Summer TV shows

[Lzcutter]

Okay summer tv lovers, you're time is about to arrive!

With Game of Thrones and Mad Men rapidly winding down (how I will survive a year without either, well don't get me started), the summer season is about to kick into high gear.

Game of Thrones will likely leave us in major cliffhanger mode when its season finale airs this Sunday, June 3rd. (HBO)

From the foreshadowing the last few episodes, someone on Mad Men may spiral out of control by the time the season finale is over on June 10th. (AMC)

The Killing (while aggravatingly slow in story telling, kudos to the actors for the cracker jack acting) promises to reveal who killed Rosie Larson by the time the season finale is over on June 17th. Here's hoping, this time they deliver. (AMC)

Coming up next week, Rizzoli and Isles returns on a new night, Tuesday (teamed with a returning show I don't watch, Franklin and Bash). When last we left the two best friends, Jane had just shot Maura's bio-dad to keep him from killing Jane's partner and that fractured the friendship of these two BFFs. What happens next? Tune in Tuesday to find out. (TNT)

Royal Pains returns Hank Med to the Hamptons next Wednesday. (USA)

Michael is determined to save Fiona from a life in prison when Burn Notice returns on Thursday, June 14th. I'm betting Jesse, Sam and Maddie throw in with him. I wouldn't want to be Jere Burns. (USA)

Vampires , werewolves and fairies unite! True Blood returns on Sunday, June 10th. (HBO)

Let's hope the aliens are on the run once Noah Wylie returns to his vagabond group of resistance fighters when Falling Skies returns on Sunday, June 17th. (TNT)

Aaron Sorkin returns to television with a take on a MSNBC type show, The Newsroom. Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterson and Jane Fonda and a young unknown cast all look terrific in the promos. Premieres on HBO on Sunday, June 24th. (HBO)

Peter and Neil have to deal with Beau Bridges and the fall-out from their double cross of Bridges at the end of the winter season when White Collar returns on July 10th. (USA)

Augie and Annie return to Covert Affairs on the same evening. (USA)

Walter White and Jessie Pinkman begin their last dance (and it should be a doozie based on the last shot of the season finale last summer) together and only one may be left standing by the time the series comes to an end. The first half of the last season premieres on Sunday, July 15th. (AMC)

Brenda Leigh Johnson's reign as The Closer begins to come to an end (only six episodes left) beginning July 11th. Hopefully, we find out who the mole is. Major Crimes with co-star Mary McDonnell and most of the rest of the cast premieres following The Closer's series finale on August 13th. (TNT)

Suits returns on June 14th. I'll be watching. Will the truth come out or will they survive yet another attempt to bring the truth to light? (USA)

Hell on Wheels returns to building the transcontinental railroad with or without Cullen Bohannan (last seen fleeing across the plains) on Sunday, Aug. 12th. (AMC)

Happy Viewing!

[Lzcutter]

Oops, forgot to add, Leverage returns for another season of good guys helping those in need the only they know how with tricky cons on July 15th.

[Lzcutter]

I had the wrong start date for Suits. It's second season premiere follows the season premiere of Burn Notice this Thursday, June 14th.

[Lzcutter]

Speaking of Suits, it came back strong last week and this week looks to continue that trend.

Last week's season premiere of Burn Notice possibly had the best acting Bruce Campbell has done in a long time.

I still have the two hour premiere of Falling Skies to catch up on.

Rizzoli and Isles continues to be fun, snarky and surprisingly watchable three seasons in.

Christopher Meloni has added new blood to True Blood and seems to have energized everyone involved.

I'm also a fan of the new A&E show, Longmire and find it worthy of mentioning. Robert Taylor, Lou Diamond Phillips and Katie Sackoff make this one worth tuning into for.

[Lzcutter]

Good news for Summer TV lovers:

Dallas (which I don't watch, I never watched original recipe Dallas so this is for all who do enjoy it): TNT renewed Dallas for a second season.

TNT also renewed Rizzoli and Isles for another season.

A&E renewed Longmire for a second season.

And ION will start airing previous seasons of Leverage beginning with a marathon this summer.

CBS is bringing back the Poppy Montgomery procedural, Unforgettable, for a summer run next summer.

Happy viewing!

[rohanaka]

OH my goodness me... I have been GLUED to my tv the last several Monday nights watching my beloved Brenda Leigh say goodbye. Lynn, I know you are on the West Coast.. so I won't give you any spoilers.. but I just watched tonight's Closer episode and I just have to say SOMETHING, ha.. so all I will say for now is that I was worried that this would happen.. and MAN oh man, dadgummit... this is one time I HATED being right.

[mrsl]

.
Rohanaka:

Well it's well after midnight here in the midwest so I'm sure everyone has seen the Closer by now. But for those who had to be out tonight and have it DVR'd, I'll keep quiet. I've watched The Closer since the third episode way back when it started. Just like I haven't missed a Rizzoli and Isles, and saw the entire series of In Plain Sight. The only ones I cannot stand, and wonder why they were given a second season are Franklin and Bash, I didn't like them in their first few weeks and they never did anything to interest me.

Oddly some of the co-stars in these small cable channels are better actors and better looking than many of the ones on network. I love Jon Tenney. I first noticed him in the old Stargate-sg1 series on Sci-fi. Then he was on Brothers and Sisters and for a while and now he's been Brenda's man for a few years. I adore Frances Sternhagen and she has been wonderful as Brenda's ma-ma. But my happiest discovery of this new summer season (which is nearly over), has been Longmire on A & E. Sunday they finally ran the pilot episode and I got to understand a few things I hadn't realized before. Although it's not political, Aaron Sorkin's[b] Newsroom[/b] is filling in the hole left by The West Wing several years ago. Lastly, Political Animals is good, but that man who is the ex-president is just a little too rough mouthed to be cloning Bill Clinton.
.

[rohanaka]

.Well it's well after midnight here in the midwest so I'm sure everyone has seen the Closer by now. But for those who had to be out tonight and have it DVR'd, I'll keep quiet. I've watched The Closer since the third episode way back when it started.

mrsl.. I missed out on the first couple of seasons for The Closer but started watching several years ago and I have managed to catch up on most of the older ones by now (though I am sure I have missed some)

It is, I believe just about one of my all time favorite tv shows ever. I absolutely cannont say enough about how how well it is written and acted.. very good characters. There is just so much texture to them.. even the ones you don't know as well.. you get to see them with ALL their layers.. but not always the same layer showing every time. I like that. I will miss this show a lot.. not sure what to think of Major Crimes yet.. but hope they continue to have such great storylines and detailed characters. It will help that we know and love some of them already.. but I bet we even get to see NEW sides to all of them before it is said and done.

Still.. Captain Raydor has some might big (no matter how dainty they look) SHOES to fill to hold a candle to my beloved Brenda Leigh. ha.

As for the other TNT shows.. I have not been able to grasp onto them. Can't say why exactly.. I have tried all of them.. (even the new one.. Perception) but I just don't seem to have any affection for them the way I do The Closer.. it really is just about the only regular series I have watched consistently over the last several years. I do like Criminal Minds.. and I USED to love (l-o-v-e LOVE) Law and Order (especially back in its hay day.. so I am glad for the reruns) but not so much 'wowed" by the L&O spinoffs)

I love Jon Tenney as Fritz by the way.. He is supposed to be in the new show.. I HOPE that is a good sign that there will not be TOO harsh a change coming for the Howard/Johnson household (ha.. oh for pity sake.. after all this time, I just realized.. they are HOWARD JOHNSON.. silly me..)

Anyway.. I will be glued to the edge of my seat for SURE for the next two Mondays.. oh ME tonight's show really put me through the wringer with the way it ended.. even though I DID supsect it might happen.. I still was NOT ready to see it all play out.

Oh me.. Next week they reveal who the "leak" is.. I don't know if I can stand another big shock or not.. ha. Depending on WHO it is.. and WHY.. I may have to be sedated. (ha)

[Lzcutter]

Ro,

Like you, I have enjoyed The Closer very much. I came late to the show and have caught up on the back story via reruns. I really enjoy the relationship that Brenda Leigh has with the team. With his quiet gravitas, I think Anthony Dennison (whom I have adored since his stint years ago on Wiseguy is the unsung hero of the team but I enjoy each character and they play off each other very well.

They dropped a major clue last week about the leak and I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out next week.

**********************************THAR BE SPOILERS***********************************************************

The ending to last night's episode didn't take me by surprise as much as I thought it would. I don't know that I would have gotten through the episode if Brenda had lost her father. I got teary last week just with her final talk with the doctor.

Is Jon Tenney going to be a regular on Major Crimes? I've heard he might make the occasional guest appearance. I do hope they don't break him and Brenda Leigh up in the next two weeks.

I'll miss this show, that's for sure!

[Lzcutter]

Anne,

I'm with you on Longmire. I am really enjoying the show. Whoever is doing the guest casting is doing a great job. Peter Weller and Gerald McRaney as Branch's uncle and father was inspired.

I feel the show found it's voice about half way through the season (from the episode with the Dog Soldier on forward, they have certainly kicked it up a notch).

I have no idea what happened to Walt to make him go on such a bender in Denver that Henry had track him but I'm looking forward to finding out next week.

It's been renewed for second season so that's good news.

[mrsl]

.
Back to Major Crimes for a moment. I looked it up on imdB and they list the cast for the first 8 episodes. Most of the Closer cast is included, but only for the first episode, I wonder if they're going to be replaced with each episode. Anyway, missing from the 1st episode is Chief Pope, Sgt. Gabriel, and Commander Taylor. Maybe they were not re-signed. If so, I will miss Gabriel, I liked the friendship he and Brenda had and he was really the only one she could actually rely on. I'm glad there is only a short time to wait and see what happens.
.

[rohanaka]

With his quiet gravitas, I think Anthony Dennison (whom I have adored since his stint years ago on Wiseguy is the unsung hero of the team but I enjoy each character and they play off each other very well!

They dropped a major clue last week about the leak and I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out next week

I like Dennison's Lt. Flynn too.. but really my heart belongs to Provenza. ha. He is my sentimental favorite.. if HE ends up being the leak.. oh me. I may end up throwing something at my tv, ha.

MORE CLOSER SPOILAGE:

The ending to last night's episode didn't take me by surprise as much as I thought it would. I don't know that I would have gotten through the episode if Brenda had lost her father. I got teary last week just with her final talk with the doctor.

It would not have been good either way.. but oh me.. the way it DID end up was just so awful for her. Very heartbreaking. I am still a bit shook up just thinking about it, even if I DID see it coming. To lose your mother is bad enough, but to find her there like that.. so UNEXPECTEDLY. And Willie Rae was so perfectly written and so well played.. I KNOW she is a fictional character.. but she just seem to be so much like a real person. I mentioned this earlier in a conversation I had elsewhere with someone.. it was like losing a favorite Aunt or something. OH me.. heartbreaking doesn't cover it.

Is Jon Tenney going to be a regular on Major Crimes? I've heard he might make the occasional guest appearance. I do hope they don't break him and Brenda Leigh up in the next two weeks.

OH that WOULD be the end of it for me.. ha. I think if that happened I would absolutely throw a brick though my tv for SURE. ha. (never let it be said that I do not take my movie and TV show favorites seriously) From what I have heard and read, I believe Tenney's Fritz Howard will not be a main character in the new show, but will continue on in his current status as the FBI liason so I would imagine he'll have be involved with new show now and then, depending on the storyline.

I'll miss this show, that's for sure!

Me too.. Monday nights just won't be the same. But I am glad for the reruns, anyway.

PS: mrsl.. regarding Commander Taylor.. I am not too "in the loop" on the Major Crimes details, but I do believe he is supposed to be on the new show.. though I have not heard or read if there will be any changes in his charcter or not. I have to say I have REALLY liked the way he has gone out of his way to help Brenda Leigh lately.. and not for his own gain either. VERY much an improvement on his part.. he started out such a whiny-baby early in the series.. but he's come a long way.

Oh good gravy, how I have let myself get all caught up in this stuff.. ha. Good thing I have been off work this summer so I can just sit around and watch tv and blab online about it. ha.

[mrsl]

.
With Jon Tenney's acting ability and his looks, I'm sure he's been offered a few leading roles in both movies and T.V., but I suspect he prefers working this way - - work a few weeks, off a few weeks, etc. Especially married to Teri Hatcher, I don't think many men would be unhappy with that situation.

Also, speaking of Francis Sternhagen's performance as Willie Mae, and Brenda's broken heart when finding her, I have always heard that playing comedy is much harder than drama, but I have to say, if I had been there during the filming and she had yelled out "Keeeeevvvvvvin" instead of "Friiiiiitz" I would not have been surprised at all. THAT's what brought the tears to my eyes more than anything else, it was so real. Since she kept putting off talking with Willie Mae, I just got the feeling something was up, because Willie was rarely pushy.
.

[Lzcutter]

Don't forget-Tonight is the penultimate episode of The Closer!

And, according to the promos, we find out who the mole is.