What an interesting summer for television. In general, the claim that television viewing reached an all-time high this summer doesn't really surprise me. After all, we're in what the media tells us is the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. That means more people out of work and less money for everybody.
People out of work and unable to find work are going to be bored, so they're going to watch television. People with less money are going to stay home more often, so they're going to watch television. That part makes sense to me. The part that is a little surprising, but only a little, is that all of that record viewing went to the cable networks and not the big four.
There was not a single break-out summer success story on ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX. Every single show they put on the air either crashed and burned, or barely stayed afloat. But the story is so very different on cable. Week after week we got new stories about original series breaking records on almost every network.
I've found that the only time that I like rap music is when someone is doing a takeoff on rap music. This video is something the cast and crew of Royal Pains did to celebrate the season finale of the show (next Thursday - it's coming back for a second season). It's not very funny or even good musically, but they seem to be having a good time.
Now I'm just waiting for the Burn Notice country music video.
A lot of times, the news about ratings isn't good. Or not good enough, so shows that you care about have to hope for the kindness of TV executives to give that show more time to improve or find a new time slot or something ... just to survive. That's why it's such a pleasure that Burn Notice did great in the ratings for the summer season finale last Thursday. According to the numbers, 7.6 million total viewers were glued to the set, the most eyeballs for any scripted TV shows that night.
Things are really cooking at the USA Network. Not only has the new show Royal Pains been renewed for a second season, but Burn Notice is also coming back for a fourth. Law and Order: Criminal Intent is on the verge of being re-upped, and now In Plain Sight has just gotten a pick-up for Season Three.
Wow! Talk about a winning formula. This part of the Universal family, as opposed to NBC, seems to have figured out how to make dramas work and work well.
I first fell into Royal Pains because I have this bizarre fascination with the Hamptons. I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago, and now it's just fascinating to me. Here's a place full of people I will never get to mingle with, living and partying somewhere that I will never go. It's Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous with a plot.
Burn Notice I've not watched because I didn't jump in when it first started (regular readers may remember that I have a thing about that), though I should probably just get over it and check it out. It has Bruce Campbell in it, and he's always a blast and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Regardless, it's more good news for cable broadcasting while the networks keep crying away the summer.
Apparently, there are a lot of medical emergencies in the Hamptons - deflated boobs, dying socialites, hemophiliac kids. And apparently, there is also a shortage of doctors in the area that is so bad everyone is clamoring to be attended to by a visiting doctor from out of town who has just been conveniently ostracized for having let a hospital trustee die in his care.
That's the basics of Royal Pains, USA's latest edition to its "characters welcome" line-up. Unfortunately for Doctor Hank Lawson, the physician in the center of this maelstrom of health issues, none of his patients are particularly interesting, which means I didn't care if they lived or died or if any of their wounds were healed properly. Nor did I care if the overly ambitious would-be doctor's assistant Divya got her wish that Lawson hang his shingle in the Hamptons. Or if his brother found a way to get laid.
In all of the massive Michael Jackson coverage, it was easy to forget that there was actually some new TV episodes on too. We had a new Burn Notice, and also a new episode of Royal Pains, the show that's actually a pleasant summer surprise. Here's the episode if you missed it. (Video also here.)
At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
What an interesting summer for television. In general, the claim that 
At 8, ABC has a new Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
Syfy has a Eureka marathon all night.
Syfy has a Warehouse 13 marathon all night.
USA has to be rather pleased. Last week, the 
At 7, G4 has the 1000th episode of Attack of the Show.
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