This week's Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan podcast has a different format: Ryan was out of town, so, on my own, I spoke to 'Burn Notice' creator and executive producer Matt Nix for over an hour. (Don't worry, we'll have a regular podcast, probably with a different special guest, later in the week.)

Forgive me for my enthusiasm, but I really think parts of this podcast could be of interest to wide variety of TV fans, even those who don't necessarily watch the USA Network show.

Toward the end of the podcast, at about the 55-minute mark, I asked Nix to do something writer/creator Shawn Ryan ('The Shield,' 'Terriers') has done in previous Talking TV podcasts: I asked him to talk about his "beefs" with TV or the making of it. That got Nix started on a self-deprecating riff about those who take to the Internet to critique episodic problems that occasionally afflict his show.

Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) is usually a pretty slick talker. But on Thursday's episode of 'Burn Notice' (Thursdays, 9PM USA), he had to talk faster than usual, as Carmelo Dante, one of Miami's biggest heroin dealers, held a gun to his chin. Dante was angry that he thought was a shipment of drugs was actually a shipment of weapons, at least according to a Serbian contact he had taken hostage.

It was a tough situation, but one that Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) was confident Sam could talk his way out of. "Oh yeah, it's such a shock that some Serbian scumbag that you took prisoner would lie to save his own life," said Sam. A good start, but the Serbian said Sam would lie, before he passed out.

"If Michael wanted to kill you, you'd be dead." Right on, sister. If we ever land in the slammer for any reason, we want Madeline Westen as our wing man, er, mother. Because we know she'll stand by us through thick and thin, talk back to the cops, and even slap one if necessary.

Madeline may have no idea what her son is up to on 'Burn Notice' (Thu., 10PM ET on USA), but she's ready to take the fall for him. Or send the cops on a wild goose chase to the Sawgrass Mills Mall. That works, too.

Watch the video after the jump.

(S03E16) If you wonder where the excitement is in entertainment, you're probably not watching 'Burn Notice.' However, if you're reading this review, you probably are a watcher and you have just gorged yourself on what was mostly called a season finale.

In some ways, it was a typical 'Burn Notice' finale, leaving Michael in a seemingly puzzling situation. This was ranked up there with one of the more intriguing ones. It was everything creator Matt Nix promised it would be. More on that, the client named Simon, and how to hot-wire a jet ski after the jump.

Oh, snap. On 'Burn Notice' (Thu., 10PM ET on USA), Michael learns that the person he helped to free is actually coming for him. Some gratitude!

And you can pretty much count on a bomb to turn up whenever he's around. It's just a matter of whether it's strapped to a guy he's sitting in a car with, or somewhere equally explosive.

Watch the video after the jump.

Kelly Ripa attacks Regis Philbin with a butter knife on 'Live With Regis and Kelly' (weekdays, syndicated) as part of an impromptu self-defense exercise led by Jeffrey Donovan of 'Burn Notice.'

Philbin attempts to disarm Ripa by side-stepping and performing a wrist hold, but nearly manages to stab himself.

Watch the video after the jump.

(S03E14) There was a lot of action involving running and shooting and a bomb exploding in this installment of 'Burn Notice,' but overall it felt a bit like a been-there-done-that episode. Was it pedestrian or were the principals not interesting enough to keep up with the usual Michael-Fiona-Sam shenanigans? More on that and the excellent work by a lowly CSI tech named Finley, after the jump.

(S03E13) 'Burn Notice' is generally more serious dealing with spy business than a show like 'Chuck', which is more playful. There's more blood on 'Burn Notice,' and the killing is not done to popular music. Both shows are fun, but for a tougher brand of espionage, 'Burn Notice' is the way to go.

This was one of the better 'Burn Notice' episodes because it put Michael somewhere he hasn't been in a while -- a very vulnerable position. And Larry was back. You remember Larry, played with menacing lunacy by Tim Matheson? More on Larry, the Colombian cartel, Jack Fleetwood and -- oh yeah -- Michael's brother, too, after the jump.

(S03E11) For a nice change of pace, Burn Notice played up the local color. Lots of Little Dominica (not Little Havana) and action, including multiple explosions, a little face-forward repelling and a new somewhat mystical character for Michael to play. No Southern boy this week. No tank tops or muscle shirts. Nope. Michael was looking like Mr. Applegate, the devil in the musical Damn Yankees.

Burn, baby, burn.

Hot on the heels of USA's recent announcement to bring its detective series 'Psych' back for its fifth season comes news that the network has also renewed its hit spy drama 'Burn Notice' for a fourth year.

A lot of times, the news about ratings isn't good. Or not good enough, so shows that you care about have to hope for the kindness of TV executives to give that show more time to improve or find a new time slot or something ... just to survive. That's why it's such a pleasure that Burn Notice did great in the ratings for the summer season finale last Thursday. According to the numbers, 7.6 million total viewers were glued to the set, the most eyeballs for any scripted TV shows that night.

(S03E09) Wow! Talk about a powerful finale. There were a lot of plot points and emotional issues addressed, and if you had any question about Michael's true loyalty, this show answered it. Burn Notice goes on hiatus -- is that what they call it? -- till the winter, and it's going to be a long rest of the summer and fall waiting for the story to resume. There was change in the air, what with Michael inching closer to a return to the CIA -- or so it seemed. More on all that and the blistering finale after the jump.

b. Jeffrey Donovan

c. Dule Hill

d. Jeff Goldblum

e. Anthony Bourdain

The answer.

(S03E08) In the latest Michael adventure, our hero was hell-bent on getting back into intelligence work – nothing new, really. However, that meant dancing with Strickler, a foxtrot that Fiona was reluctant to take part in ...

More on Fiona's vulnerabilities after the jump. Meanwhile, another job popped up when Barry, money launderer and occasional member of the Michael troupe of operatives, called in all his favors and became the client.

USA has to be rather pleased. Last week, the top rated show on cable was Burn Notice. And their newest series Royal Pains is hanging in there impressively in fourth place, creating a powerful Thursday night lineup. As a reward, word has it that USA has renewed both Burn Notice and Royal Pains.

I first fell into Royal Pains because I have this bizarre fascination with the Hamptons. I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago, and now it's just fascinating to me. Here's a place full of people I will never get to mingle with, living and partying somewhere that I will never go. It's Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous with a plot.

Burn Notice I've not watched because I didn't jump in when it first started (regular readers may remember that I have a thing about that), though I should probably just get over it and check it out. It has Bruce Campbell in it, and he's always a blast and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Regardless, it's more good news for cable broadcasting while the networks keep crying away the summer.