Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe Television Movie Poster

As you probably know, USA’s Burn Notice is one of The Blot’s favorite television shows and Bruce Campbell is one of my favorite actors. So you know I’m super excited for this Sunday’s world premiere of the new made for TV movie Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe starring the B-movie legend. Fans of the show have been talking about this 2hr movie for months, really ever since it was first announced it at SDCC last summer. Directed by Burn Notice’s own Jeffrey Donovan, the movie explores how Sam (Campbell) came to be an ex-Navy SEAL and living in Miami, which is where we meet the character in the first episode of Burn Notice.  I've read some mixed reviews of the movie so far, but really as long as it's got Bruce fighting bad guys, what more could you need?

The original movie Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe airs this Sunday, April 17th, at 9/8c on USA.

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe Official Synopses: Before Sam Axe teamed up with Michael and Fiona, he was Commander Axe, U.S. Navy SEAL. The Fall of Sam Axe tells the story of how Sam went from respected Naval Commander to the man of mystery we've come to know on Burn Notice. On what will turn out to be Sam's last military mission, he is sent to the jungles of Colombia to investigate claims of a vicious terrorist organization known only as the "Espada Ardiente" (Flaming Sword). His mission: to determine whether U.S. military aid is necessary to deal with the threat. But when he arrives, things are more complicated than he'd imagined. He receives word that the rebels have targeted a small civilian clinic deep in the jungle. Sam must now save the clinic's doctors and patients from certain death. However, nothing is as it seems and the Espada Ardiente may not be the biggest threat Sam Axe faces.

Psych Season 4.5 Premiere and Television Promo Poster

Psych Season 4.5 premieres tonight, Wednesday, January 27th, at 10/9c on the USA Network. If you’ve never seen USA’s current longest running television show, the best way I can describe Psych is that it’s just plain old fun television. The characters are goofy, the jokes are witty, the mysteries are interesting and best of all, it’s got pop culture references galore! Plus, Psych has a weekly Spot the Pineapple Contest that’s actually challenging. The Blot just can't hype this show enough!


And if you’ve never seen Psych before, don’t worry. It’s not a serial bogged down by continuity, it’s one of the few shows on television welcoming to new viewers. And by the way, how cool is the Psych Season 4.5 television promo poster above??? Any serious advertisement featuring its lead characters holding water guns gets an A+ in The Blot’s book!

Join Shawn, television’s best fake psychic, and Gus every Wednesday night on Psych at 10/9c on the USA Network.

Burn Notice Season 3.5 Premiere and Television Poster

Burn Notice, The Blot’s second favorite television show, returns tonight, January 21, to finish what it started over 8 months ago…its third season. After a 6 month hiatus, Burn Notice Season 3.5 airs the first of 7 all new episodes tonight on the USA Network at 10/9c. If you don’t currently watch Burn Notice, do The Blot a favor and tune in tonight! You won’t be sorry, as the show’s witty banter, excellent mysteries and intense action has proven to win over even the most cynical of television critics/viewers.


Tonight’s Burn Notice mid-season premiere episode “A Dark Road” also features an extra special reunion of sorts as Sharon Gless’ former Cagney & Lacey co-star Tyne Daly (Judging Amy) guest stars! Fans won’t want to miss this amazing Emmy and Tony Award winning actress’ return to television to re-team with her former Cagney & Lacey partner.


If you don’t know the show’s basic premise here’s a quick overview: When spies get fired, they don’t get a letter from human resources…they get BURNED. After coming face to face with the group of people that burned him, Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy, must figure out his next move...all while staying ahead of anyone else that may have him in their crosshairs. In the meantime, he continues to use his unique skills and training to help people in desperate need of assistance.


Burn Notice also features Fiona, a beautiful ex-IRA operative who happens to be Westen’s ex-girlfriend; Sam, Michael’s closest buddy in town; and Madeline, Michael’s hypochondriac mother, who couldn’t be happier to have her boy back in town. Created and written by Matt Nix, Burn Notice combines intense action/thriller elements with surprising humor to create an iconic new breed of spy.


Burn Notice airs Thursday nights on the USA Network at 10/9c and stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Seth Peterson and Sharon Gless.

White Collar Season 1.5 Premier and Television Poster

White Collar, one of The Blot’s favorite new shows from the 2009-2010 television season, returns to the USA Network tonight (January 19th) after a two month hiatus. Fans of the freshman dramedy have been eagerly awaiting the start of White Collar Season 1.5 because of the unbelievable cliffhanger the show ended on. While I don’t know any details, from the reviews I’ve read it sounds like tonight’s episode will definitely be delivering the goods. Plus, watching tonight’s all new episode of White Collar should help satisfy that Tiffani Thiessen withdrawal I know many of you have been suffering through!


White Collar is about the unlikely partnership of a con artist and an FBI agent who have been playing cat and mouse for years. Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a charming criminal mastermind, is finally caught by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay.) When Neal escapes from a maximum-security prison to find his long-lost love, Peter nabs him once again. Rather than returning to jail, Neal suggests an alternate plan: He'll provide his criminal expertise to assist the Feds in catching other elusive criminals in exchange for his eventual freedom. Initially wary, Peter quickly finds that Neal provides insight and intuition that can't be found on the right side of the law.


Three of The Blot’s favorite TV shows currently air on the USA Network, and all three return with brand new episodes over the next week and a half. With the return of White Collar, Burn Notice and Psych, January is shaping up to be a great time for new and exciting television!


White Collar airs Tuesday nights at 10/9c on the USA Network, and stars Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey, Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke, Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke, Willie Garson as Mozzie, and Natalie Morales as Lauren Cruz.

Psych Season 4 Premieres Tonight on USA

For the past three years Psych has been one of The Blot’s summer TV guilty pleasures ever since it debuted on July 7, 2006. While I can admit the show’s humor might not be for everyone, those of us that do like the witty banter of James Roday’s Shawn Spencer and Dule Hill’s Burton “Gus” Guster absolutely love the show. What’s really great about Psych is that every episode is a standalone story, so new viewers don’t have to worry about starting to watch a show now starting its fourth season.


Psych, like most of the USA Network’s original programming, can’t be tied down to just one genre. It’s an hour long “mystery of the week” detective/comedy that features some of the best quirky characters on TV. Everyone from Shawn and Gus to Detective Lassiter to even Shawn’s dad Henry (played by the legendary Corbin Bernsen) bring a unique character viewpoint to strangely satisfying yet exhilarating ensemble comedy.


Ok, I know what you’re thinking…enough with the superlatives already! While The Blot may be trying a little too hard, it’s because I truly want you to watch tonight’s season premiere of Psych, especially if you’ve never watched the show before. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it! Besides, what do you have better to do on a Friday night than watch TV?

The Psych Season 4 premier airs tonight, Friday August 7, on the USA Network at 10/9c. Then tune in every Friday night after that for another new episode featuring America’s favorite fake psychic (and no I’m not referring to that hack on CBS’ The Mentalist).

SDCC 09 - Burn Notice and Psych Panel Freebies

There were two panels The Blot HAD to attend the Thursday of Comic Con, and thankfully we arrived in San Diego just in time to see both! Over the past 2-3 years I’ve become obsessed with the USA Network’s original programming, and by far my two favorite shows on USA are Burn Notice and Psych. So when I heard both would be at Comic Con I got really excited, especially when it was announced that the legendary Bruce Campbell and Corbin Bernsen would be there.


Both panels were awesome, but what really got everyone in Ballroom 20 excited was the free shwag both shows gave out to the fans in attendance. I had no idea how much of SDCC was dedicated to freebies, but everywhere I looked there was someone screaming for usually worthless free stuff. It’s like everyone, and I do mean everyone, is after free shwag at San Diego Comic Con. I guess it’s all part of the SDCC experience, and some of the best shwag I got this past weekend came from the Burn Notice and Psych Panels. First off, everyone at the Burn Notice panel got the awesome San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Michael Westen yellow “Get Burned” t-shirt seen above.


But where we really racked up was the Psych panel which gave out SDCC 2009 exclusive Psych comic books, green Psych Magic 8 Balls (with official Shawn Spencer sayings), and Psych “fake psychic, real detectives” t-shirts. I’m not sure what I was more surprised about, that both t-shirts were printed on expensive American Apparel brand shirts, or that I saw the very same Psych tee on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel for $22!


Also making its debut at Comic Con 2009 was the Psych Shawn and Gus Talking Bobblehead Set. They did not have any of these cool bobbleheads for sale or to give away, but they did bring a set to show off to the crowd. What's great is that both bobbleheads actually look like James Roday and Dule Hill, the actors who portray Shawn and Gus on Psych. Each Psych talking bobblehead says 7 unique sayings, and the set retails for $35. You can pre-order the Psych Shawn and Gus Talking Bobblehead Set here.

Royal Pains on the USA Network

We’re now four episodes into the USA Network’s latest hit Royal Pains and The Blot has to say, I like this show. I was a little concerned at first because the show’s plot seemed a little iffy and it stars Mark Feuerstein, an actor probably most well known for his many failed television shows, and Paulo Costanzo of Joey fame…not exactly a ringing endorsement. But USA has been on fire with its original programming of late and Royal Pains airs after one of my favorite shows (Burn Notice) so I thought I’d give it a shot.


As it turns out, the show is really entertaining despite its convoluted “concierge doctor to the rich and famous” premise. The cast is entertaining and the actors seem to have already developed some real on screen chemistry for being only four episodes in. Plus, the Hamptons eye candy the show throws in each and every week rivals that of even Burn Notice’s. But what really blew me away are the show’s ratings. Royal Pains debuted to 5.57 million viewers and its ratings actually went up in its second week, even beating its Burn Notice lead in. And don’t even get me started on the fact that the combo of Burn Notice/Royal Pains is actually pulling in higher ratings than shows on the broadcast networks in their same Thursday night timeslots.


For those of you not familiar with Royal Pains, it is the story of Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) who inadvertantly became the Hamptons' newest doctor-on-demand. Hank was a rising star in the New York City medical community, until he lost everything fighting for the life of a patient. With his career stalled and his personal life in shambles, Hank’s younger brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) stepped in to help jump start Hank’s life. Fed up with Hank's personal pity-party, he convinces Hank to join him on a last-minute trip to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. When the brothers crash a party at the home of a Hamptons billionaire and a guest falls critically ill, Hank saves the day. His dramatic medical rescue draws attention from the crowd, and soon Hank's phone starts ringing off the hook with patients demanding house calls. Hank has now become the hot new "concierge doctor" in town…and the rest they say is history.

Royal Pains airs Thursday nights on the USA Network at 10/9c.

Burn Notice Season 3 Premieres Tonight - Official Trailer & Poster

Burn Notice, one of The Blot’s favorite television shows, returns tonight (June 4th) on USA with all new episodes! It should be an interesting season now that Michael Westen has finally freed himself from the clutches of the nefarious black-ops organization that had him burned. But, what sort of trouble lies ahead for Michael, Fi and Sam now that they are no longer under the protection of Carla and her goons?!? Only time will tell!


Since we still have a few hours to kill before the show's season premiere, check out this awesome trailer for Burn Notice Season 3 set to ZZ Tops' "Sharp Dressed Man":



Burn Notice Season 3 will air Thursdays on the USA Network at 9/8c.

In Plain Sight Season 2 Begins This Sunday, April 19th

The Blot originally wrote this blog entry for Friday, but I evidently forgot to post it. Oh well, better late than never. One of The Blot’s favorite new shows from last year was the USA Network’s In Plain Sight and after a long break it is finally returning for its second season this Sunday, April 19, 2009.


I’ve been a huge fan of Mary McCormack ever since she first showed up as a reoccurring character on NBC’s ER during their many Africa episodes and then joined the cast of NBC’s other hit drama The West Wing for Seasons 5-7. McCormack’s Mary Shannon is one of the great female leads on television right now and In Plain Sight is just the latest in a long line of great quirky, slightly comedic dramas on the USA Network. If you’re looking for quality television these days and aren’t watching the original programming on USA then you’re really missing out!


In Plain Sight Season 2 airs Sunday nights at 10/9c on the USA Network.

Burn Notice’s Michael Westen Kills The Competition

Has The Blot told you lately what a huge fan I am of the USA Network’s Burn Notice? Week in and week out it is one of my favorite shows on television, and evidently much of America feels the exact same way. Last week’s season finale officially made Burn Notice “the hottest show on cable.” (link) Burn Notice ended its second season “with two series highs: 6.1 million in total viewers and 2.7 million” viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on basic cable. (link)


These are extremely impressive numbers considering the second part of Burn Notice’s second season aired against strict competition from the broadcast networks. Not only was Burn Notice Season Two, Part II numbers competitive with shows like NBC’s ER and CBS’ Eleventh Hour, it soundly beat the ratings of “cable’s incumbent ratings champion, TNT’s The Closer.” (link)


I finally got a chance to watch the episode last night and was blown away. Burn Notice Season 2’s final episode was pure fun and excitement. I won’t include any spoilers in case you still haven’t seen the episode, but never in a million years did I expect the show to end the way it did. It definitely set up next season to be an exciting one without giving us a lame cliff hanger to worry about for months.


I’m just dying to see how Season 2’s game changer affects Michael (Jeffrey Donovan), Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Madeline’s (Sharon Gless) lives from here on out. If anything, I was more than a little bummed to find out there won’t be another episode of Burn Notice until the summer of ’09, but that’s a small price to pay for quality TV.

Burn Notice Returns to the USA Network Tonight!

I know this is a little last minute, but there has been so much good stuff going on this week! Burn Notice Season 2, Part II premieres tonight, January 22nd on the USA Network and The Blot is pumped. Burn Notice has something special that a lot of the new network television shows lack, fun. The action/spy thriller never takes itself too seriously and no matter what’s happening on screen, the actors seem to be enjoying themselves almost as much as their fans enjoy watching Burn Notice's storylines play out. Plus, Burn Notice stars the timeless Bruce Campbell, so what’s not to love?


I’ve heard that over the course of Burn Notice Season 2.5 we can expect some exciting new developments in Michael’s (Jeffrey Donovan) quest to discover the reason he was burned as he gets ever so close to finding out the true identity of the mastermind behind it all. We can also expect several more guest appearances by Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer as Michael’s new handler Carla. Burn Notice’s overarching storyline seems to be really picking up steam, and I know you won’t want to miss even a single minute of this great hour-long espionage dramedy.

Burn Notice airs every Thursday at 10/9c on the USA Network.

USA Renews Psych and Burn Notice

The Blot can’t even start to explain how happy this news makes me! The USA Network has renewed two of my favorite TV shows, Psych and Burn Notice, for additional seasons of 16 episodes each. (link) This will be the fourth season of Psych and the third for Burn Notice. These are two of the most entertaining shows on television, and if you like great ensemble casts chock-full of quirky characters then you will definitely enjoy these hour-long series from USA.

Both shows are currently on mid-season hiatuses, but “are scheduled to kick off the second half of their current seasons in January (although Psych will air a special Christmas-themed hour on Nov. 28).” (link) The Blot thanks USA for renewing both Psych and Burn Notice, and I look forward to following the wacky exploits of Shawn, Gus, Michael, Sam and Fiona for many episodes to come.

Battlestar Galactica News and Caprica Trailer

Thankfully, we won’t have to wait as long for the completion of Battlestar Galactica Season 4 as I had first thought. The Sci Fi Channel announced this week that the second part BSG’s final season would begin airing in January 2009. (link) While The Blot dreaded having to wait until 2009 to watch the Battlestar's final 10 episodes, at least they are debuting Season 4, Part II in January and not making us wait until the summer of 2009.

The second interesting bit of Battlestar news is that BSG’s own Jamie Bamber (Apollo) has been chosen to star in the newest Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: UK, as one of the show’s two central police officers. This is the first Law & Order series to be created specifically for another country, but have no fear, the show will have the “same premise as the original American Law & Order, same everything, just with a U.K. production company and U.K. actors.” (link)

Considering all three of the original Law & Orders were just renewed for another season, it seems like nothing can slow down the Law & Order franchise, even lower ratings. No word yet if Law & Order: UK will be replayed in the United States. My guess is that it will air in the U.S. one day, either on BBC America or on one of the networks of NBC Universal, possibly the USA Network.


And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the Sci Fi Channel has posted on their website the very first Caprica trailer for their upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel television movie/series. Caprica takes place “a generation before Battlestar” and features the legendary Adama family struggling with the creation of the first Cylons. (link) You can catch this exclusive trailer here.

Psych Season Three Premieres Tonight

Those loveable fake psychics from the Psych Detective Agency return tonight, Friday July 18, at 10/9C with an all new season of quick-witted comedy high jinx mixed with a little freelance crime solving. James Roday’s Shawn Spencer and Dule Hill’s Burton “Gus” Guster might just be the best crime solving duo currently on TV, and the show fits right in with the USA Network’s catch phrase of “Character’s Welcomed.”


While many would say USA’s current run of amazing original programming started with the debut of Monk or The Dead Zone, I would respectively disagree. It’s the debut of Psych that really solidified the channel’s quirky off-centered comedy and crime/adventure line-up, bridging the gap between the two genres perfectly. If you haven’t been watching Psych on USA, you should definitely set your DVR to record it before heading out on the town tonight. With new episodes of Psych, Burn Notice and In Plain Sight airing all summer long on USA, the basic cable channel may just be solidifying itself as THE destination for original programming during the big four networks’ summer hiatus.

And, if you need a quick Psych fix before tonight’s episode (and the debut of Cybill Shepherd as Shawn's long absent mother), then I highly suggest checking out this Psych promo that’s been airing on the USA Network for the past few weeks. Roday and Hill are often seen singing and goofing around at the end of each episode of Psych in the show’s aptly named blooper real “Psych-Out.” In this television spot the duo sings the classic duet by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney “Ebony and Ivory.” You can watch the “Ebony and Ivory” Psych TV ad below, and tune in tonight at 10/9C for the Season Three premiere of Psych.

My Name Is Bruce Teaser Movie Poster

The Blot’s never been too shy about sharing my adoration for B-movie icon Bruce Campbell. From the first time I watched him play Ash in the Evil Dead trilogy (Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness) I was hooked. Whether he’s headlining B-movies like Bubba Ho-Tep (which if you haven’t seen yet you really need to rent) or playing bit parts in summer blockbuster movies like the Spider-Man trilogy, Campbell always exudes a “deadpan and somewhat sarcastic comic delivery” that The Blot can’t get enough of. (link) So, when I heard Campbell was making his directorial debut this fall with the release of his new film My Name is Bruce, written by Battlestar Galactica scribe Mark Verheiden,” I got really excited. (link)


Now I have no clue if My Name Is Bruce will be good, but I do know it’ll be one of a kind. The movie centers “around a group of fans who mistaken Campbell for his movie alter ego Ash and kidnap him to help them fight a Chinese war deity.” (link) It sounds like exactly the kind of crazy, “only in movies” type of plot that you can come to expect from a Bruce Campbell B-movie.

You can currently catch Campbell every Thursday night on USA’s Burn Notice or watch him on DVD in any number of television box sets including instant classics like The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess. He has also proven to be an excellent writer with his autobiographical NY Times best seller If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor and his fictional 2005 novel Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way. If all this hasn’t gotten you extremely pumped for the upcoming theatrical release of My Name Is Bruce, scheduled for October 2008 followed immediately by its DVD release in January 2009, then I don’t know what will.

Hellboy Invades NBC - New Hellboy II Television Promo Ads

Tonight at midnight marks the official release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army and I’m already scoping out movie times to try and avoid the crazy opening weekend crowds that come with every new movie that debuts over the summer. Universal, who is producing and distributing Hellboy II, has come up with some really creative television promotional advertisements for the movie and The Blot can’t get enough of them.

A few years ago NBC and Universal merged to create the aptly named NBC/Universal, so it should come as no surprise that Universal would utilize the NBC family of networks to promote their upcoming movies. First it was a promo ad involving Hellboy on Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio (which you can see here), and then on Sunday I saw a USA Network “Characters Welcomed” ad that featured Hellboy. Now the internet is abuzz with new Hellboy II promo ads featuring two of NBC’s most popular freshmen shows, Chuck and American Gladiators.

I don’t know who came up with the idea to have Hellboy interact with other properties’ characters, but it really is ingenious. The first video below features Hellboy playing video games with Chuck’s Zachary Levi (a.k.a Chuck Bartowski) and the second shows Hellboy visiting the set of American Gladiators where he runs into Gladiator Wolf (played by Hollywood Yates). There’s also a great retro “The More You Know” public service announcement starring Hellboy. I’m hoping there are a few more crossovers out there, but in the mean time check out these three new NBC Hellboy II TV promo ads below:

Hellboy on Chuck


Hellboy on American Gladiators


The More You Know PSA with Hellboy

Burn Notice Returns Thursday July 10th

I’ve been waiting all summer for tomorrow because it marks the start of Burn Notice's second season. I know I seem to be talking about this new show a little too much, but if you’ve caught up on Burn Notice Season 1 then you can definitely understand why! What surprises me is that USA’s breakout hit is not garnering more attention. Part of the problem is all of the craze surrounding AMC’s Mad Men, a show that aired in the same time slot as Burn Notice last summer.


From all of the media coverage, magazine covers and general hype surrounding Mad Men, you’d think it would have easily won its time slot against Burn Notice and have been the highest rated new show of last summer. I bet it would surprise most television fans to learn how far from the truth that is.

In fact, last summer’s battle between two great freshman cable dramas was overwhelmingly won by Burn Notice. While “Burn Notice never received the media blandishments of its time-period competitor, it beat the Madison Avenue drama every week in the ratings, averaging 2.9 million viewers a week to Mad Men's 900,000.” (link) And yet even with considerably higher ratings, all I ever read about is how great Mad Men is and how it's the show of the summer. Let me tell all the critics out there something, if there's one show of the summer debuting this month it's the spy fueled drama based in sunny, sand filled Miami. Besides, if you can't make it to the beach this summer then you can at least watch people living by the beach with Burn Notice. Plus, Burn Notice now stars Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer, try to beat that Mad Men!

On a side note, it appears AMC has already admitted defeat because there won't be a second head to head showdown between these two hour long dramas this summer. AMC has called uncle and decided to air Mad Men’s sophomore season on Sunday nights. I think it's safe to say round two goes to the cast and crew of Burn Notice. Anyway, if you still haven’t watched Burn Notice Season 1 don’t worry, I’m sure tomorrow night’s season premiere will do a fine job catching you up to speed on all of the adventures of Michael Weston and Co. from the previous season. So now you really have no excuse not to tune in to the USA Network on Thursday, July 10th at 10/9C for Burn Notice’s Season 2 premiere and enjoy a little sun, surf and espionage.

Burn Notice: Season 1 DVD Out Today

Going on sale today is the Burn Notice Season 1 DVD box set. Burn Notice quickly became one of my favorite television shows when it debuted last summer on USA and I am eagerly awaiting the start of Season 2 on Thursday, July 10th at 10/9C. Even though I've already seen all of Season 1, I just couldn't resist adding it to my Netflix Queue...especially since Aly has never seen an episode.


I know I’ve spoken about Burn Notice before and I’m sure I will do it again before Season 2’s debut, but if you haven’t given this show a chance yet you really are missing out on some terrific television. The Season 1 Box Set is a great way to get caught up on all of Michael Westen’s adventures in Miami in a quest to find out who burned him from the spy game.

The Burn Notice: Season One DVD box set includes all 11 episodes, including the two-hour season finale, on four DVDs and has a whole slew of extras, like cast/crew commentaries, interviews and more. What’s even better is if you don’t mind watching TV on your computer, you can now watch the entire first season of Burn Notice for free on the NBC/FOX joint venture Hulu.com.

Hulu.com has its very own Burn Notice channel where you are able to watch individual episodes with limited commercial interruptions. Have no fear though, Hulu.com is pretty advanced and allows you to pause, fast forward and rewind its shows. Burn Notice and a ton of other NBC/Universe and FOX television shows are at your disposal, so check it out to watch some of your favorite network shows on the web.

In Plain Sight - A New Show on USA

Have you started watching In Plain Sight yet? Well, what are you waiting for? USA Network’s newest crime drama airs Sunday nights at 10/9C and has proven in two short weeks to be a worthy addition to the cable channel’s stable of high quality, yet quirky television shows. I know I’ve said this before, but USA consistently puts out the best shows on cable and comes very close to challenging the big four networks in overall programming. With Monk, Psych, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Burn Notice (one of The Blot’s favorite shows on television) and now In Plain Sight, the USA Network lineup of shows should be destination television for any real fan of TV. I mean come on, the USA Network IS where characters happen.

If you have missed In Plain Sight’s first two episodes, don’t worry you haven’t missed anything that you can’t catch up on in about five minutes flat. The show doesn’t have an ongoing story line, so watching the episodes out of order shouldn’t be a problem. To give you a quick rundown, Mary McCormack (The West Wing) stars as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal who works in “the highly secretive Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC). While her friends and family believe she's a glorified courier, she is busy managing relocated federal witnesses who are career criminals and those who had the misfortune of witnessing a crime or falling victim to one. These people all have one thing in common, someone wants them dead and it's Mary’s job to see that doesn't happen.” (link)

Strangely enough, the show takes place “in the greater Albuquerque/Santa Fe area,” which has to be a first for a prime time show. (link) The drama has some really great writing and is both suspenseful and witty. It also has a great cast, which includes Frederick Weller as Mary’s partner Marshall Mann and Paul Ben-Victor (Entourage, John From Cincinnati) as Stan McQueen, Mary’s boss and the chief inspector for WITSEC’s Southwest region. I’m also glad to see Cristian de la Fuente (The Class) return to television as Raphael Ramirez, Mary’s on-again, off-again boyfriend.

I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far and expect further character development as the series moves along. McCormack plays the emotionally withdrawn U.S. Marshal perfectly, and you can really empathize with how the character struggles to balance doing her job and doing the right thing. With most shows on hiatus over the summer, the USA Network is bringing back all of its big hits with new original programming to entertain us during this extremely slow time on TV. And since there is nothing else new on Sunday nights, you really have no excuses not to be watching this great new show.

Psych Casts Cybill Shepherd As Shawn’s Mom

After the huge cliffhanger at the end of Psych’s Season 2 finale (when Shawn’s rarely mentioned mother finally returns home), comes word that the USA Network dramedy has officially cast the mysteriously absent mother of psychic detective Shawn Spencer. Cybill Shepherd (Moonlighting) is set to appear in a multi-episode arc as the television mother to James Roday’s Shawn starting with the show’s Season 3 premiere on July 18th on the USA Network. (link)


It is being reported that “her character, Madeline, is a private practice psychologist who, after spending a few years abroad, returns to Santa Barbara to pay her ex-hubby (Corbin Bernsen) and son a visit and ends up helping them with a case. She’s described as being a free spirit and the source of Shawn’s adventurous side.” (link) I’m pretty excited to see Ms. Shepherd join the cast of Psych, even if it is only for a few episodes, and how her free spirited character plays off of Bernsen’s by-the-books retired police officer, Henry Spencer.

Plus, it’s been hinted at throughout the series that Roday’s Shawn has some mommy issues, so it’ll be nice to see those issues finally explored this season. Psych is one of the best hour-long comedies on the air today, and an excellent example of the quality television the USA Network airs on a regular basis. If you’re not watching Psych already, make sure to set your DVR’s for the Season 3 premier of Psych on Friday, July 18th at 10/9C.