results announced on Thursdays at 9pm.
Hot In Cleveland stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendy Malick, Betty White, and John Schneider. It premiers 15 June at 10pm on TV Land. I am so psyched for this show!! I hope it's good.
We sort of like Burn Notice, starring Jeffrey Donovan as burned covert operative Michael Westen. He's been stranded in Miami, abandoned by his CIA contacts and targeted by any number of former enemies, and even some people who profess to be his friends. Westen is assisted by his girlfriend Fiona, played by Gabrielle Anwar, and former US Navy SEAL Sam, played by Bruce Campbell. Sharen Gless stars as Westen's mom. We catch repeats and generally enjoy it. We'll have to remember to set the DVR for this one. It premiers tonight on USA at 9pm.
And there's sports too!
The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins on 11 June, running through 11 July, from South Africa. I wasn't raised with soccer. Rather I'm a casual observer. I tune in every four years for the World Cup.
The 2010 NCAA Men's College World Series begins on 19 June, running through 29/30 June depending on how many games are required to decide the championship at the end of the tournament. I wish I could catch more college baseball games during the spring, but I definitely tune in for championship play. The 2010 NCAA Women's College World Series begins 3 June and runs through 9 June.
The 2010 Tour de France begins 3 July and runs through 25 July. I'll be shocked if Lance Armstrong can duplicate his 3rd place finish from last year. And it will be interesting to see whether Alberto Contador can successfully defend his championship, this time as the leader and focus of his own team and with a great big target on his back.
Summer comes to a close with the 2010 Little League World Series, played 20-29 August. I love watching these 11-13 year olds play the game. Teams from the US have won 5 in a row...Ewa Beach and Waipi'o from Hawaii won in 2005 and 2008, Columbus and Warner Robins from Georgia took back to back titles in 2006 and 2007, and Chula Vista from California won last year.
And then we're back at the start of the NFL season. Major league baseball starts the push to post season and the World Series.
And your kids are back in school.
Isn't it scary that I've wrapped up summer in a single blog post?
oooh, now I'd really like top shot. I think I've seen it before. I'll have to remember that one...