Sexy Beast
More Sexy BeastSummer 2011 TV Preview
by Jace Lacob
Jace Lacob is The Daily Beast's TV Columnist. As a freelance writer, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, TV Week, and others. Jace is the founder of television criticism and analysis website Televisionary and can be found on Twitter. He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
Jace Lacob rounds up what’s worth watching in the coming months, from True Blood and Torchwood to British period drama The Hour and the return of Damages.
We’re starting our summer at a bit of a disadvantage: there is no new season of Mad Men to look forward to this year, as we’ll have to wait until March 2012 to find out what happens to Don Draper and the other staffers at Draper Cooper Sterling Pryce. It’s enough to put a damper on anyone’s television-viewing this summer, but there are still some bright points amid a series of repeats and burn-offs like NBC’s Love Bites. (Seriously, avoid that one like you would the plague.)
Gallery: 15 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer
Reality hits like ABC’s The Bachelorette, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance are gearing up with new cycles; Bravo has a slew of housewives and reality-TV shows (including Rocco’s Dinner Party and the already-launched Platinum Hit; USA has returning fan-favorites Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, Royal Pains, and White Collar back on the schedule; MTV is resurrecting '80s film franchise Teen Wolf as a serialized horror drama; and FX’s Rescue Me winds down its final season.
But as far as what shows you should be putting on your TiVo’s Season Pass, we’ve got you covered.
Jace Lacob is The Daily Beast's TV Columnist. As a freelance writer, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, TV Week, and others. Jace is the founder of television criticism and analysis website Televisionary and can be found on Twitter. He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
Supermodel's Photoshop Horror
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
John Edwards' Enabler Claims Vindication Over Indictment
Howard Kurtz is The Daily Beast and Newsweek's Washington bureau chief, and writes the Spin Cycle blog. He also hosts CNN's weekly media program Reliable Sources on Sundays at 11 a.m. ET. The longtime media reporter and columnist for The Washington Post, Kurtz is the author of five books.
How Palin's Winning the Media War
Matt Latimer is the author of the New York Times bestseller, SPEECH-LESS: Tales of a White House Survivor. He was deputy director of speechwriting for George W. Bush and chief speechwriter for Donald Rumsfeld.
- EW.com 'Kate Plus 8': Exclusive Peek
- AskMen Top 10 Aging Myths
- StyleList Stevie Nicks' Bewitching Style Evolution
- My Daily Will Conforming to Gender Stereotypes Get You More Dates?
- Shelter Pop Bernie Madoff's Brother Lists $6.5 Million House
- Buzzfeed The Faces Of The 2011 National Spelling Bee
- Political Wire Palin Explains Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
- The Hollywood Reporter MTV's 'Teen Wolf' Writer Jeff Davis Inspired by 'Buffy,' 'Lost Boys'
- Christian Science Monitor Bleak Teen Jobs Outlook: 25 Percent Unemployment and Stiff Competition
TV's Winners and Losers
Jace Lacob is The Daily Beast's TV Columnist. As a freelance writer, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, TV Week, and others. Jace is the founder of television criticism and analysis website Televisionary and can be found on Twitter. He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
The Death of Will-They-or-Won't-They
Jace Lacob is The Daily Beast's TV Columnist. As a freelance writer, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, TV Week, and others. Jace is the founder of television criticism and analysis website Televisionary and can be found on Twitter. He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
Michelle Forbes' Good Grief
Jace Lacob is The Daily Beast's TV Columnist. As a freelance writer, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, TV Week, and others. Jace is the founder of television criticism and analysis website Televisionary and can be found on Twitter. He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
Rescue
I am compelled to ask yet again, who is this vapid lightweight related to at DB that gets this sophmoric drivel published? Really, who?
jong345
what a jerk.
Rescue
I'm sorry jong, but it is unclear wether you mean me or the writer. I am guessing you mean me, which is fine. But let me point out that this piece inspired ZERO comments other than my initial observation and your witty rejoinder. And if you check this guy's previous columns you will see 12 comments in one and 4 in the one previous to that.
The question really is if NO ONE is reading this guy's crap or are a few reading it but it is just so uninteresting nobody bothers commenting.
I may come off as a jerk in questioning why this guy gets published here - it's not like he has stellar credentials - but my curiosity is genuine - how does someone with such a proven track record of boring the reader continue to be published?
It's a legit question.
nuss25
agree 100% with you Rescue.
jong345
This guy is definitely writing fluff pieces, but they're fluff pieces that people are interested in. I'm curious about the new TV season, so I checked out the GALLERY. The reason Im emphasizing "gallery" is because people don't really care to comment on galleries, especially this one that has nothing to do with commentary or anything controversial. But that doesn't make it worthless.
This isn't hard-nosed journalism, but it's the same type of quick read that every print-media outlet does -- people glance at it and get a little excited about shows and move on with their lives. As long as there's an entertainment section in this site (which I hope there always will be) there will be previews hyping upcoming movies, TV shows, and music. Maybe you think it's banal, but this isn't HuffPo or some other blog, it's an online magazine that pays writers and this guy was hired to do this specific job.
If you want something controversial that inspires tons of comments, look in the politics section. If you're looking to replace this guy, good luck, but fat chance. If you're still wondering why I thought your comment was so jerky, remember that when you say "nobody bothers commenting" you should notice that nobody else is leaving douchy comments trying to get someone fired -- just you, and it comes across poorly.
Sam Brandl
"there is no new season of Mad Men to look forward to this year, as we'll have to wait until March 2012 to find out what happens to Don Draper and the other staffers at Draper Cooper Sterling Pryce."
Really? Draper Cooper Sterling Pryce? Come on, Mad Men fan.
Stacy Adams
The guy can't even get the name of the Mad Men agency right.
megmurphy
Yeah, despite what you believe about comments, this happens to be second most popular story on the whole site right now. Get a clue, get some perspective, and get some manners.
Allan Dale Maurer
It is discouraging to read anything in a national publication that starts with one of the tiredest cliches out there: "Avoid it like the plague." I can understand why the topic is popular and the writer isn't.
optimist
Breaking Bad is hands down the best show on TV since The Wire. I can't wait for season 4.
rogueright
15 reasons not to watch television this summer.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.