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, May 31

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 25)

Friday, May 29

  • John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter) - Watch John on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Lena Dunham (Girls) - Lena is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda chats about Wanda Sykes: Legacy with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jackée Harry (The Paynes/The First Family/Sister, Sister/The Royal Family/227) - Sitcom legend Jackée is back with the TamFam for a revealing conversation about her headline-making cosmetic transformation and her acclaimed career on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Death of a Salesman on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Jennette McCurdy (Sam & Cat/iCarly) - Jennette tells Drew about her latest book Half Her Age on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)

11/04/25 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11/25 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02/25 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16/25 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16/25 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (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

05/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New Episodes of The Simpsons Headed Exclusively to Disney+; Release Date Set for Reboot of A Different World
05/29 - Disney+ Announces Brand New The Simpsons Episodes; Remembering the Sitcom Stars and Crew Members We Recently Lost
05/28 - CBC 2026-27 Programming Slate Includes New Original Comedies; Jay Shetty Podcast Heads to Netflix
05/27 - Hallmark Channel's Summer Nights This June; Netflix's The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy
05/26 - Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Exclusive Episodes to Disney+ and Hulu; President Curtis Teaser Trailer
05/25 - Memorial Day 2026 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 25, 2026)
05/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Ben Stiller Teams with Mike Judge for New Apple TV Comedy; Late Show Ends with Spectacular Ratings
05/22 - Emily in Paris to Conclude After Season 6; Hulu's Hannah Berner: None of My Business Special Trailer
05/21 - MeTV's The Golden Girls of Summer Event; Fox and JB Smoove Partnership
05/20 - Season 29 of South Park This Fall; All-New Peanuts on Apple TV
05/19 - FX Picks Up Very Young Frankenstein; Disney+ and Hulu Launching Adventure Time: Side Quests on June 29
05/18 - Apple TV Renews Margo's Got Money Troubles; Netflix Announces Crazy Guest Stars for Bad Thoughts Season 2
05/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 18, 2026)
05/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Stuart Fails to Save the Universe; A Different World Reboot Set for Fall Premiere
05/15 - Great Entertainment Television Acquires Happy Endings; Futurama Season 14 Launches August 3
05/14 - Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2026; Netflix Upfront 2026
05/13 - Prime Video 2026 Upfront; BET Announces Lot Patrol
05/12 - ABC Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule; ABC Summer 2026 Schedule
05/11 - NBC Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule; Fox Upfront 2026-27: Fall 2026 Schedule
05/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 11, 2026)
05/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Picks Up The Rockford Files and Two Comedies; King of the Hill Season 15 Premiere Date Set
05/08 - Hulu's Hannah Berner: None of My Business Special; Survival of the Thickest Returns July 2
05/07 - Highway to Heaven Reboot Coming to Fox in 2027-28; Hulu's Deli Boys Trailer
05/06 - King of the Hill Season 15 Premieres July 20; The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Renewed for Season 2
05/05 - Son of a Critch Renewed for Final Season; The Four Seasons Trailer for Season 2
05/04 - Hulu's Lisa Ann Walter: It Was An Accident Trailer; Netflix Announces Season 2 of Bad Thoughts
05/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 4, 2026)
05/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Cancels Stumble; Do You Want Kids? Not Going Forward at ABC
05/01 - ABC Renews Shifting Gears and Scrubs for 2026-27; AMC Upfront 2026
04/30 - Apple TV Season 5 of Trying; Netflix Announces Dad's House