News & Notes
In shows on the move news, ABC Family has moved Make It or Break It to Tuesday nights starting tomorrow night following Pretty Little Liars and NBC has moved Persons Unknown to Saturday nights to finish out its run.
Enter to win a Saving Grace: The Final Season DVD set and a White Collar: Season One DVD set. We are giving away three sets of each.
Prime Picks
Lie to Me (FOX): New. Lightman is hired to try and read the face of a paralyzed victim of a shooting at a federal housing project.
The Closer (TNT): Season Premiere. The squad is investigating the shooting of a man on his balcony and it looks like it could be connected to the man’s lover that was asleep at his home. Moving into new digs is dealt with. Plays again later. Review: First, I want to say that I love this show and Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson is one of my favorite characters on TV right now. Yet, it’s not just her on this show, as the cast has become one of the best ensembles on TV. My favorite thing about this episode was the team dealing with their new space while trying to investigate a murder. The case was interesting as usual, but I really enjoy watching this group interact with each other. Giving them a new funny obstacle to overcome was the perfect way to start off the sixth season of the show. This is one thing that this show has been able to do well. They add in a new recurring character that causes problems or some other added problem that keeps the show feeling fresh when it remains a police procedural that solves the cases pretty much the same way every week. All in all, I am very happy to have The Closer back on my TV for the summer.
Rizzoli & Isles (TNT): Series Premiere. We meet Det. Jane Rizzoli, played by Angie Harmon (Women’s Murder Club, Law & Order), and medical examiner Maura Isles, played by Sasha Alexander (NCIS) as they investigate a murder couple that looks to have been killed in the same way as an incarcerated killer that Rizzoli has a hellish history. Runs 65 minutes. Plays again later. Review: I really liked the premiere episode and think the show will most likely do really well following The Closer, even though it has one huge flaw given the show’s central premise. Of all the new shows for summer that I previewed early on this summer, this one felt the most polished, plus I just like the two leads. The show does feels a lot like Harmon’s last outing in Women’s Murder Club, just drop the lawyer and the reporter, transplant it to Boston and there you go. This is not a bad thing, as that was a pretty solid show, which ABC prematurely killed by moving it around. The opening case revolves around a killer that has a thing for Rizzoli, which played out well to introduce us to the show’s players. But, I mentioned a flaw. All the show’s materials, blurbs, etc. mention that Rizzoli & Isles are not just colleagues, but best friends. Well, that may be true, but you won’t be sure after this opening effort. At times they seem like long time friends and at others they seem like they’ve just recently met. While the show was good, this aspect left me confused. I hope that future episodes settle on how good of friends these two really are and sticks with it. Overall, Rizzoli & Isles is your basic detective/cop procedural with two likable female leads that doesn’t do anything new in the genre, but it does the genre well and is worth watching and not just because there isn’t much else on in the hour that is.
Other Options
- Big Break Sandals Resorts (Golf Channel): New. One of the competitors continues to ride a wave of good luck. Replays multiple times throughout the week.
- Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food Network): New. Guy takes a “Kansas City Barbeque Tour.” A repeat episode follows. Both play again later.
- The Good Guys (FOX): New. Dan plants some evidence from an old cold case in hopes of spicing up a boring investigation, which ends up putting Jack and him in the middle of a gun-running ring.
- Kid in a Candy Store (Food Network): New. Adam Gertler checks out some treats that “Take the Cake.” A replay of last night’s series premiere episode follows. Both play again later. I still want those dessert nachos I saw on last night’s episode. This show is kind of like Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, but focusing on desserts and sweets.
- Warehouse 13 (Syfy): Repeat. Last Tuesday’s second season premiere episode, “Time Will Tell,” replays. Also replays earlier in the day.
Sports Notes
- ESPN has the Home Run Derby.
- Versus has coverage of the Tour de France: Recap. Replays again.
Late Night
- Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime): Repeat. Last night’s episode, “Senti-Mental Journey,” replays.
- The Glades (A&E): Repeat. Last night’s series premiere episode, “Pilot,” replays.
- Haven (Syfy): Repeat. Last Friday’s series premiere episode, “Welcome to Haven,” replays. Also replays earlier in the day.
TV Marathons
AMC has five episodes of Mad Men tonight that play twice.
Bravo has 13 episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
MTV has 15 episodes of Rob & Big.
Nickelodeon has 14 episodes of The Nanny tonight and into late night.
Oxygen has 14 episodes of Roseanne.
Spike TV has six episodes of The Unit.
TNT has 19 episodes of The Closer leading up to tonight’s sixth season premiere.
USA has 11 episodes of White Collar.
WE has seven episodes of Amazing Wedding Cakes early and later 10 episodes of The Golden Girls.
