As excited as we all are about tonight’s mid-season finale, the dreaded “mid-season break” that immediately follows is also on our minds. As a result there has been an increase in discussion of other shows our members watch regularly in the OT: Watercooler Thread. While a few of our members have visited other forums, the majority prefer our own BN forum. With that in mind, I asked if USA or the forum moderators would object to a discussion of other shows right here on this forum. Thanks to JennaV, I received a quick response. Our forum moderators thought an OT thread for this type of discussion would be a good idea and a way to keep our members connected during the break.

The only restrictions we have on discussing these shows, other than following the guidelines in the “pinned” threads, is that those discussions be confined to this one thread. It’s unlikely that we’ll begin those discussions until after we’ve exhausted ourselves talking about tonight’s "Long Way Back" but when we’re ready, we can do it here.

Thanks to JennaV, PhilippaConnors, NatashaFatale and USA, we can talk about Monk, Psych, In Plain Sight, The Closer, Leverage, Dark Blue or any other show without leaving “home”.

Great idea Ann! I'm looking forward to being able to chat in this thread. I don't watch that many shows religiously, and I'm really not a "forum joining" type, but of course when it came to this community, it was a done deal! I love the folks in this group, and I think we can have some good discussion of other shows during the hiatus, but also knowing that our own true love is BN!!

See you Friday probably in this thread!!

Wait just a minute... There are other shows on TV?!?! That's news to me, lol!!!! I am not looking forward to this break, but what a great way to stay connected!!!

It would probably be more accurate to call this thread an opportunity than an idea. When I asked about discussing other shows on this forum, the thought of a separate thread seemed unlikely but you never know until you ask and I was pleasantly surprised. Credit for this thread really has to go to our moderators. They offered and I jumped at the opportunity.

This is a great idea. I've become very picky about the shows I watch. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting my time. Thanks for starting this thread and I'll be back after tonight's summer finale of my favorite, favorite show!

Good idea!



Other shows, but not as good!

This is a great opportunity/idea! but no other show could be as good as Burn Notice!


edited because Li_Ann wants us to use the word opportunity instead of idea.

Now that we're officially in the BN break, it's time to get this thread going. Last night I watched Monk and who did I see? Gary Weeks, aka Fiona's ex-boyfriend Campbell. He was on Monk last night. Tony Shalhoub always delivers the delightful Mr. Monk but it was probably too soon after Long Way Back for me to really get into another show. I did watch Monk all the way through but after a few minutes of Psych, I changed back to the Yankee/Red Sox game. I'll have to catch Psych on a rerun or on demand one of these days. I usually enjoy both of these shows but like I said, the day after Long Way Back was way too soon for me to enjoy anything that wasn't BN related. It's only day one of the break and I miss it already!

Don't get me wrong, I do like Monk and I've been a fan of Tony Shalhoub since his days on Wings. The promos for Monk promise a lot of big name guest stars on this the final season. Somewhere I read that they'll be bringing Sharona back too.

It's the first Thursday since the mid-season finale. For the first few days after last week's Long Way Back I'm sure no one was thinking much about other TV shows. But now that a week has gone by there must be something else on TV for us to discuss.

Did any of you watch the season finale of In Plain Sight?

I can't watch In Plain Sight. It's a decent show, but the mom, ugggh, her voice just makes me want to smack her. I really can't stand it!

I'm just going to tell you what I love to watch. DVR makes it really easy. My husband and I are (well, and my whole family and nearly everyone I know) are addicted to Wipeout. Any of you guys watch that? Just an hour of good fun. And hilarious. We also looooooove COPS. I don't personally have many good law enforcement experiences, so I like to see cops who really do their job. I also never miss a Saved by the Bell episode if I notice it's on.

I did get to see the IPS finale, although I have been much less attentive to the show this season. Liked this finale much better than last year's.

Yep I did watch the season finale of IPS. I'm surprised that since it's the 2nd season USA didn't split it the way they do their other shows. That one won't have new episdoes until the spring. Boy am I happy we don't have to wait that long for the next episode of Burn Notice...5 months is definitely long enough 10 months would be unbearable.

Hey anyone watch The Closer this past Monday? They had duct tape in it. Of course they didn't say it made you smart...they said something along the lines of...Duct tape, that's never a good thing. Then they called in the bomb squad.

Yes, I did see The Closer and remember the duct tape line (and in that case it wasn't a good thing )

I was a little surprised by the "cliffhanger" ending of IPS. I thought leaving the lead character unconscious and insinuating she might/or might not make it was for soap operas. I can't remember the last time I've seen that done, unless the show had not been renewed yet or there was a contract dispute. I would like to believe that most people are intelligent enough to realize that the network isn't going to kill off the lead character of a hit show so that makes the "cliffhanger" much less important.

So glad you put up this thread, LI_Ann. Honestly, if it wasn't for USA and TNT, there probably wouldn't be much of anything I'd watch on TV during the summer. Have TiVo'd, but am still 3 episodes behind on both The Closer and In Plain Sight, but love both shows. My new fav is Dark Blue on TNT...does anyone watch? So sharp and edgy...really love it. Doesn't hurt either with the Omari Hardwick and Logan Marshall-Green eye candy...

You're so right about TNT and USA. There's only a few shows I watch on the broadcast networks during the regular season, NCIS & Numb3rs on CBS come to mind. I don't think there is anything I watch regularly on NBC or ABC anymore.

I do like Dark Blue and the eye candy doesn't hurt either. It comes on right after Leverage (which I enjoy) but is a major adjustment in mood for me. You go from the light and funny Leverage crew to the dark side of undercover police operations.

They keep having promos for a new USA show starting in October, White Collar. I'm hoping it's as good as the promos because that will help pass the time until BN returns. Last week I had trouble getting into Monk and Psych but I'll watch them again tonight. They didn't grab me last week but I don't think I was ready to watch anything on TV after Long Way Back.

I enjoy watching The Closer, Psych, Monk, and Leverage. I am really enjoying Dark Blue too. Dark Blue is unique and yes they are quite easy on the eyes! I was listening to Dylan McDermott give an interview about the show and he was commenting how people were teasing him about being the prettiest undercover cop they had ever seen (so true!).

LI_Ann definitely give Psych and Monk a chance. They are great shows and have a great mix of humor. White Collar looks like a great show (the main character used to be on Chuck-he was great on that show). Network TV really does not have much of a selection. In my opinion, USA and TNT produce more quality shows.

Monk and Psych have been on my radar for years and I appreciate both of them for their "unique approach" to crime solving. I've been a Tony Shalhoub fan since I first saw him on Wings. I think last Friday I was still in full Burn Notice Mode from Long Way Back and couldn't switch gears but I'll be watching them tonight.

I never watched Chuck but that lead guy in White Collar, the criminal (what's his name?) is also very easy on the eyes and I like the wisecracking FBI agent too.

ETA: For the very first time, I actually enjoyed Royal Pains last night. It was the first good episode I've seen. I think the brother (Evan) is really funny and has been stealing the show. Maybe the fact that I enjoyed RP last night is a sign that I'm coming out of my "Long Way Back" trance.

Matt Bomer is his name (Chuck isn't a bad show either but not one of my favorites). I am not really into hospital drama themed shows, but I actually enjoy Royal Pains. Evan is incredibly funny and I love how he teases Divya mercilessly (those two will probably end up together).

I almost never agree with my mother but she was just here for a few days and we both said the same thing about Evan and Divya. I have noticed that the Hank character is loosening up a bit. For a while there, he seemed too stiff and dry for my taste. Aside from Evan, one of the more interesting characters is Boris. I can't figure out what he's all about.

I started watching RP because it was on right after BN and served as background for me while I was here on the forum. The other reason I wanted to see it is because I live on Long Island and have been to the Hamptons many times. The house/mansion that belongs to Boris is actually in Huntington, NY, Oheka Castle so I enjoyed seeing that too. My niece had her wedding there and it is a fabulous place. Check it out: http://www.oheka.com/index.php

As much of a TV fan as I am, there isn't all that much I am keeping up with at all. I really have enjoyed Monk over the years, so I am watching it and Psych. I like Criminal Minds too, but it gives me nightmares sometimes! Maybe when some of the fall shows return, I will watch a little more of a variety. Not much else right now...

I was also surprised when they left Mary of IPS near death. TPTB realize we all know she's under contract and the show has been renewed, right? LOL. It's not going to become the Jinx and Brandi show.
I did hear that Jinx was going to be around less next year. I think that may make a lot of people besides me happy. I was at there board a couple of days ago and people were griping because there's hardly any witness story left - it's mostly Mary's family's dysfunctionality. I love Marshall and I hope with less time spent on the family, we can have more time with him.
And Mary is a witch to Raph, isn't she?

I was slightly surprised the way IPS left it, but well, did we really think anything would happen to Michael when the loft exploded?

Would love it if IPS got less Jinx and Brandi, more Marshall. Raph can stick around if he keeps his shirt off.

I haven't heard anyone else mention "Mad Men" coming back on Sunday. Figure that will tide me over until the networks get back, although I think the only shows I care about there at this point are "House" and "The Amazing Race."

ahhhhhh

Also check out Kings on hulu before it is gone. Great series. I never saw it when it was aired - never heard of it. And I think it was on at deadly time slots. But the show has some first rate acting and it is different. Should have been on Showtime or HBO.

Personal rant: What does NBC & thus USA have against advertising? I look at all the ads for Madmen and think, if Burn Notice had advertising like that, online and at bus stops, where everyone knows the show and respects the actors and then choses whether to watch or not, Burn Notice would at least have made the 10 million mark, if not doubled last week's number of viewers.

I have no idea why they don't do more advertising unless it's budget related and they're claiming poverty. If they did, they would have reached that 10 million mark. They should also have reruns on during the break. LillyHobbs suggested they start with the Pilot and get new viewers in from the beginning.

On another note, I did watch Monk and Psych tonight and found it better than last week. Last week's episodes were a little "sillier" and I was still numb from the BN mid-season finale.

I agree, Kings was a phenomenal series. Too bad NBC didn't feel like it was worth more promotion. I thought it really had great potential. I liked how they interpreted the story of David. But yeah, it would've done better on HBO or Showtime, not network cable.

It sounds like we all like those serious-but not-too-scary sort of dramas. All the shows mentioned so far are the sort I will turn to when I want to get some house work done and need something on in the background. Burn Notice is the only one that really catches my fancy. I wont turn on the TV to watch any of the others unless I have some laundry to fold or what ever.
The only other show that we stop and sit down to watch is Dancing With The Stars (We've seen every episode of every season) and that isn't on right now either. I'd say that means we aren't watching much TV except there is always a house work to do. NCIS is on most often during those sorts of times.
And can we petition USA to make the Psych-folks to change their filming location????? Please????
I mean I understand that Santa Barbara might be too expensive to film in but couldn't they film in an environment that LOOKS like Santa Barbara? It seems like a really entertaining show and I want to like it but it is so disturbing to see My old home town being portrayed by some North-west environment that it really ruins the show for me. I don't know anyone around here who watches the show much and I bet we all would if it was filmed locally.
Another nod to Burn Notice: At least THEY don't lie about who is playing the location.

Does anyone watch The Philanthropist? I caught a couple of episodes on Hulu, now that BN is on a break. Does it get repetitive or is the story of the week different enough to give a good variety?

I have really enjoyed "Saving Grace", but am saddened to hear that TNT is cancelling it. The death of another well-written show.

Well, they are ending it after the 2010 season from what I understand. At least, that gives them x number of episodes to wrap up things. As opposed to the shows which go right up to the wire and then find out they are being cancelled with no chance to answer any questions for the audience. I think this happens more often now, that so many shows have some kind of overlying arc to the story. Did anybody ever watch "The Nine"? LOL

I am glad to know they are planning an ending for shows like Monk and Saving Grace. Did anyone else watch Missing? (was called 1-800-Missing, then changed to missing) The season ended with dude's car blowing up- then the show didn't come back! Made me mad!!! I always wanted to know if it was one of Jess' visions or if his car really exploded.

I also like to watch Big Bang Theory, but since new episodes haven't been on, it isn't very exciting.

Can you imagine how many "hate" posts and threads we would get on this forum if the BN writers used the same language as they do in Saving Grace? I've never checked out that forum but it would be interesteing to see if those who find fault with almost everything on TV have made their voices heard about Saving Grace. I just started watching Saving Grace and now it will be gone. I think Holly Hunter is a great actress but I didn't warm up to the show the first season (or even the second). This is the 3rd season isn't it?

Wow! It is so beautiful on TV I can only imagine seeing it in person. I started watching the show too because it came on after Burn Notice, but I have to admit it kind of grew on me. I'm liking it more and more. I was thinking even though White Collar hasn't aired yet wouldn't the perfect Thursday night line up be Burn Notice then White Collar? Just a thought...

Yes, it would but I have a feeling RP will keep that timeslot. I don't remember if they mentioned what night White Collar was going to be on TV. Does anyone know?

ETA: I just saw a promo for Mad Men which starts up again tonight. I watched it the first season but haven't watched it since. Anyone out there planning on watching Mad Men this season?

I don't know what night White Collar will be on, but doesn't USA keep their original programming to Thursday, Friday, Sunday? (not counting the wrestling)

I'm watching Mad Men.

My best friend LOVES Mad Men. I might start watching. I forgot to add I adore America's Best Dance Crew.
At this very minute...my tv is parked on The Weather Channel.

That time of year. You're in Mississippi, right? Hoping we all avoid Cantore sightings this year. Stay safe.

My home (not to be cliche) is actually in Alabama. (in Semmes, which is outside of Mobile) I teach in MS- just over the stateline in Lucedale. They are only a few miles apart, but happen to be separated by that pesky state line!! All of it is very near the coast. It is that time of year. I'm not super worried about Claudette, it's the other 2!! You live in FL, right? What part?

OK, school was Mississippi. That's what I remembered from chat. I'm in South Florida, south of West Palm Beach.

Sounds like Ana is dissipating and Bill might curve out to sea north. If you don't know it already, check out Weather Underground and Jeff Masters' blog there. I learn a lot. Also started following WU on Twitter @wunderground.

I was just looking at what they are saying about those other 2 storms and it looks like Ana might be the potential for the biggest threat right now. They were showing it's projected path right into the center of the Gulf, and with how warm those waters are that is scary.

You are SO not kidding. They were talking on the news the other day about the temp of the Gulf waters. We will see. Very scary that we've gone all this time w/o even the A, then in just a couple of days, we are on C.


Edited because I posted before I was done typing.

I haven't checked the weather today but from what I've read here it looks like there are some severe storms around. I hope they fall apart before getting anywhere near my forum friends.

I've been watching last season's Mad Men episodes all afternoon On Demand. I desperately need to get involved with something new on TV and didn't see Mad Men last season. It's such a well written show but so laid back. I've had it on all afternoon (it's way too hot and humid to go outside) and I haven't seen one explosion, no arms dealers and not a single yogurt!

I do have a background question for anyone who has watched it, whose baby did Peggy have and where is it?

Well, assuming you don't make it to the last episode of S2, in that one, she told Pete the baby was his and she gave it up for adoption (i.e., kid's not being hidden in her sister's family; that is just a similar aged nephew). That last episode of S2 has lots going on. I would skip ahead to it if you have to.

Thanks. That's what I wound up doing. I had it on all day while I was reading, doing laundry and cleaning the house. Of course, my cleaning was restricted to rooms within ear shot of the TV but I did manage to get through the first 6 episodes and then I had to run out to the store. By the time I got back, it was too late to do anything but skip to the last episode of S2. I guess it was too much to ask that Don Draper was going to change his ways.

Hope everyone is safe and well on the path of tropical storm Claudette's.

For the 3rd time I gave Mad Men a try. After all, it was the well publicized season premier, has great actors, and I wanted to join you in discussion. But I can't get into it - still not a fan. I welcomed interrupting phone calls, and took breather breaks watching "Too Fast & Too Furious" (something I never considered watching before).

Result: Oh how I so missed Fi. Would she have put up with the wimpy women, chauvinistic bosses, and cheating husbands? More likely she would have rocked that London Fog campaign with a little C4.

Yeah, I thought Mad Men was pretty tepid, even for them. I try to give anyone a leeway on a season premiere and all it entails, but I was a little bored at times.

That's exactly how I felt yesterday. I kept waiting for something to blow up!


It is good "background" TV but I couldn't ever sit and watch 6 episodes like I can with BN.

I'm old enough to remember chauvinistic bosses but unfortunately wimpy women and cheating husbands aren't exclusive to any particular decade or generation. It boggles the mind to see how much they drink!

At least The Closer is on tonight. I've always enjoyed that show.

Anyone watch Hell's Kitchen? It's kind of a guilty pleasure. I don't know why I find it so entertaining to watch Gordon Ramsay yell obscenities at his chefs.

I recently started watching Warehouse 13. I didn't really have high hopes when it began, but it's gotten alright and it holds my attention. I don't tune in religiously every week, but I make sure to watch it online at some point. It reminds me A LOT of Bones (another favorite show of mine) -- what with the playful bickering and the underlying attraction between the two leads, the characterizations, the dialogue, etc.

No, I haven't seen Hell's Kitchen but I did watch the premier of Warehouse 13 and it seemed promising but I forgot about it and haven't seen it since. When is it on?

I think it's on Tuesday nights, but I'm not sure. Like I said, I don't actually watch it when it airs. I catch up online when I have time. I believe Hulu puts up the new episode the day after.

Yes it is on Tuesday nights. They'll also be showing the previous two episodes before the new episode tonight, so you can catch those if you missed them. Then the new episode repeats after ECW so if you can catch it then.