Summer Lovin'

Well, the 2006-07 TV season is officially a wrap! Now, it's time to move into the doldrums of TV in the summer - a whole bunch of useless, nonsense reality shows, excluding a few (we'll get to that later). There are a couple of gems to look forward to this summer, however, so without further procrastination, here are my top 5 reasons to watch TV this summer:

1. The Starter Wife

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for this mini-series. I just finished reading the book, by Gigi Levangie Grazer, over the weekend, so I am doubly curious to see how it translates to the big (little) screen.


Debra Messing stars as Molly Kagen, the wife of a Hollywood studio boss who suddenly finds herself having to start her life over when her husband out of the blue announces he wants a divorce. One minute Molly is a popular woman in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and the next she is shunned by almost everyone. Since no one wants to be associated with her and she agrees to spend the summer at a friend's house in Malibu, where she can contemplate her situation and figure out what to do with the rest of her life.


Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls fame co-stars as Lavender, the security guard and gatekeeper, of the exclusive Malibu community where Molly takes up residence. The Starter Wife premieres with a special two-hour episode Thursday, May 31 at 9pm on USA and continues every Thursday at 9pm through June 28.







2. Tyler Perry's House of Payne

I know, I know. I’m not a fan of Mr. Perry, nor Ms. Madea, but without Girlfriends and The Game to fulfill my Black TV quota, House of Payne it is. I remember when this show debuted last year with a short run on UPN. Honestly, I thought it looked low budget and was poorly acted and written. I don’t think you can rely on stage play actors (yeah, I’m talking about you Cassi and LaVan Davis) to carry movies and TV shows. It just doesn’t work. But, given the previews for this new season on TBS, the show seems somewhat improved and I’m willing to give it a shot. An unexpected crisis forces CJ, played by Allen Payne, to move in with his Uncle Pops and Aunt Ella. In addition to CJ's two kids Jazmin and Mailk, there’s Pops and Ella's son, Calvin, a wise-cracking college kid with no money. House of Payne premieres Wednesday, June 6 on TBS at 9pm with back-to-back episodes.

3. Traveler

I am so reluctant to become invested in any serial drama on ABC given the demise of The Nine and Six Degrees, but Traveler is good stuff. I really enjoyed the sneak preview episode a few weeks ago.


Three grad-school students, Jay Burchell, Tyler Fog and Will Traveler, take on a cross-country road trip to celebrate their success. But when an innocent prank at one of New York's oldest art museums coincides with the bombing of the iconic building, Jay and Tyler are blamed for the terrorist attack and realize that their "friend" Will may have been the one who framed them. Unable to find Will or any evidence that the Will Traveler they knew even existed, Jay and Tyler are forced to flee the city and go on the run. Hunted by the FBI the friends must rely on each other to elude capture, while trying desperately to prove their innocence by answering two questions - who is Will Traveler and why did he set them up? Good stuff, right? Let's keep our fingers crossed that ABC gives this show a chance. Check out Traveler on tonight at 10pm on ABC.

4. Hidden Palms

For those closet Dawson's Creek and The O.C. fans out there, like myself, this one is for us. From Kevin Williamson, who brought us Dawson's Creek, is this campy, soapy drama set in Palm Springs, CA. After witnessing his dad's suicide, Johnny (you'll remember him as the scary Oliver from The O.C.) relocates to Palm Springs with his mom and her new hubby. Trying to stay sober after a rehab stint, Johnny soon falls in with a troublesome crowd, including his invasive next-door neighbor Cliff and, of course, the hot girl, Greta. Soon after his arrival, Johnny starts receiving ominous instant messages from someone who claims to be Eddie, the dead teen who used to live in Johnny's room. So did Eddie kill himself? Was he murdered? Or is he still alive? And what do Greta and Cliff know? Hidden Palms premieres tonight at 8pm on CW.

5. Reunited: Real World Las Vegas

Saving the best for last, our favorite seven strangers - Irulan, Alton, Arissa, Frank, Bree, Steven, and Trischelle - are back for seconds this summer in their former home at the Palms Casino Resort to see what has happened in the five years since they lived together. I peeped the casting special over the weekend and it looks like these folks haven't missed a step and will likely pick up right where they left off - drinkin', sexin', and fightin'. Irulan and Alton are no longer together; Bree is now a mom with two kids and is engaged; Frank and Steven seem pretty much same ol' same; and Trischelle looks cracked out with that platinum blond hair. All in all, it should be good ol' fashioned good times. Reunited starts tonight at 10pm on MTV.