RECOMMENDED SUMMER VIEWING

June 9, 2006

What the networks like to call the summer TV season is here. What that actually means for the rest of us is we'll spend nights flipping through the channels, looking for something good to watch before giving up and going to play with the kids or sticking in a movie from Netflix.

That's not to say the TV landscape will be completely barren this summer. You'll just need a little help in knowing where to look for life. That, my friend, is what I'm here for. Here's a cheat sheet listing both proven shows and promising newcomers that just might give you a reason to veg out in front of the small screen some this summer.

"Deadwood" and "Entourage" -- These two HBO shows couldn't be more different. One's a dark, foul-mouthed western; the other's a comedy about friendship smothered in hilarious Hollywood satire. One thing they have in common - they're both great. Also they're now playing back to back each Sunday night on the pay-cable network. "Deadwood," which enters its third and final full season (although two two-hour movies to wrap up the series are being discussed), starts at 9 p.m. "Entourage" follows. "Deadwood"'s Ian McShane continues to give one of TV's all-time-best performances as crooked saloon owner Al Swearengen. He's worth the price of HBO all by himself.

"Rescue Me" -- FX's second best show (better than "Nip/Tick"; still nowhere near "The Shield") is two episodes into its third season and will run through most of the summer on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. After liking but not loving season one, I mostly bailed on the sophomore year. But fans insist the show has only grown more impressive, and Denis Leary's Tommy Gavin is a wonderful character. I figure it's time to check back in. Expect a full review in a week or two.

"Windfall" -- NBC raised some eyebrows by premiering an hour-long drama, a genre typically avoided in the summer, this past Thursday night. "Windfall" follows the lives of 20 lottery winners, and it stars ex-"90210"-er Luke Perry. TV pickings are slim these days, so I plan on giving it a shot.

Shows for the sci-fi and horror buffs -- Genre fans may be sad that ABC cancelled "Invasion," but at least USA brings back "The 4400" on Sundays at 9, starting June 11. Then "The Dead Zone" returns to the same network for season five on Sunday, June 18 at 10 p.m. Meanwhile, Spike tries its hand at an hour-long genre show with "Blade," an adaptation of the hit films. Kirk "Sticky" Jones takes over from Wesley Snipes. The vampire slaying begins Wednesday, June 28 at 10 p.m. "Stargate: SG-1" is back for a 10^th season on the Sci Fi Channel come Friday, July 14 at 9 p.m. TNT's "Nightmare & Dreamscapes," an anthology based on a book of Stephen King short stories, kicks off Wednesday, July 28 at 8 p.m.

Getting real -- Dramas using don't fly in the summer, but reality shows work exceptionally well since they don't make you think much after a long, hot day in the sun. Some notable reality series airing this summer include E!'s "The Simple Life: 'Til Death Do Us Part" (Sundays at 10 p.m., starting this weekend); FOX's "Hell's Kitchen" (Mondays at 9 p.m., starting June 12); CBS' "Rock Star: Supernova" (Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Wednesday at 8 p.m., starting July 5) Bravo's "Project Runway 3" (Wednesdays at 10 p.m., starting July 12); and CBS' "Big Brother 7: All-Stars" (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays at 9 p.m., starting July 6). "Big Brother: All-Stars"? Isn't that some kind of a misnomer?