TVSquad

I wonder if a show like My Boys could survive on network television. Probably not. Nothing to do with the quality of the show, but it seems like the type of show that does better on cable (in a 10:30 time slot) than it would on ABC or NBC, with all that pressure. Last night the guys went to spring training in Arizona (maybe a little late for that, but there you go).

• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of According To Jim., then the continuation of the miniseries Diamonds.
  
• The CW has the series finale of Reaper at 8, followed by the series premiere of Hitched or Ditched.
• TNT has the Magic/Cavaliers game at 8.
• At 8:30, Food Network has a new Good Eats, then a new Dear Food Network.
• At 9, FOX has the series premiere of Mental.
• PBS has a new Frontline at 9.
  
• Discovery has a new Deadliest Catch at 9, then a new Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment.
• At 10, FX has a new Rescue Me.
• History Channel has a new Life After People at 10.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 10.
• Travel Channel has a new Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern at 10.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new Real Housewives of New Jersey.
• At 10:30, TBS has the season finale of My Boys.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Is My Boys the sitcom we all should be watching? We hear so much about 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, even Big Bang Theory, but My Boys has its following too. Last night's episode was about Facebook, and yes, the show has a Facebook page!

• At 7, Jimmy Fallon is a guest on G4's Attack of the Show.
• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of According To Jim, followed by new episodes of Dancing with the Stars and Cupid.
• CBS has a new NCIS, then new episodes of The Mentalist and Without a Trace.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, then a new Law and Order: SVU.
• FOX has new episodes of American Idol and Fringe.
• The CW has a new Reaper at 8, followed by a new 90210.
• At 9, PBS has a new Frontline.
• There's a new Food Detectives on Food Network at 9.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9.
• At 9:30 (or after the Celtics/Bulls game), TNT has the Mavericks/Spurs game).
• At 10, FX has a new Rescue Me.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of New York City at 10.
• History Channel has a new Life After People at 10.
• MTV has a new episode of The Phone.
• At 10:30, TBS has a new My Boys.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Let's just get this out of the way: My Boys isn't a very good show. Calling it mediocre is even going too far. However, I can't be the only one that's watching it, because the TBS sitcom is already a few episodes into its third season. That's right - My Boys has actually been somewhat of a minor success for TBS, partially due to some wise scheduling. Save for the first half of season one, My Boys is always on during the spring and summer months when - surprise - there isn't much else to compete with. The show might not be great, but hey, new TV is better than no TV.

Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan has come a long way from driving down the stock price for Hot Pockets.

He landed his own short-lived sitcom on CBS, thanks to David Letterman, called Welcome to New York and a co-starring role on the hit TBS' dramedy My Boys, which returns for a third season on March 31.

He also racked up a long resume of funny and dramatic roles on hit shows like Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, and That 70's Show. He is also one of the few actors to score appearances on all of the Law & Order series if you don't count the spinoff that hardcore L&O cultists are forbidden to say out loud.

• At 8, FOX has the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance.
• CBS has a new Big Brother at 8.
• NBC has a new Last Comic Standing at 8, then a new America's Got Talent.
• Discovery Channel has two new episodes of Some Assembly Required at 8.
• G4 has a new X-Play at 8.
• Starting at 8:30, HGTV has new episodes of Myles of Style, Rate My Space, Extreme Living, and House Hunters.
• At 9, TBS has two new episodes of The Bill Engvall Show, followed by a new My Boys.
• ESPN2 has Little League Baseball at 9.
• At 10, CBS has a new Flashpoint.
• USA has a new Burn Notice at 10.
• Comedy Central has a new Gong Show at 10, followed by a new Reality Bites Back.
• There's a new Ace of Cakes on Food Network at 10.
• History Channel has a new episode of The Works at 10.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, CBS has a new Greatest American Dog.
• NBC has a new, two hour Last Comic Standing at 8, followed by a new Fear Itself.
• FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? at 8, then a new So You Think You Can Dance.
• HGTV has all new episodes starting at 8: Designed To Sell, Myles of Style, Rate My Space, Extreme Living, and House Hunters.
• Also at 8: Cartoon Network has a new Chowder, then new episodes of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Total Drama Island.
• At 9, TBS has a new Bill Engvall Show, followed by a new My Boys.
• History Channel has a new Modern Marvels at 9, then a new The Works.
• At 10, ABC has a new Hopkins.
• CBS has a new Swingtown at 10.
• There's a new Burn Notice on USA at 10.
• Food Network has a new Ace of Cakes at 10.
• Spike has a new TNA Impact at 10.
• Bravo has a new Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List at 10.
• The new Gong Show premieres on Comedy Central at 10. It's followed by the premiere of Reality Bites Back.
• Showtime has a new Penn & Teller's Bullshit at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, CBS has the premiere of Greatest American Dog.
• TLC has two new episodes of Monster Garage at 8, then a new American Chopper.
• Versus has more coverage of the Tour de France at 8.
• There's a new Chowder on Cartoon Network at 9, followed by new episodes of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Total Drama Island.
• At 9, NBC has a new, two hour Last Comic Standing.
• TBS has a new Bill Engvall Show at 9, followed by a new My Boys.
• History Channel has a new Modern Marvels at 9, then a new episode of The Works.
• Hallmark has the new movie A Gunfighter's Pledge at 9.
• At 10, CBS has a new Swingtown.
• ABC has a new Hopkins at 10.
• USA has the season premiere of Burn Notice at 10.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, NBC has a new, two hour Last Comic Standing, then a new Fear Itself.
• FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? at 8, followed by a new So You Think You Can Dance.
• At 9, TBS has a new Bill Engvall Show, then a new My Boys.
• HGTV has a new Rate My Space at 9.
• At 10, ABC has a new Hopkins.
• CBS has a new Swingtown at 10.
• Sundance has a new Live From Abbey Road at 10, with David Gray and Suzanne Vega.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List.
• At 10:30, History Channel has a new Surviving History.
• Comedy Central has a new Reno 911 at 10:30.

Check your local TV listings for more.

All things considered, the summer television season is off to a pretty good start. I've been enjoying My Boys, The Middleman, Fear Itself, and So You Think You Can Dance, to name a few. The schedules might be a little heavy with the reality programming at the moment, but that's changing soon enough. Over the next few weeks we have the likes of Eureka, Psych, Burn Notice, Stargate: Atlantis, Monk, The Closer, and Saving Grace all making their returns.

With those last two in mind, I thought I would point everyone to some handy recaps the fine folks over at TNT put together to get us back up to speed before the shows return on July 14th. Each of the videos manages to crunch the last season down to about four and a half minutes, and I've embedded them after the jump.

• ESPN has the NBA Draft all night.
• At 8, NBC has a new, two hour Last Comic Standing, then a new Fear Itself.
• FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? at 8, followed by a new So You Think You Can Dance.
• More George Carlin on HBO2 starting at 8: What Am I Doin' In New Jersey?, Doin' It Again, Jammin' in New York, Back in Town, You Are All Diseased, and It's Bad For Ya.
• At 9, TBS has a new Bill Engvall Show, then a new My Boys.
• There's a new American Chopper on TLC at 9.
• HGTV has a new Rate My Space at 9.
• At 10, CBS has a new Swingtown.
• ABC has the premiere of Hopkins at 10.
• History Channel has a new Surviving History at 10.
• Spike has a new TNA Impact at 10.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new My Life on the D-List.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, followed by a new So You Think You Can Dance.
• TLC has a new Overhaulin' at 8, then a new American Chopper.
• At 8:30, NBC has a new Last Comic Standing, then a new Fear Itself.
• At 9, TBS has a new Bill Engvall Show, followed by a new My Boys.
• At 10, CBS has a new Swingtown.
• There's a new Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List at 10 on Bravo.
• Showtime has a new Penn & Teller's Bullshit at 10.
• Also at 10: Sundance Channel has a new Live From Abbey Road, with Mary J. Blige, James Blunt, and Dashboard Confessional.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has another Celtics/Lakers game.
• CBS has a new Million Dollar Password (with Betty White!) at 8.
• FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? at 8, then a new So You Think You Can Dance.
• Also at 8: Cartoon Network has a new Chowder, then a new Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.
• At 8:30, NBC has a new Last Comic Standing, followed by a new Fear Itself.
• At 9, TBS has the season premiere of The Bill Engvall Show, then the season premiere of My Boys.
• Bravo has the season premiere of My Life on the D List at 9, followed by The A List Awards.
• Spike has a new TNA Impact at 9.
• At 10, CBS has a new Swingtown.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911.

Check your local TV listings for more.

The relationship between the viewer and the network is one that requires a delicate balance. As the numbers for DVR penetration continue to climb, it's pretty clear that a great many of us are successfully dodging more and more commercial breaks. And the networks continue to push back, trying different things to get eyeballs on ads. Some are merely annoying. For instance, as much as I like both Kyra Sedgwick and The Closer, I'm annoyed every time Brenda walks out of the corner of my screen while I'm watching another show on TNT.

While that one is annoying, this latest adventure from TBS crosses a line. During an episode of Family Guy (video after the jump), Bill Engvall walks out on the screen, much like the Brenda spots for The Closer. The difference is that Bill holds up a remote and actually pauses the episode before heading into his pitch for his show. When he finishes, he unpauses the show, which runs for two more seconds before going to the regular commercial break. Please, if it's not too much trouble, strap on your sturdiest combat boots and join me in sending a theoretical kick to the crotch of anyone at TBS that didn't think this was the dumbest idea since starting everything at five minutes past the hour.