Spring Break
So you think you can watch?
High hopes for the summer television season are dashed on the rocks.
by Mike Epstein
Features | 7/12/07
Posted online at 1:29 AM EST on 8/28/07
Like most things of the season, television aired during the summer is generally of a lighter nature; it is meant to captivate and allow us sit motionless, so as not to sweat any more than we already have. While summer shows don't necessarily have to tug on our heartstrings to grab your attention, that does not mean that they should be crappy. Unfortunately, most of what was on this summer was pretty bad. The great returning shows have painfully come undone, and some shows were aired that no person should have been forced to watch. (Rock of Love!? Are you serious?) Yet, at the same time, there was promise. A couple of shows had rookie seasons that, while not spectacular, showed excellent promise. Below are the summer highlights; those that delivered and those that should have, but didn't.
Entourage: (HBO) - For the last three years, Entourage had been my favorite show on television. It has great characters, great drama and great laughs. The show is lifted by it'sits frequent and clever use of cameos and references to the movie industry. As Entourage goes into it's its fourth season, it seems like the show has lost its edge. Though the show broke the bank with last summer's mid-season finale, it's slow to rebound. Until very recently, the storyline has avoided addressing the issues that needed addressing, in favor of putting together marginal episodic stories. Basically it seems like the writing staff is playing it safe in order to avoid doing anything that could change the show. Unfortunately, that type of strategy rarely leads to good television. Yet n the last two weeks, the show has snapped back into the main storyline, giving us hope that the show will finally get back toregain it'sits former glory.
Psych: (USA, 35)- Originally meant to be a knock-off of the Emmy winning detective show, Monk, aimed at younger audiences, Psych has surpassed it's predecessor with nerd-chic humor and lovable characters. Yet, while Psych continues to develop in its sophomore season, the show has begun to fall into a pattern and is walking the very fine line between relying on a tried and true formula and growing stale. The writing staff has clearly recognized that show's primary source of humor comes from the principal character Shawn (James Roday) and his sidekick Gus (Dulé Hill); there has definitely been a push to make the two of them a pair instead of a protagonist/sidekick relationship. The problem is that Gus, my favorite character, is much more amusing as a sidekick: In most episodes of season one, Gus somehow has a geek-fetish for whatever culture or scene that the duo have to investigate; Gus knows everything there is to know about comic, the civil war, the national spelling bee and safes, to name a few. However, in season two, Gus is less awkward and more involved in the cases; he has gone from a know-it-all tag-along with his cool, gifted friend to an inferior partner who occasionally has something to say. Also, focusing most of the screen time on Shawn and Gus has taken away from the rest of the supporting cast, making the humor somewhat monotonous. In short; USA should have remembered the age-old saying; "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Entourage: (HBO) - For the last three years, Entourage had been my favorite show on television. It has great characters, great drama and great laughs. The show is lifted by it'sits frequent and clever use of cameos and references to the movie industry. As Entourage goes into it's its fourth season, it seems like the show has lost its edge. Though the show broke the bank with last summer's mid-season finale, it's slow to rebound. Until very recently, the storyline has avoided addressing the issues that needed addressing, in favor of putting together marginal episodic stories. Basically it seems like the writing staff is playing it safe in order to avoid doing anything that could change the show. Unfortunately, that type of strategy rarely leads to good television. Yet n the last two weeks, the show has snapped back into the main storyline, giving us hope that the show will finally get back toregain it'sits former glory.
Psych: (USA, 35)- Originally meant to be a knock-off of the Emmy winning detective show, Monk, aimed at younger audiences, Psych has surpassed it's predecessor with nerd-chic humor and lovable characters. Yet, while Psych continues to develop in its sophomore season, the show has begun to fall into a pattern and is walking the very fine line between relying on a tried and true formula and growing stale. The writing staff has clearly recognized that show's primary source of humor comes from the principal character Shawn (James Roday) and his sidekick Gus (Dulé Hill); there has definitely been a push to make the two of them a pair instead of a protagonist/sidekick relationship. The problem is that Gus, my favorite character, is much more amusing as a sidekick: In most episodes of season one, Gus somehow has a geek-fetish for whatever culture or scene that the duo have to investigate; Gus knows everything there is to know about comic, the civil war, the national spelling bee and safes, to name a few. However, in season two, Gus is less awkward and more involved in the cases; he has gone from a know-it-all tag-along with his cool, gifted friend to an inferior partner who occasionally has something to say. Also, focusing most of the screen time on Shawn and Gus has taken away from the rest of the supporting cast, making the humor somewhat monotonous. In short; USA should have remembered the age-old saying; "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
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