By Laurence Washington
editor@blackflix.com
There’s nothing more tedious during the summer months than being subjected to reruns of “CSI,” “Law and Order,” NCIS etc… However, the television fairy has blessed us boob-tube junkies with a second season of quirky doctors and nurses and sci-fi adventures just to mention a few new characters expected to get us through the hot summer months.
June
HAWTHORNE
(TNT)
Most Valuable Players: Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan
Premise: Smith plays a headstrong head nurse in a big city hospital, who makes her own rules to save her patients.
Bottom line: This new TNT entry is dyed in the same cast as the cable channel’s other take-no-prisoners macho women characters of “The Closer” and “Saving Grace.” Could be an overdose of a good thing. Hide and watch. (Begins: June 16)
ROYAL PAINS
(USA)
Most Valuable Players: Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo
Premise: Feuerstein plays a talented young doctor who is fired from his high profile gig at NYC hospital after he lets a hospital’s trustees die. Feuerstein becomes a private doctor in the Hampton’s catering to the rich and depraved.
Bottom Line: USA has had good luck with its other off beat summer fillers “Burn Notice” and “In Plain Sight.” Expect great things. (The Pain begins June 4)
HAMMERTIME
(A&E)
Most Valuable Players: MC Hammer and the Hammer kids.
Premise: Whatever happened to ‘90s rapper MC Hammer? He’s now a father of six kids who viewers get to watch dad take to school ect… You get the point. Just another day in the life of.
Bottom Line: Could be toxic. How many aging rock and rap star reality programs can the public digest? However, Hammer is hoping “Run’s House” and Gene Simmons Family Jewels” Can’t touch this. (The Hammer dropped on June 14)
NURSE JACKIE
(Showtime)
Most Valuable Players: Edie Falco, Peter Facinelli, Paul Schulze
Premise: Falco jumps from HBO “Sopranos” to Showtime as “Nurse Jackie” a NYC nurse whose heavy work load, home life and bad hair cut has her hopped up on prescription drugs in this dark comedy drama about a no-holds-barred ER nurse.
Bottom Line: Early reviews say “Nurse Jackie” is cutting edge and dark. Let’s hope so. There’s already enough run-of-the-mill medical shows. (The nursing began on June 8. Log on to www.fancast.com for a preview)
THE PHILANTHROPIST
(NBC)
Most Valuable Players: James Purefoy, Neve Campbell, Jesse L. Martin
Premise: James Purefoy plays a divorced billionaire who decides to help people around the world by delivering vaccines and busting up a Parisian sex-trafficking ring, only to discover that helping people can be more complicated than tossing a few dollars their way.
Bottom Line: Word in the street is Purefoy fought NBC suits to keep his vision of his character from becoming a superhero type. At one point NBC even fired Purefoy, however, cooler heads prevailed and the show is true to Purefoy vision. Expect good things. (Saving the world begins June 24)
July
MICHAEL AND MICHAEL HAVE ISSUES
(Comedy Central)
Most Valuable Players: Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter
Premise: Live-action satirical comedy sketches in the tradition of “Robot Chicken.”
Bottom Line: Absurdity and maladjusted comedy can be fun. (Michael’s issues begin July 15)
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
(ABC Family)
Most Valuable Players: Lindsey Shaw, Meaghan Martin, Ethan Peck, Larry Miller
Premise: A reimagining of the 1999 film that uses the movie as a jumping off point to establish its own identity.
Bottom Line: The TV version of the film might not be a bad idea, since there’s a whole new generation what hasn’t seen the movie. Still, it would be nice if somebody in Hollywood had an original idea. (Things start happening July 7)
WAREHOUSE 13
(Sci Fi Channel)
Most Valuable Players: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly
Premise: Two secret service agents are assigned to guard a warehouse full of supernatural stuff that the government doesn’t want the public to know about.
Bottom Line: Could be a fun adventure as the bantering agents, who also collect supernatural artifacts, match wits. (The warehousing begins July 7)
August
OUT OF EGYPT
(Discovery)
Most Valuable Players: Kara Cooney
Premise: Egyptologist Kara Cooney explore fascinating ceremonial rituals and customs of different cultures around the world.
Bottom Line: Exploring the bizarre history of cultures can be fun. (The rituals began July 20)
