Tele-Tuesday: Astute or Psychic?

Which show can be described as a police procedural, detective drama, quirky comedy, and an ‘80s and ’90s throwback?

The USA Network’s Psych!

Shawn Spencer (James Roday, Miss Match) was an ornery young boy raised by his single cop dad (Henry Spencer played by Corbin Bernsen, L.A. Law).  Okay, Shawn is still a bit ornery today.  From a very early age, Shawn’s dad taught him to pay close attention to details; and, it’s this astute ability that has allowed Shawn to trick everyone around him into believing he is psychic.

Everyone, that is, except for his father and his best friend, partner, and pharmaceutical salesman Burton ‘Gus’ Guster (Dule Hill, The West Wing).

Each episode begins with a flashback to the ‘80s when Shawn and Gus were young boys.  Often times, this childhood scene depicts an observational lesson from Henry, or a direct memory from Shawn and Gus’ past (like remembering their old classmate, played by Freddie Prinze, Jr.) that will relate directly to the current week’s episode.

After assisting the Santa Barbara Police Department on a case, Shawn and Gus establish Psych, their psychic consulting firm.  Hired on a case by case basis by Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), Shawn and Gus work alongside detectives Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter (Timothy Omundson, Judging Amy) and Juliet “Jules” O’Hara (Maggie Lawson, TV movies Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover).

Most of Psych’s fun spawns from the banter between Shawn and Gus, Lassie’s constant frustration and exasperation with the two Psych consultants, and the familiar (Shawn and Henry) and romantic (Shawn and Jules) relationships shared between characters.

Fan of the ‘80s? ‘90s? Look no further!  Psych not only casts familiar faces from the decades, but also includes puns on particular storylines.

Famous ‘80s and ’90s recurring guest stars include Phylicia Rashad as Gus’ mom (The Cosby Show), Cybill Shepherd as Shawn’s mom (Moonlighting), and Ray Wise as Father Westley (Twin Peaks).

Shawn’s nemeses are all ‘80s greats as well: Yin (Peter Weller, Robocop), Yang (Ally Sheedy, member of the “Brat Pack”), and Pierre Despereaux (Cary Elwes, The Princess Bride).

One of the best episodes to date was the Twin Peaks tribute in season five, “Dual Spires”.  James Roday outdid himself writing the episode: he perfected the oddities of the characters from Lynch’s bizarre murder mystery; he mimicked the eerie music and peculiar dancing to a “T”; and, he incorporated a few of the Twin Peaks iconic elements such as the dead girl’s body wrapped in plastic found by the water, the diner, the log lady, the caged bird, and the pie.

Psych even changed the opening credits to honor Twin Peaks.  This wasn’t the first time the program made subtle changes to the music to reflect the current episode’s theme (just a little fun-Psych-“I Know You Know”-fact).

Back to the blasts from the past, let’s not forget these additional ‘80s and ‘90s guest stars: Jaleel White (Family Matters), Rachael Leigh Cook from She’s All That, “Brat Pack” member Judd Nelson, C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), Keshia Knight Pulliam (The Cosby Show), Mena Suvari (American Pie), Carl Weathers (Rocky), and Twin Peaks alumni Dana Ashbrook, Sherilyn Fenn, and Sheryl Lee.

Need more? The new season promises to bring a few new faces from the ‘80s and ‘90s: Molly Ringwald (another “Brat-Pack” member), Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the movie), Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys), Joey McIntyre (New Kids on the Block), Jason Priestley (the original 90210), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon movies), William Shatner (Star Trek movies), and Madchen Amick (another Twin Peaks alumnus).

Rumor has it that this season will also include an Indiana Jones themed episode.  No doubt this will be fabulous!

Psych returns this Wednesday, October 12^th.

Do you watch Psych?  Shawn or Gus?  Lassie or Henry?  Who is your favorite guest star to date?  Do you look for the pineapple in each episode?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Friday FabOoolousness: The Write Campaign Tagging Game

There is a current game of tag spreading like wildfire through the blogosphere courtesy of the Writer’s Platform Building Campaign hosted by Rachael Harrie.  The adorable and well-traveled Jess Witkins reached out and tagged me Wednesday, and as always, I love a good game!

As with any game, there are rules:

• First, you must be tagged by someone;
• Next, you list 10 random facts about yourself; and
• Finally, you tag 4 more people

Number one is complete, now on to 10 random facts about ME!

1)      My earliest childhood memory, while funny now, was quite devastating then. 

I remember sitting alone at a friend’s lake house in the living room watching The Incredible Hulk on TV while the adults where outside having a grand ‘ole time.  As Dr. Banner was transforming into the ever-so-large and green Hulk, I noticed that my skin was coming off.  I ran outside to find my mother screaming, “I’m falling apart!” 

She hugged me tightly, laughing mind you, and explained to me that I had a sunburn and the skin peel was perfectly normal.  What a relief: I wasn’t turning into the Hulk.  Oh, and my mother says I was about three when this happened and she’s amazed I can recall the night so vividly. 

2)      Keeping with the super hero theme, I was obsessed with Wonder Woman when I was a little girl.  Who wasn’t?  The men loved the beautiful Lynda Carter, and what young lady didn’t dream of possessing the power to change into a rocking costume by turning in circles really fast or didn’t want to deflect bullets off her pretty bracelets?

I made myself dizzy quite a few times just trying to morph into Wonder Woman. 

3)      I have never been afraid to sing, not that I’m any good.  When I was younger, I’d watch The Wizard of Oz and join Judy Garland in a rendition of “Over the Rainbow” like it was my job. 

I also keep a pair of red shoes in my closet at all times.  You never know when you’ll need to click your heels…..

4)      In the ‘80s, I admired Olivia Newton-John.  My crazed singing continued with Grease, Xanadu, and her music album, Physical.  I wanted to roller skate through the house with light pastel ribbons in my hair and with pink leg-warmers covering my shins.  Classic ‘80s Olivia.

5)       My first Hollywood crush was Maxwell Caulfield, or Michael Carrington, from Grease 2. 

I may be one of the few who will admit loving the unpopular sequel.   Again with the theatrics and singing, I’d mimic Michelle Pfeifer’s moves while singing “Cool Rider” hoping that Michael would choose this Pink Lady as his own.  I even sported a Pink Lady jacket, what little girl didn’t?

6)      The late ‘80s and early ‘90s produced two of my all time favorite movies: Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing.   I cannot count how many times I have watched these films.

 

During my teenage and college years, one of my favorite pastimes with my mother was to turn off the lights and watch these movies over and over again.  Literally – Dirty Dancing would end, and we’d rewind the VHS tape and watch it again from the very beginning.  I loved those nights.

7)      I tend to talk with my eye brows.  Okay, maybe that doesn’t make perfect sense…how about, I am very animated when I talk and my eyebrows lift and move taking on a life of their own.

My parents first pointed this out when I was running for class office in the 9^th grade.  Instead of a live assembly, our school planned to tape the speeches and play during the morning announcements on the classrooms’ television sets.  As I practiced the night before, my parents couldn’t stop from laughing.  It didn’t help with my self-confidence, my parents laughing at me and all, but I won anyway! 

And don’t worry; I have designated this evening as a turning point in my teenage life.  My parents’ loving laughter and learning about the passions that I had were definitely character builders. 

8)      Back to my crushes, probably my biggest crush ever was, and still is, on former Houston Astro and baseball great, Craig Biggio. 

He started playing when I was a pre-teen, and I remember walking behind home plate and experiencing his cute back-side while he played catcher.  Later, the Astros moved him to second base to protect his knees, extending his career to a remarkable twenty years in the major leagues.  Thank you, Astros. 

You won’t catch me saying this much anymore…the team’s recent moves have been so frustrating for fans!

Did I mention that Craig was born and raised in the exact town where my father grew up?  Kismet, right?

9)      I’ve had the same girlfriends since junior high and high school.  My brother thinks it’s a bit weird that we’re all still as close as we are, but I think it says a ton about our character and loyalty.  That’s not to say that I haven’t made new friends along of the way, of course I have.  But my girls, you know who you are, are my heart. 

Here are just a few....

10)   I may have mentioned before that I’m extremely competitive, but in case I haven’t, I am!  Football season is here and my competitive side has kicked into high gear with playing fantasy football.

We play in a league called Couples Therapy, and I’ve appropriately named my team Tbrat’s Tyranny.  Why?  Because I’m a tyrant!   No, not really, I didn’t do so well last year; but, I didn’t finish last, either. 

I’ve never known just how fun fantasy sports can be.  Up until last year, I only watched the Cowboys (life-long fan) and Patriots (Tom Brady and huge Wes Welker fan) on Sundays.  Now, you won’t catch me far from my phone or the NFL Red Zone on Sunday afternoons, obsessively calculating my points and screaming at the TV.  It’s fun!

Want some milk?

Now, I tap 4 new bloggers, friends, and hopeful players in this Writer’s Campaign game of tag: Stacy Green, Julie Glover, Tameri Etherton, and Jillian Dodd.

Tagged or not tagged, share a random fact about you!  What’s your earliest childhood memory?  Who was your first Hollywood crush?  What movie have you watched so many times you’ve lost count?  I’d love to hear from you!

 

Friday FabOoolousness – July’s MarvelOoous Mashups and Blog Awards

This month, fellow writer & Twitter friend, Stacy Green awarded me my third blogging award – The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.

THANK YOU, Stacy!  Winning this award for my Tele-Tuesday, Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday, and Friday FabOoolousness posts means so very much to me.  I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, and sweet isn’t one of them.  Just kidding!

From now on, anytime someone clicks on the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award icon on my site, they will experience Stacy’s fabOoolous blog!

I’d also like to thank my great friend, Kathy Owen, for awarding me the Stylish Blogger and Versatile Blogger awards this month.  PLUS, Kathy is the brains behind Amber West’s and my new blog series, The Tamberny Awards.  Have you voted?

Kathy writes the best blog series.  Her Monday Masters of Mystery and Fashion Fridays are two of my must see posts each week.  Check them out!

Before I answer the questions associated with The Irresistible Sweet Blog Award, click on these fabOoolous sites in the July edition of MarvelOoous Mashups!

PART I: A Trip Down Memory Lane – the ‘80s and ‘90s

Did anyone keep an old mixed tape? Check out The Lost Art of the Mix Tape by my dear friend, Jenn Alexinas.  What do you think?  Does every mixed tape say something about its maker?

“The Two Coreys” – Corey Feldman and Corey Haim.  What girl didn’t Dream a Little Dream of these two in the ‘80s?  Stacy Green (yep, the one and only from up above) takes us back to the classic film, License to Drive.

It may have all began in the late ‘70s with Halloween, but the ‘80s are often times associated with the birth of many horror films like Friday the 13^th.  Sonia Medeiros discusses Who was That Masked Slasher in this Fear Friday Feature.

Not to leave the ‘90s out, Catie Rhodes delves deep into the friendship, character conflict, and theme of Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion in this great post.

PART II: FabOoolous writerly posts

Interested in writing fantasy? Check out these demon names and meanings by Graylin Fox.

Need help with the scenes? Check out Structure of a Scene by my fellow Warrior Writer buddy, Suzan Isik.

How many of us put a book down if the first page doesn’t hook us?  The Bookshelf Muse, aka Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, offer some First Page Tips.

Guilty of information dumps? Paying too much or not enough attention to setting? Check out 12 Pitfalls to Avoid by Roni Loren.

Want to use artifacts, archaeology, and human history in your writing?  Check out this great example by Gene Lempp – Dystopia Island.

 PART III: Just because they’re fabOoolous

Heard about the new Google+?  Not sure what to think about another social media site?  Check out Amber West’s post.  She says to not be scared….

Deep in the woods, and inside a bloodied bunker, what exactly will we find at Site 27?  I mean, besides dismembered feet.  Vote Your Own Adventure here and support the great Jen Kirchner.

Like choosing the story’s direction?  Then remember Mark Lidstone’s Zombies Vote Your Own Adventure story.  There are zombies everywhere, and our protagonist is cut. How long before the infection sets in?

Love vampires, warlocks, and tons of action? Check out Steven Montano’s flasfiction series, Tales of Blood Earth.  The twelve chapters published on his website make for some fabOoolous reading.  Remember, start from the beginning….

And, now my answers to Stacy’s fun questions associated with the Irresistible Sweet Blog Award.  Enjoy!

If you were a vampire, which celebrity would you first sink your teeth into?  Wow, this is a tough one.

The word vampire immediately makes me think of Damon Salvatore, so I guess that would be Ian Somerhalder. 

What’s you’re middle name? Not your REAL middle name. Your middle name.  I try to keep this blog rated-PG, so let’s go with Brat.  Yep, it’s definitely Brat.

You’re stranded on an island. There’s a monkey with you there, but he’s not too chatty. You also have a ball at your disposal. A ship passes by, but it’s daylight. How will you attract their attention?  My mind immediately goes to streaking….

What are you secretly afraid of? And what are you REALLY afraid of?  I don’t keep many secrets; if I’m afraid of something, everyone around me knows it.  I’m deathly afraid of severe storms (I hide the second I hear the tornado sirens nearby, even if it’s a false alarm; okay, well maybe not on a false alarm, but you catch my drift), sharks (and pretty much anything that swims around in the ocean), scorpions, and things that fly and sting (well, moths too – they fly, but supposedly they don’t sting).

Describe your best friend in five words.  Incredibly intelligent, patient, strong, hero, and love (I’m not counting “incredibly” or “and” as words).

What’s the last movie you watched? Was it good?  Because I’m difficult, I’m breaking this down into two categories:

At the theater – Transformers 3. Great summer entertainment – full of fabOoolous stunts and special effects.  Plus, I actually teared up twice.  What can I say?  I love the bond between Sam and BumbleBee.

From Redbox – Hall Pass.  We heard really bad things about Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis’ film, but we laughed our rears off.  One scene especially caught us so off guard, that I was glad we weren’t eating dinner.  Someone would have spit his food everywhere; I’m just saying.

Who are your favorite fabOoolous bloggers? What are some of your favorite things from the ‘80s and ‘90s? What are you afraid of?  What’s the last movie you’ve seen?  Please share!  I’d love to hear from you!  Happy Friday FabOolousness everyone! 

Friday FaBOOolousness – The Boo Factor: The Lost Boys

Perhaps every decade has a right to claim its movies faBOOolous, but the ‘80s reigned supreme with slasher franchise giants such as Friday the 13^th and A Nightmare on Elm Street – both of which still live on today in our generation of remakes.

Today, we’re focusing on the 1987 supernatural great, and one of my all-time favorite vampire movies: The Lost Boys.

Michael (Jason Patric), Sam (Corey Haim), and their mother, Lucy Emerson ((Diane Weist), move to Santa Clara, California to live with their grandfather (“Grandpa” played by Barnard Hughes) following Lucy’s divorce.

Michael: On their first night in town, the brothers head out to the town boardwalk, where Michael sees Star (Jami Gertz) dancing in the moonlight.  Seduced by her moves, he follows her, where he meets David (Keifer Sutherland) and his friends for the first time.  The next night, Michael runs into David again; only this time, David challenges Michael to join him on a motorcycle ride.  Wanting to impress Star, Michael agrees and later follows the mysterious teens back to their underground lair.  Peer pressure and temptation ensue, and Michael drinks from the wine bottle that David and his friends pass around.

The next morning, Michael is sensitive to the sunlight, and his transformation begins.

Sam: The younger of the Emerson brothers, Sam, finds solace in a local comic book store on the boardwalk where he meets the Frog brothers: Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander).  The Frog brothers claim to be vampire hunters, and provide Sam with tons of reading material to prepare for living in Santa Clara, a town plagued by the night’s creatures.

How else does one explain all of the missing person flyers?

Sam shrugs the crazy brothers off, until later that night when his dog, Nanook, begins growling ferociously at the bathroom door while Sam bathes.  Bothered by Nanook’s reaction, Sam robes up only to find his brother Michael hiding in the darkness.

Spooked by the combination of the Frog brothers’ tale and by Nanook, Sam runs from Michael.  He locks himself in his room, calls his mother, and looks out the window to see his brother floating in the air.  At this point, Michael knows something is very wrong, and he returns to David’s lair seeking answers from his new so-called friends.  Instead, he finds Star, who immediately commiserates with Michael and the two bond (physically and emotionally).

Sam seeks the Frog brothers’ help, but refuses to follow their advice, which is to kill Michael.  Sam does, however, believe them now that Santa Clara is crawling with vampires, and asks for their help in saving his brother.  In the meantime, Sam begins questioning anyone he comes in contact with, including his mom’s new boyfriend, Max (Edward Herrmann).  The Frog brothers accept Sam’s invitation to dinner where they test Max with Holy water and garlic, infuriating Lucy and embarrassing Sam.

Michael decides to join David and his gang on another outing, even after the group taunted him on a motorcycle ride and forced him to hang from a railroad bridge. This time, he witnesses the young vampires feed on a group of teens at a camp site.  He refuses to kill, but now knows exactly what is happening to him.

Michael returns home, where Sam and the Frog brothers hatch a plan to kill David, clearly the head-vampire.   Things go from bad to worse when their murderous attempt fails, and Michael realizes David will seek revenge and hunt him at nightfall.

The fight scenes at the end of The Lost Boys were faBOOolously choreographed and had brilliant special effects for its time.  I don’t want to give the ending away for those who have yet to see the movie (are there really those out there who have not seen The Lost Boys?), but will wrap with the famous closing line: “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires.”

And, who can forget Jason Patric and Corey Haim’s blue eyes just before the fade to black?  The closing scene solidified those two as ‘80s heart-throbs.  Right girls?

It would be wrong of me to end the post without mentioning the music.  The Lost Boys has one of the best motion picture soundtracks of the ‘80s with musical greats including INXS, popular hit songs such as “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “People Are Strange,” as well as the ever-haunting theme song, “Cry Little Sister.”

Who’s your favorite character in The Lost Boys? Did you guess the head-vampire correctly, or were you surprised at the end?  Did you want a Husky after falling in love with Nanook? What are some of your favorite quotes from this ‘80s classic?  Did you watch any of the sequels?  Do you have another favorite ‘80s scary movie?  I’d love to hear from you!

Tele-Tuesday #5 – Summer Fun Part Two

Ready for more summer fun? Tune to the USA Network!

White Collar – Meet Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer, from Chuck and Tru Calling), a suave and sexy professional con-artist captured by FBI agent, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay).  Season 1 opens with Peter releasing Neal from prison under the strict supervision of an ankle monitor, AND one condition: Neal must assist the White Collar division of the FBI in capturing bad guys by utilizing his criminal expertise.  Neal enlists the help of his fellow con-artist, Mozzie (Willie Garson, aka Stanford Blatch from Sex and the City) who despite his distrust of the government stands by his friend’s side, and builds his own relationship with Peter and Peter’s wife, Elizabeth (played by Tiffani Theissen most popularly known for her role as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell).  In addition to solving a new FBI case each week, Neal focuses on discovering the truth behind his girlfriend Kate’s disappearance. 

Did I mention that Neal is sexy?  Neal’s piercing baby blues and charming smile illuminate in combination with his dapper tailored suits and his Fedora hat. 

In Season 2, Neal continues his search while everyone, including Peter and his FBI right-hand Diana (Marsha Thomason from Vegas), investigates Kate’s story on their own, each hoping to bring closure to Neal’s heartache.  White Collar builds fun and heartfelt character relationships: Peter/Neal, Peter/Elizabeth, Elizabeth/Neal, Elizabeth/Mozzie, Neal/Alex (another con played by Gloria Votsis), and Neal/Sara (insurance investigator played by Hilarie Burton).  Season 2 ends with Neal’s previous mentor turned nemesis, Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy best known from his 80’s hits Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire) escaping once again, ending Neal’s quest for answers – for the time being.  What will happen in Season 3?  Find out when White Collar returns June 7^th!

Covert Affairs – Abandoned on a deserted island by her love, Annie Walker (Piper Perabo, Coyote Ugly) joins the CIA and is immediately thrust into the world of undercover assignments.  With the help of her blind CIA tech expert, Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham, Harper’s Island), and the former CIA director’s son, Jai Wilcox (Sendhil Ramamurthy), Annie jumps into the toughest cases.  Her boss, Joan Campbell (played by Kari Matchett), and her boss’s husband, current CIA director Arthur Campbell (the fabulous Peter Gallagher), constantly throw Annie into veteran situations, test her abilities, and review her loyalties to the CIA.  Annie also battles familiar woes living in her sister’s guest house, and playing perfect aunt to her two nieces, while keeping her cover story as a researcher at the Smithsonian Institution intact.

Living her double life, Annie showcases her kick-ass CIA training, and battles her insecurities one day at a time, making Covert Affairs a fun summer pick.  Covert Affairs also returns June 7^th. 

Burn Notice – Bringing sexy back to Thursday nights.  Miami + Burned Spy = Hottest Show on Television!  Michael Westen, a former spy burned by the U.S. government, teams up with Sam Axe (Michael’s friend and former Navy Seal), Fiona Glenanne (Michael’s gun-crazy on & off again girlfriend), and Jesse Porter (another spy accidentally burned by Michael) to keep Miami safe, and continue Michael’s investigation into his burn notice. 

Season 4 ended with a bang, no different from any other Burn Notice finale.  Why was Michael taken to Washington D.C.?  Was his burn notice lifted?  Burn Notice returns June 23rd.  

 

Law & Order: Criminal Intent – Goren & Eames, together again, returned Sunday, May 1st, for the tenth and final season.  It seems tv-land is happy for the original CI partners’ return – the show’s rating was up 43% from last year.  In an interview with Candace Havens, Vincent D’Onofrio mentioned that the storyline this season focuses more on the cases than the personal lives of the detectives – back to Law & Order basics. 

Psych – It was just announced by the USA Network that Psych doesn’t return until Fall 2011, but I still highly recommend adding it to your Netflix queue for summer fun if you like mysteries, pop-culture from the 80’s, and laughing – especially for the blooper reel! 

Growing up with a detective father (Corbin Bernsen from the 80’s greats L.A. Law and Major League) teaching him to pay very close attention to detail, Shawn Spencer (James Roday) fools everyone into believing he has psychic abilities.  Everyone, that is, except his father, Henry, and his best friend, Gus (Burton Guster played by Dule Hill from The West Wing).  Shawn & Gus open a consulting/detective agency, “Psych”, and freelance their services to the Santa Barbara police department on numerous cases, despite the constant disapproval of lead detective, Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson).  Lassiter and his partner, Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), join Shawn and Gus to close the cases assigned to them by Police Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), and comedy ensues each and every time.  Every episode promises laughs, especially with the absolutely hilarious nicknames Shawn & Gus assume for each case.  The 80’s references, 80’s music, and 80’s guest stars (Judd Nelson & Ally Sheedy from The Brat Pack, Phylicia Rashad & Keisha Knight Pulliam from The Cosby Show, Cybill Shepherd from Moonlighting just to name a few) make watching Psych a fun game of 80’s trivia, especially for those of us deemed children of the 80’s – like myself. 

Being a huge fan of the 90s hit Twin Peaks, I absolutely loved the Psych season five episode: ‘Dual Spires’.  James Roday outdid himself writing the episode: he perfected the oddities of the characters from David Lynch’s bizarre murder mystery; he mimicked the eerie music and peculiar dancing to a “T”; and, he incorporated a few of the Twin Peaks iconic elements such as the dead girl’s body wrapped in plastic found by the water, the diner, the log lady, the caged bird, and the pie.  Even better yet, Psych cast a few of the fabulous Twin Peaks alumni for the episode: Sheryl Lee, Laura Palmer; Dana Ashbrook, Bobby Briggs; Ray Wise, Leland Palmer; and, Sherilyn Finn; Audrey Horne.  ‘Dual Spires’ may be my favorite Psych episode to date! 

Do you watch USA’s In Plain Sight or Royal Pains?  Do you hope that Fairly Legal returns for a second season on USA?  Do you miss Monk or The Dead Zone?  What other networks and/or shows do you enjoy during the summer months?  I’d love to hear from you!