Summer Catch Up Season
by Kelly Boyce
There is nothing on TV during the summer, this I have come to accept. Unless of course you are a reality TV junkie, which I'm not. The reality TV bug wore off for me several years ago for the most part. But that's a good thing, because it means I have from mid May to early September to catch up on all the shows I didn't get to see during the regular season.
Here's a sampling of what I've squeezed in:
True Blood Season 2
Funny thing about this series - my friends had been raving about this series since its onset, so I was thrilled when I was able to borrow it from the local library (I get all my DVDs from the library - why pay for a rental when someone will lend it for free?). When I brought it home, my boyfriend raised an eyebrow and said 'I'm really not into vampires'. Before we were halfway through the first season he started asking me how soon we could get Season Two. This series is fun, exciting and fast paced. You never really know what they're going to do and I like that. The characters are quirky without being ridiculous. My personal fave is Eric. After Season I, Season II had a lot to live up to and I wasn't disappointed. The only thing that bothers me is that now I have to wait so long for Season III to be released to DVD.
Entourage, Season 6
I recently heard that Season 8 is to be the last for this show. How I will carry on without a regular dose of Ari Gold I cannot even begin to imagine. Again, like most HBO shows, the backdrop of HollyWeird is just an excuse to show off a fun set of characters that keep you coming back for more. While Ari is my favorite, Lloyd and Drama come a close second. I'll be sad to see the series end, but at least I still have two more seasons to watch.
MI-5 (or Spooks for the UK crowd ) Season I
My friend, Julia, told me about this one. I am 4 episodes into Season I, and I think they are up to Season 8 now, so I have a lot of catching up to do. The fact that Richard Armitage is in the later seasons is enough to keep me going, although even without that, the show is still great. Matthew McFadyen stars in Season 1, although it is his boss who I think is my favorite character. He always has the best lines. My only regret is that I didn't start watching it earlier in the summer so I could get a few more seasons under my belt.
In Treatment Season I
I love this show. Love, love, love it. My boyfriend is on the fence. I think he finds it depressing or maybe uncomfortable to dig so deep into people's psyche but I find it amazing watching the characters lives unravel in half hour segments. Gabriel Byrne is fabulous and the rest of the cast is amazing. This show sucks me in big time. I can't wait to see Season II.
Still on my list to see is Mad Men, Extras Season II, Rome Season II and a few others, but now that the new Fall Season is on the verge of starting, I may have to wait until Christmas holidays to catch up on some of them. Does anyone else have any suggestions on other series that are worth a try?
There is nothing on TV during the summer, this I have come to accept. Unless of course you are a reality TV junkie, which I'm not. The reality TV bug wore off for me several years ago for the most part. But that's a good thing, because it means I have from mid May to early September to catch up on all the shows I didn't get to see during the regular season.
Here's a sampling of what I've squeezed in:
True Blood Season 2
Funny thing about this series - my friends had been raving about this series since its onset, so I was thrilled when I was able to borrow it from the local library (I get all my DVDs from the library - why pay for a rental when someone will lend it for free?). When I brought it home, my boyfriend raised an eyebrow and said 'I'm really not into vampires'. Before we were halfway through the first season he started asking me how soon we could get Season Two. This series is fun, exciting and fast paced. You never really know what they're going to do and I like that. The characters are quirky without being ridiculous. My personal fave is Eric. After Season I, Season II had a lot to live up to and I wasn't disappointed. The only thing that bothers me is that now I have to wait so long for Season III to be released to DVD.
Entourage, Season 6
I recently heard that Season 8 is to be the last for this show. How I will carry on without a regular dose of Ari Gold I cannot even begin to imagine. Again, like most HBO shows, the backdrop of HollyWeird is just an excuse to show off a fun set of characters that keep you coming back for more. While Ari is my favorite, Lloyd and Drama come a close second. I'll be sad to see the series end, but at least I still have two more seasons to watch.
MI-5 (or Spooks for the UK crowd ) Season I
My friend, Julia, told me about this one. I am 4 episodes into Season I, and I think they are up to Season 8 now, so I have a lot of catching up to do. The fact that Richard Armitage is in the later seasons is enough to keep me going, although even without that, the show is still great. Matthew McFadyen stars in Season 1, although it is his boss who I think is my favorite character. He always has the best lines. My only regret is that I didn't start watching it earlier in the summer so I could get a few more seasons under my belt.
In Treatment Season I
I love this show. Love, love, love it. My boyfriend is on the fence. I think he finds it depressing or maybe uncomfortable to dig so deep into people's psyche but I find it amazing watching the characters lives unravel in half hour segments. Gabriel Byrne is fabulous and the rest of the cast is amazing. This show sucks me in big time. I can't wait to see Season II.
Still on my list to see is Mad Men, Extras Season II, Rome Season II and a few others, but now that the new Fall Season is on the verge of starting, I may have to wait until Christmas holidays to catch up on some of them. Does anyone else have any suggestions on other series that are worth a try?
We have On Demand so I'm on Season 3 of True Blood and Season 7 of Entourage. We also watch Hung with Thomas Jane and right now we're watching Pillars of the Earth. Most of our tv watching is non-network series!
ReplyDeleteDid you get Spooks from the library????? Why didn't I think of this? I would love to watch all the series. I saw a few and was a big Adam girl but I'm with you on the excitement about Armitage. This is one I might have to get.
Oh - and I have Rome on dvd if you want to borrow it. Let me know.
Dear Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely in duck-out-of-water mode on all this, but you've piqued my interest.
And the library is only a couple of streets from me...
Stella
I love that all these are on DVD. I often catch an episode here and there but rarely get to see a whole season.
ReplyDeleteI have watched M1-5 and I'm about to start Mad Men. Still lots to look forward to.
Great post Kelly. I do the same thing over the summer, though I must confess to Monday nights being my only TV night (The Bachelorette, and now Bachelor Pad.)
ReplyDeleteOutside of that, there's nothing I watch except for Two and Half Men reruns, so I stock up on DVDs. Mostly movies, but just yesterday I snagged the new DEXTER discs at Blockbuster!! So excited!! I've been waiting a year for these.
I also just finished Entourage Season 6, and thanks for the recommendation for In Treatment. I will try that one next.
Should also add that I'm with you on the Eric Northman thing. There's a new cast member in Season 3 that I'm loving though. Mmmm, Alcide.
ReplyDeleteLove Entourage and will be sad when it ends. My fave is also Ari, followed by E and Lloyd.
ReplyDeleteYou need to watch Mad Men! Besides the fact that Don Draper is one of the yummiest characters out there, the whole show is fascinating, sometimes in a train wreck kind of way.
I like certain reality shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race and a few on the Food Network Channel, so looking forward to them all starting up again in the fall.
Thanks Kelly. I haven't seen many of those but plan to check out True Blood. The new one I'm getting hooked on is Glades. I love that show!
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about Glades. I'd love to rewatch Deadwood too. I have The Guardian Season I with Simon Baker on hold at the library, but being a huge Simon Baker fan I think I may have to break down and buy that series. His character in that show was fabulous. So horribly damaged. :)
ReplyDeleteTrue Blood!!! Can't express my true love for True Blood, so you'll have to imagine it from my excessive use of exclamation points.
ReplyDeleteSpooks, of course - Harry Pearce rocks, and Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfadyen) is currently on Pillars of the Earth along with Rufus - yes, Rufus - Sewell!
My husband Brad found his way through several hoops to get Strike Back for me (another spy game series with Richard Armitage, though he works for MI-6 in that one.) Loving that one.
The thing I love best about the new world of box sets is that you can settle in and devour storylines whole. SO much more fun.
Rufus Sewell?!! I so have to see this series now!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJust saw my hairdresser and he told me I needed to check out Cold Feet. Never heard of it before, but apparently it's British and 'juicy' (his word)and that I'll be hooked if I start watching it.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, in keeping with today's topic, thought I'd pass that on! :)
Mad Men is probably the only non-reality show we watch. :) We use our TiVo heavily to tape travel and cooking shows mostly. I do watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette for ahem, research, of course. :)
ReplyDeleteI just cannot make the time to watch all that great stuff! But I want to. So badly! But I will say this. My fave new show of the summer is HAVEN! I think it's shot in Halifax. You MUST watch it. Very cool. Based on the Stephen King novel "The Colorado Kid" - lots of spooky supernatural too. Good characters. And two hot guys as potential romantic rivals for the heroine (an FBI agent). ;)
ReplyDelete