hidden palms

Summer TV now and summer TV ten years ago are two entirely different things. There's actually stuff (good stuff) on in the sunny months. It's no longer just re-runs, corny clip-shows, and over-used made for TV movies. Networks, especially cable ones, now give us plenty of reasons to tune in instead of going to the beach and the following shows are sure to keep me pale and tanless this summer.

Rescue Me [Premieres Wed. June 13 on F/X] -- This is by far my favorite summer show. It's the one I look forward to more than anything and frankly, I'd be fine letting go of everything else on this list if I got to keep Rescue Me. Fortunately, I've already been able to screen the first three episodes of season four and it's shaping up to be the best one yet. Tommy Gavin really is America's favorite a-hole.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7.
• CNN has a debate between all the Democrati candidates for President at 7.
• At 8, The CW repeats the pilot episode of Hidden Palms.
• Lifetime has the new movie Write & Wrong, with Kirstie Alley at 8, followed by the series premiere of Army Wives.
• MTV has the (live) MTV Movie Awards at 8 (repeated at 10).
• At 9, PBS has a new Mystery!
• There's a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels on A&E at 9.
• HBO has a new Sopranos at 9, then the season finale of Entourage.
• Also at 9: Food Network has two new episodes of The Next Food Network Star.
• At 10, MSNBC repeats this morning's Meet The Press, if you missed it.
• HGTV has a new Bought & Sold at 10, then a new My First Place.
• E! has a new Simple Life Goes To Camp at 10, followed by a new Sunset Tan.
• Showtime has a new ep of The Tudors at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• Best Week Ever interviews Michael Emerson (Ben from Lost).
• Do all those "Save [Show Name Here]" campaigns really work?
• Another celeb interview: BuddyTV interviews James Kyson Lee (Ando from Heroes).
• Yes, Trump did indeed have something to say about Rosie leaving The View early.
• How many lawsuits have been filed against Brandy anyway?
• TV Guide's Matt Roush calls Hidden Palms "The O.C. meets Hitchcock."
• Here are the May sweeps ratings for the evening news (hint: Katie is still in third place).
• Cracked lists the 15 Painfully Unforgettable Cartoon Theme Songs.