Summer Geek TV

So, it's summer television which at one time used to mean nothing but boring reruns until the fall.

Then along came basic cable and that all changed.

Most cable channels started airing their big shows over the summer so as not to compete with big rating episodes from major broadcast networks the rest of the year.

But, the shows some of which tended toward science fiction, fantasy, suspense or horror started getting a major following.

This forced even the major networks to start producing original summer shows.

This summer's lineup includes the return of old favorites from last year: Defiance on SYFY(so ready for that name to change back to SciFi), True Blood in its final season on HBO, Falling Skies on TNT and Under the Dome on CBS.

I do want to mention a couple of new shows I think are well worth watching.

First, there's the Wil Wheaton Project on SYFY(please NBC/Comcast change that name).

This show is hilarious.

First off, I think Wil Wheaton is amazing and not just because he was in Stand By Me and Star Trek: TNG.

He has grown into a talented young Generation Xer and a very funny fan of geekdom.

The show follows the same pattern as The Soup or Web Soup, where Wheaton stands before a green screen which airs videos from geek culture.

It's a very funny show: I highly recommend it.

On the other end of the spectrum is the TNT Drama The Last Ship.

At first, I thought the show had an overused premise of a disease which kills most of the world's population, but after watching just a couple of episodes I am hooked.

The crew was in the arctic doing military drills under radio silence for four months while the disease was killing 80% of the population so they had no idea what was going on.

They also didn't know the scientists they brought along weren't just doing experiments they were trying to find a cure for the now global pandemic.

Governments have collapsed and the world is in turmoil while this ship tries to save mankind.

Also, it has Adam Baldwin who I have enjoyed since 1980's My Bodyguard.

So far The Last Ship is turning out to be intense and entertaining.

Overall, it's a summer of good television watching until the return of my favorite Time Lord on August 23rd.

What shows are you watching? Let me know in the comments: