Sunday nights just isn't the same anymore. Ever since "Desperate Housewives" aired its season finale on May 22, Sunday nights are just like every other night of the week-- a night of boring television reruns. Oh how I miss the first-run adventures of Susan, Gabby, Lynette and Bree, but I know they'll be back in action-- God and ABC willing-- in the fall. Still, the wait is killing me.
If you're fan of network television, then you know that most first run programming ends around the end of May with the May sweeps. Then it's on to the long, hot, endless summer full of television reruns. If you can't take the thought of watching reruns all summer long, there are some ways to get your TV fix without vegetating and watching the same old episodes over and over again. Here are some tips to help you get through until the new programming starts in September.
-- Watch first run filler programs, like "Big Brother". Around the second week of July, CBS airs their reality series "Big Brother". While the show is far from riveting (it's a standard vote-off type reality show, with "challenges" that are more goofy than grueling), it's better than watching reruns. Some nights the program even airs live-- and live TV can always be a tad thrilling. "Big Brother" takes up three nights of CBS' primetime programming each week through September, so it qualifies as good filler. If you can't stomach "Big Brother", check for other reality shows that aren't in repeats (most only air once, deeming them "disposable" in my opinion). MTV seems to always have a fresh supply of new programming. And hey, there's always the evening news and sports programming-- they're always new!
-- Rent more movies. Use this time to rent the movies on your list that you keep putting off. Most new DVD movie releases come out on Tuesday mornings, so check your local video store early in the week for the best selection. This summer may be your chance to finally catch "Gigli".
-- Watch soap operas. The soap opera gods churn out brand new episodes every day, so, with the exception of the soap repeats that air on "Soap Net", you can enjoy brand new episodes every day. Record soap operas while you are at work so you can come home to fresh new episodes every night. But watch out with the soaps-- it' very easy to get hooked on them, so don't get involved with too many! The best soaps are long runners like "All My Children", "The Young and the Restless" and "Days of Our Lives".
-- Catch up on shows that you missed the first time around. That's right, you may have even missed one or two episodes of "Desperate Housewives" the first time around so watch them when they rerun in the summer-- even though you know how the season finale ended. Or, like me, perhaps you didn't catch on to "Lost" or "Grey's Anatomy" until midway through the original season. Catch up over the summer so that come fall, you'll be up to date and ready for the new season.
