If the finales for “Treme” and “The Tudors”–“Treme” is the winding up its first season, but King Henry & Co. are taking their final bows– leaves your summer TV schedule a little empty, you can fill the void with a slew of premieres this week on ABC and TNT:
“Leverage” (Sunday, 9 p.m., TNT) Mama’s summer has now officially begun: TV drama is just more fun with “Burn Notice’s” hottie Michael Westin and now “Leverage’s” Nate Ford, played by the ruggedly handsome Timothy Hutton. Ford and his crew return with back-to-back episodes, in which the team will have to spring their leader from prison after he sacrificed himself for them at the end of last season.
“The Gates” (Sunday, 10 p.m., ABC) Let’s imagine the meeting of the minds that created this new mystery: “Vampires are hot right now—how can we make a buck off this trend?” “Well, we have some leftover ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Witches of Eastwick’ sets and music.” “That’s it! Vampires on Wysteria Lane.” A show is born.
“Hawthorne” (Tuesday, 9 p.m., TNT) Improbably, this derivative series made it back for a second season, which premieres this week
“Memphis Beat” (Tuesday, 10 p.m., TNT) This new series, featuring the wasted talents of Jason Lee and Alfre Woodard, has the potential to be just another police drama cliché. May Mama submit as evidence TNT’s description of the show: Despite his impeccable instincts as a detective, Dwight’s loose, relaxed style of police work rubs his demanding new boss, Lt. Tanya Rice, the wrong way. But wait, it has a twist: Because it’s in Memphis, Detective Dwight also sings. And we all remember the legendary success of “Cop Rock.”
“Rookie Blue” (Thursday, 9 p.m., ABC) Even the title is recycled. If you’ve never watched a police drama before, then this show is for you. Five rookies deal with the realities of being real, gosh-darn cops. Dramatic tension ensues. If you are simply dying to watch rookie cops in action, don’t waste your time this summer–wait until January when “Southland” returns to TNT.
Oh Baby:
Mama has no idea how Walt is going to get out of the mess he’s created for himself or how Jesse is going to live with himself after last week’s season finale of “Breaking Bad,” but if you did not watch season three of this addictive drug drama, you missed the best season of TV since season four of “The Wire.” Watch it online, get the DVD, find it somewhere–but you will not be disappointed by the unraveling of Walter White.