Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day 2013 TV Marathons; Top 10 Summer 2013 Television Picks

Happy Memorial Day! Before we get into the holiday marathons as usual on a holiday, we want to give you a rundown of the top 10 series airing this summer on television! (Scroll below for the marathon info, if you are looking specifically for that).

1. Mistresses (ABC, Mondays 10|9c beginning June 3) - This is the juiciest new series coming this summer and it is perfect since it is hot and sultry. We've seen the first three episodes and it's like eating potato chips, you can't just watch one. Alyssa Milano is breathtaking and leads this series quite well. The series has more substance than the title implies and has a lot of heart and you just want to root for these four women. It's 13 weeks of fun and you're going to want to watch each one from June 3 to September 9 (preempted only on Aug. 5 and 12). Yunjin Kim (Lost) is also quite good in this along with Jason George, who is a drama staple.

2. Devious Maids (Lifetime, Sundays 10|9c beginning June 23) - From Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives comes a similar series that brings the mystery and fun of that series back. We now are focused on all Latina women and Marc Cherry once again brings in a show that everyone will want to see. Having seen the first two episodes, we have the mystery, the beauty and an all-star cast lead by Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty. All of the maids are quite good and by the end of episode two, you'll be invested in them all. Breakout performance of the summer belongs to Edy Ganem. She is the next Eva Longoria!

3. Rookie Blue (ABC, Thursdays 10|9c) - The fourth season of the Canadian drama began on Thursday and it returned with a bang. This is one of the best cop shows on television and it airs every summer. Missy Peregrym leads a great cast of rookie cops who are getting experience each season. The relationships on this show is like no other and reminds you of other ABC series like Castle and Grey's Anatomy.

4. Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family, Tuesdays 8|7c beginning June 11) - The liars are back for an all-new season with season four! This is one of the best teen series of all-time and everyone wants to know who is on the A team. As usual, we will have 12 episodes in the summer with a Halloween special in October before the rest of the season airs next winter. ABC Family spreads the season out well and makes it into an event. The show just gets better and better. The main four girls have ultra hot chemistry and Ashley Benson is the complete package with comedic fun even. Look for the spin-off series Ravenswood later this year.

5. Hot in Cleveland (TV Land, Wednesdays 10|9c beginning June 19) - The ladies returns with the second half of episodes for its fourth season and it starts off with a LIVE episode. That should be great and we can watch the most professional actor ever do her thing in Betty White. While some episodes have been hit or miss recently, this past fall had some great episodes, especially the ones revolving around Valerie Bertinelli, who looks better and better each season. It is amazing.

6. Melissa & Joey (ABC Family, Wednesdays 8|7c beginning May 29) - The third season of this sitcom premieres and we watched the first two episodes of the season. We'll have more on those episodes in a full review, but this series is a nice throwback style sitcom with a great cast lead by Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It's a modern day Who's the Boss? and we want to know if Mel and Joe "will get together or not."

7. Baby Daddy (ABC Family, Wednesdays 8:30|7:30c beginning May 29) - This series premiered last summer and got off to a awesome start! It returns for a second season and it is a great younger sitcom but has elements of past sitcoms like Boy Meets World. The core group of 20-somethings work together well and we also have a great relationship dynamic with Chelsea Kane's character. She seems to have amazing chemistry with both brothers, played by Jean-Luc Bilodeau and Derek Theler. Melissa Peterman as Jean-Luc Bilodeau's mother brings in a lot of laughs. And how cute is the baby? Look for our full review of the premiere and the next episode soon!

8. Covert Affairs (USA Network, Tuesdays 10|9c beginning July 16) - The very fun and awesome series starring Piper Perabo as Annie Walker returns for a fourth season. We had a great storyline last season with Annie and her love life meshing with work at the CIA. It's going to be interesting what will be in store this season. We hope to watch the season premiere very soon. This is a great and easy show to follow. It's not as complicated as Alias (which was a great show), but this is more for the mainstream audience and it works well as that.

9. Under the Dome (CBS, Mondays 10|9c beginning June 24) - One of CBS' very few attempts at a scripted series in the summer and it looks like a winner. We haven't gotten a review copy yet of the premiere yet but this series comes from Stephen King and will be airing in a time period full of summer dramas, but this show shouldn't have trouble finding an audience. It looks like a winner in quality as well. The series is about small town that is completely isolated when a mysterious force field shuts it off from the rest of the world.

10. Whodunnit? (ABC, Sundays 9|8c beginning June 23) - This is another series we haven't even seen yet, but it already makes the top 10 summer list because it is a unique and fresh idea. This is a reality series (and the only one of those on our top 10) that is coming from the creator of CSI. On this series, contestants are stuck in a mansion to solve fake crimes with high-tech forensic equipment. It's like a crime Big Brother but more interesting since we will want to know whodunnit? I'm obsessed already with stuff like this as I loved the 2-part The Jeffersons episode "Death Smiles on a Dry Cleaner," where George and Louise go on a cruise ship filled with mystery novelists who play a game of whodunnit? If it's anything like that, we will love it!

There are of course much more series airing but these are our ten best picks and ones you should make an effort to watch. Other notables include reality staples America's Got Talent (NBC), Big Brother (CBS), Wipeout (ABC), The Bachelorette (ABC), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) and some interesting newbies like Hollywood Game Night (NBC), along with scripted series options like Falling Skies (TNT), Graceland (USA), Sullivan & Son (TBS), The Exes (TV Land), Motive (ABC), Camp (NBC) and the reboot of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW). Plenty of options in the summer!


Now to the marathons! As we pay tribute to our troops every year on this day, let's have some fun as well watching TV marathons on the tube on this day off! If you're not going outside in the heat (or the cool weather, like we've had in the NY area), then there are plenty of TV options for you on this day! Are you headed to the shore or would you rather watch some good TV marathons like Happy Days? Share them with me (and everyone)! So bring out your lawn chair, throw some burgers on the BBQ, and watch some television!
Among the marathons today are the marathons we have previously mentioned, such as the Happy Days marathon in NY on WLNY-TV 10/55 from 9am-9pm. We also told you about the Baby Daddy season one marathon on ABC Family from 2pm-7pm, start the series in time for the second season on Wednesday. It's a good young and hip sitcom with a taste of old school shows like Boy Meets World. Give it a try! Other sitcoms getting the marathon treatment on this day include What's Happening!! on TV One in primetime from 8pm-2am, so say hey, hey, hey to them tonight. In the daytime, TV Guide Network will have a Who's the Boss? marathon today from 9am-1pm around the bend. Centric will air a Moesha marathon all-day from 10am-3am, so get out the brandy to watch Brandy. CMT will spend the morning with Reba with a block of Reba from 9am-12pm. TeenNick will have three blocks of teen sitcoms starting with Zoey 101, followed by Victorious then True Jackson VP in primetime. Comedy Central will have a South Park Steals Memorial Day Marathon beginning at 11am and running to 11pm. And probably the most fitting sitcom marathon of the day is M*A*S*H on TV Land from 8am-7pm. Other sitcoms airing today will be in their regular blocks, like I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch on Hallmark and Saved by the Bell on MTV2.

Moving on to dramas, INSP has a marathon of The Waltons beginning at 11am today. If you like mystery, then spend the day with Angela Lansbury with a marathon of Murder, She Wrote on Hallmark Movie Channel beginning at 6am. If you still have SOAPnet, they have a Veronica Mars "Mars and Stripes Marathon" from 10am-7pm. It wouldn't be a holiday without marathons of Criminal Minds and once again ION and A&E will have marathons, with ION airing it from 4pm-1am and A&E from 9am-9pm. Another marathon staple is NCIS and USA Network has a marathon of the veteran series from 6am-8pm. TNT will have a promotional marathon for Falling Skies from 10am-8pm, which returns June 9 on TNT. GMC will have a marathon tonight for Touched by an Angel from 7-11pm. IFC will bring a marathon of the cult classic Freaks & Geeks with a marathon from 9am-3pm. And Cloo has a 24-hour marathon of Royal Pains beginning at 6am. Reality series wise, CMT will launch their new acquisition Hell's Kitchen with a marathon from 12pm-6pm leading into a marathon of the syndicated package of Cops called Cops Reloaded. Spend the day with Kim Kardashian in Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! from 8am-12pm. Other reality best bets for the day are Top Gear marathon on BBC America, The Real Housewives of Orange County marathon on Bravo, Minute To Win It marathon on GSN, Pawn Stars marathon on History and Cake Boss marathon on TLC.

If you like movies on TV, watch Antenna TV's Memorial Day Cinema Salute begins at 5am. Encore will have a marathon of three movie series with trilogies. Kicking it off will be Back to the Future's three films, followed by Jurassic Park and then Lethal Weapon. Syfy has a Roger Corman Film Festival beginning at 12 noon through 4am. And you can of course catch movies all day on Lifetime, LMN, AMC, TCM and other networks that usually air movies.
For the full times of these marathons and much more marathons we didn't cover, check out the full list from our pals at TV Tango!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, February 15

The Simpsons - "Irrational Treasure" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Marge enters Santa's Little Helper into the national dog show in Philadelphia.

The Simpsons - "Homer? A Cracker Bro?" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Homer and Kirk go into business together.

Universal Basic Guys - "Little the Netherlands" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Mark learns to ride a bike and finds a hidden Dutch enclave; Tammy helps Leanne plan her "divorce-lorette" party.

Family Guy - "The Edible Arrangement" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Lois and Stewie finally understand each other -- thanks to Brian's edibles -- and explore and try to explain their complicated relationship.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 9)

Friday, February 13

  • Christopher Titus (Titus) - Christopher is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Drew is celebrating Valentine's Day and hitting the headlines with Valerie and Sunny Anderson on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Then it's bestie cooking for two with Sunny, Valerie and Ross.
  • Vanessa Lachey (Truth Be Told/Dads) - Vanessa and Nick Lachey talk about Netflix's Love is Blind on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

02/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Trailer Released for Scrubs Reboot; Tubi to Add 100 Cartoon Series from Warner and Cartoon Network Library
02/13 - Remembering James Van Der Beek of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23; The Way Home Returns for Final Season in April on Hallmark
02/12 - ABC's Scrubs Revival Trailer and Details; XO, Kitty Returns April 2 on Netflix
02/11 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Post Saturday Night Live Encore; Chris Fleming HBO Special
02/10 - Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars Premiere Shifting by Two Weeks; Virgin River Season 7 Trailer
02/09 - Shoresy Returns with Season 5; HBO Max Acquires Schitt's Creek
02/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 9, 2026)
02/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Roku Adds New Channels for Bernie Mac, Blossom, and Cougar Town; Catchy Comedy Introduces Catchy Loves Lucy
02/06 - Rooster Premieres March 8 on HBO; MGM+ Comedy American Classic Trailer
02/05 - NBC Unveils Trailer and Guest Stars for The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins; Adult Swim's Anime Series Rooster Fighter Premieres March 14
02/04 - Netflix Renews A Man on the Inside for Season 3; Apple TV Premiere Date for Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
02/03 - NBC Renews St. Denis Medical and Happy's Place for Season 3; Pilot Orders for Comedy Projects on NBC
02/02 - Remembering Demond Wilson of Sanford and Son, Catherine O'Hara of Schitt's Creek, Yvonne Lime of Father Knows Best, and TV Director Bruce Bilson
02/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 2, 2026)
01/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Orders Pair of Comedy Pilots; Final Episode Airdate Announced for The Late Show
01/30 - Jury Duty Returns March 20 on Prime Video; Katt Williams 4th Netflix Special
01/29 - Season 4 of Ted Lasso Premieres This Summer; Shrinking Renewed for Season 4 as Season 3 Premieres
01/28 - Nikki Glaser's New Hulu Special Premieres April 24; HBO Announces Late-Night Series
01/27 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; New Evolution of The Handmaid's Tale Series
01/26 - FETV Acquires '70s S.W.A.T. Series; Paramount+ Releases Date for Can You Keep a Secret? Comedy Series
01/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 26, 2026)
01/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Kenan and Kel Back Together for Upcoming Movie; Amazon Barbershop Series Adds to Cast
01/23 - CBS Renews 10 More Series for 2026-27; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Return Big in January
01/22 - Dancing with the Stars Live Tour Starts TODAY; Beef Returns April 16
01/21 - Prime Video's Bait Premieres March 25; Production Underway on Season 2 of Arctic-set Comedy North of North
01/20 - Baywatch Casting Call for Reboot on Fox; Mike Epps Netflix Special Trailer
01/19 - MGM+ Comedy Series American Classic; Taylor Tomlinson Returns to Netflix
01/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 19, 2026)
01/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Rockford Files Reboot at NBC; Daniel Stern Fired From ABC Comedy Pilot
01/16 - Ted Season 2 Trailer Released; Remembering T.K. Carter of Punky Brewster, TV Director Tom Cherones, and Others We Recently Lost
01/15 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Special Preview; ABC Midseason Changes for Monday and Tuesday Night Lineups
01/14 - NBC Orders Pilots, Including The Rockford Files; The CW to Premiere Celebrity Series