Sweet, sweet summer.
Warm breezes, sunshine … birds singing, bees buzzing.
Summer is when we become active. There are outdoor concerts to tap your toes at. Summer softball/volleyball/soccer/teeball leagues to participate in or cheer at. There are swimming pools to splash in, wine trails to explore, car shows to cruise, summer festival fun and neighborhood barbecue bashes to attend.
Although the list of summer activities is endless, there will be moments when you just need a break. A time when you just want to sit in front of a fan and enjoy a little boob tube escapism.
For those seeking the cool sanctuary of the TV room, the small screen is sizzling with silly, sexy, “must-see” summer shows.
*
“Wipeout,” the reality game show returns to ABC at 8 p.m. today (May 27). Contestants of all shapes, sizes and athletic prowess compete through rounds of obstacle courses that include one of the game’s most popular obstacles, bouncing across a series of ginormous rubber balls. It’s definitely worth a laugh or two.
* Unleash the adventurer in you, or share an amazing educational experience with a child in your life, by tuning in to
“Expedition Africa,” premiering at 10 p.m. Sunday, May 31 on History. The eight-part series follows four explorers as they travel 970 miles across the African terrain, braving snakes, bugs, weather and each other in an amazing trek across the African continent, in an effort to retrace the 1871 expedition of journalist Henry Morton Stanley to find Dr. David Livingstone, an explorer who disappeared into the African jungles in search of the source of the Nile River. It’ll satisfy the Indiana Jones in all of us.
* Get your guffaws on watching comedian
Kathy Griffin’s “My Life on the D-List.” Season 5 premieres at 10 p.m. Monday, June 8 on Bravo. Griffin’s reality show, about a low level celebrity’s climb to A-List status (a goal Griffin should have attained by now), is funny, sardonic and often touching. Kathy rocks!
* I also have to give Showtime a “shout out” for the return of
“Weeds” for its fifth season at 10 p.m. Monday, June 8. The show has taken some rocky turns, in my opinion, but the acting (led by one of my fave actresses, Mary Louise Parker) is still good enough to warrant a mention. It also has a pretty groovy opening song. My fingers are crossed that this show can get back on the right track.
* Foodies are salivating for the premiere of
“Top Chef: Masters,” which pits 24 world-renowned chefs - many of whom have appeared as guest judges on Bravo’s insanely popular “Top Chef” reality competition series - against one another. It starts at 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 10.
* The gnarliest monster TV series returns with season two of
“True Blood,” premiering at 9 p.m. Sunday, June 14 on HBO. This show is intoxicating. It’s scary, sexy and wickedly humorous. “True Blood” is a rich, dark story filled with richly dark characters. It’s delish.
Right now, I’m keeping the couch warm watching
“Greek,” a “so hot” teen drama about college sorority and fraternity kids with snarky dialogue and soaptastic plotlines on ABC Family;
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Bravo’s juicy original series takes a peek into the lush lives of five New Jersey housewives, four of whom are members of a close knit Italian clan; and FX‘s awesome
“Rescue Me,” a dark dramedy about FDNY firefighters and their families, haunted and damaged by the horror of 9/11.
And if you’ll be wringing summer of every last golden moment, you can look forward to autumn and the third season of Showtime’s
“Dexter,” a gory thriller about a serial killer who kills serial killers; and Fox's super funny
“Glee.” Click the link to catch the first episode of what is sure to become the smart, new hit comedy of the fall, and you’ll see what I mean about “Glee.”
Happy watching!
