CONFESSIONS OF A TV JUNKIE: NOTICE USA PSYCHic MONKeys BURNing in PLAIN SIGHT...

Kind of fun to twist titles, huh?

All kidding aside, USA Network is the hottest thing the summer has to offer. It's really too bad they don't really fire up the gear until mid-season, though.

So you're barely surviving the post-American Idol-formulaic refuse of So You Think You Can Dance. You're also (not really) awaiting the return of Big Brother, which for this year, in a first for the series, will debut a 2nd outing within one year...

Meanwhile, what are you, the definitive TV JUNKIE, to do for summer small-screen enjoyment?

USA has your answer... or should I say answer-S?

Michael, Fiona and the crew return to USA Network on Thursday nights in Burn Notice, a sophomore action dramedy that follows the life of a former secret agent who has been "burned", or taken out of commission and placed in limbo in Miami.

Season 2 has us tagging along with Michael while he continues to try to find out the who-why-how behind his "burn". While the format and story arc might start to get a little long in the tooth, the action and intensity of this little piece of tube-candy won't leave you bored.

In Plain Sight is a freshman dramedy that USA has placed on Sunday nights to balance out the week to complement Burn Notice as well as returning hits Psych coming back for season 3 and Monk returning for a 7th season.

In Plain Sight is kinda still finding its legs as it follows a couple of U.S. Marshals in the wit-sec (witness relocation) program in New Mexico. The show could use a little less back-story and a little more gunplay, but it's definitely a watch for a slow Sunday night. With similar narrative style to Burn Notice, the show is familiar and easy on the viewer.

Psych and Monk, of course, are old friends. Both are witty and enjoyable, although for different reasons. This season, Monk is joined by Hector Elizondo, most recently of the cut-short CBS skid-mark, Cane (which I was seriously starting to enjoy when Les Moonves took it out and put a bullet in it...).

Well... dammit! USA has taken 4 nights of my summer week and have filled them with eminently watchable entertainment. Don't get me wrong... this stuff is not really the end-all-be-all of TV viewing, but for solid entertainment, some random stuff blowing up, the occaisional fling, at least in the case of Burn Notice, and some decent comedy and the occaisionally really well-written episode, USA puts up a really solid sked.

I suppose if this line-up were to run in fall primetime, it would get toppled by the biggies for "appointment" viewing. All of these shows, if stacked in fall season, would surely at least earn the DVR badge and fill your down-time, which is what TV is really good for these days.

This stuff is more than enough to pass the summer and leave you wishing there were a few more episodes before an all-too-lengthy hiatus to the following summer.

Ooops... Gotta run. In Plain Sight just finished recording on the DVR. I HATE commercials!

Dont't forget to also check out: Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, Psych