Have you felt it? That subtle shift from having a plethora of TV shows -- season finales -- to enjoy ... to a sudden dearth of must-see programs?

One week the 'Lost' finale is all over the place and you're taking quizzes and planning theme parties for the finale, and then ... it's all over.

Welcome to the summer! Fortunately, the summer TV season isn't as vacant as it used to be. There will be returning faves like 'Burn Notice' and 'The Closer.' And in a couple of months 'Mad Men.' But if you're still hungry for the full-up feeling of the regular season, here's four tips to how to navigate the summer TV doldrums:

1. Clear your DVR. Chances are you've been recording television shows and specials for months and months -- that documentary about late night TV on A&E, all those '30 for 30' ESPN documentaries, the episodes of '30 Rock' that you piled up like planes on the runway waiting for take-off. Well, it's time to take flight. Now is the chance to catch up on all those programs you put off watching until you had more time.

The summer is the perfect opportunity to clear the DVR. And you know what? The good feeling you get for going through the backlog is good for you. It's even got a name -- TiVo catharsis.

2. Try something new. If you've been considering watching a show but it conflicts with something else you're watching, use the summer to test out that show in reruns. For example, on Tuesdays during the season, CBS's 'The Good Wife' was pitted against NBC's 'Parenthood.' They were both worth watching, but you may have had to choose one.

Well, now that the summer is here, you can catch up on the one you missed. ABC's 'Castle' is on my to-try list. What's on yours?

3. Explore different channels. Despite the fact that most of us have hundreds of channels on cable or satellite to watch, we tend to stick with the familiar ones we watch all the time. There are some channels that just don't get a lot of traffic ... for no special reason. For me, I tend to stop at 273 on DirecTV and rarely explore beyond it. So, this summer one of my goals is to see what's out there, beyond 273! You can do the same with your TV provider, just get adventurous. Spend a night trying NatGeo or WE or Logo ... Find out why people are watching the Style Network for 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' or what the fuss is about 'The Deadliest Catch' on Discovery Channel.

4. Catch up on TV shows online or on DVD. Are there some TV show bandwagons that you want to hop on board but you haven't had a chance to yet? Do you want to be a 'Mad Men' watcher but need to see the first three seasons? Well, before 'Mad Men' comes back on July 25 on AMC, get the DVDs so you can join in with all the other fans.

Check out online sites like Hulu or SlashControl, or sign up for NetFlix to rent a season. There are lots of shows that you have time to get into -- 'Dexter,' 'House,' 'Glee,' 'Modern Family' ...

Use the summer to catch up on the shows that keep winning the Emmys.