Summer is usually known as the wasteland for television, since it is repeat season, but cable/satellite provides a new option. Thus, several shows (e.g., Monk) have a "summer season" of new shows, while there also are many brand new shows (e.g., a few weeks back, Army Wives on Lifetime). There was a double premiere on Lifetime Sunday night, providing three hours of new programming, repeated thereafter (8-11, 11-2). Not bad really.
As to the programming, I saw both new shows along with another quality episode of Army Wives. One complicated subplot involves a troubled teenage son whose father was serving in Iraq who hit his passive mother. To complicate things further, this is a docudrama, the son falls in love with the elder daughter of the head of the base. The daughter finds out what he did, why her parents were so concerned about her going out with him, and told him that she just didn't see such a troubled person. She saw someone else she fell in love with. This reflects reality ... fact is, many people do have something special inside, but also have a troubled (and sometimes dangerous) side as well.
[Another good subplot involves the alcoholic mother of one of the wives, who looked sooo familiar. A check shows that she was on a show a while back entitled The John Larroquette Show.]
Most of the shows on are of the one hour variety so there is a lesser chance that the whole time will be worth your while, especially if you don't like the style of the genre (Lifetime, along with WE and Oxygen, appears to be "TV for certain women," as shown by the heavyhanded fare it they tend to favor). Still, you have more good than bad with many of these shows, though they aren't all my cup of team. The two new shows for Sunday ... State of Mind, with indie actress Lili Taylor as a family therapist, who starts off finding her husband screwing someone in his office. Has promise ... good supporting cast ... Taylor's soft voice at times a bit annoying. Side Order of Life ... somewhat cutsie photographer finds out her more edgy friend has cancer, reexamines her life. Again, has promise, cast appears good.
The shows had subplots that also made me consider the human condition, which suggests they are of some quality ... though I consider things at the drop of the hat at times. For instance, as the show suggested, the screwing wasn't really the main problem ... it was apparently wanting to be caught, the problems in the marriage overall (a certain emptiness ... you expect more in such cases, comfort being fine for many, but that doesn't include fearing your hubby is screwing in his office) as well. Sounds right ... though it's not my area of expertise.* Also, you notice "comfortable" marriages aren't really shown too often, you know, not one of those "true love" deals, but the run of the mill sorts that is quite normal. The sort where you build a family, are comfortable with one another, and don't expect the stars.
[Talking about "that and ...," it came to me that quite often we are reminded that Billy boy was impeached for a "bj," which is not true. He might not have "had sex with that woman," but he in various ways did screw the rest of us, or why did he have to pay a fine and lose his law license for a few years? The judge violated her oath if she took it as mere form. He also drew the whole thing out much too long. I was pissed at him at the time, and do think something seriously wrong was inflicted on the country. And, not just by the Right.
This is not to say the impeachment was deserved. Or, that some focused on the bj alone. But, if he came clean and didn't try to game the civil suit, I really doubt the House would have impeached. And, our concerns could have been placed elsewhere. Takes two to tango, but he had fault too. And, very little of it related directly to consensual activity with an adult.]
The other show had a woman married to three men at once (at least, they thought so ... she never processed the paperwork, though the expectation surely was at least civil fraud) while having a true love as well that she didn't trust with marriage. One liked her for her body ... she was an average looking sort (it pisses me off when people make snide remarks about the likes of Monica L. ... as if the many people are so grand in the looks department ... including him), which led some to make snide comments about that. The show also had a sentimental moment in that a guest star -- a familiar face on various shows -- died before it aired, so there was a little "in loving memory" message at the end. The use of the friend as a catalyst btw is a bit crude, but such is life, right? We often change because of the acts of others.
Worth checking out all, even if one might not want to watch them all straight thru.
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* As the disclaimer on the side notes, I'm not an expert concerning anything discussed.