Given than the networks–broadcast and otherwise–have all but given up on Saturdays, it’s hardly any wonder that Sunday is getting overrun by reasonably good television programming. And really, they all hardly bother with Friday’s either so Sunday gets to stand-in for pretty much the entire weekend … which basically begins with your local evening news Thursday night.
For several years now, dating back to the heyday of the Sopranos, Sunday has belonged to pay cable. HBO and Showtime both display the most popular hits on the same night, though rarely against each other. Besides the Sopranos, Sunday night was home to the likes of Dexter, Sex and the City, The Wire, and other pay cable hits.
I think Weeds has a Monday night slot, but that’s more the exception.
Now the broadcast networks and others are getting comfortable in that space. Sunday nights are getting crowded.
True Blood (despite a bit of an uneven start this season) still owns the night, and Showtime keeps in the mix with The Real L Word. They don’t necessarily compete at the same time slot at least. Plus Showtime is throwing in repeats of various originals like Penn & Teller and The Green Room. (The Tudors also popped up on Sundays, but as of this week, that series has concluded.)
The broadcast nets are throwing stuff at the Sunday night wall to see what sticks, with ABC getting the best pitch … by far. The most promising new series is The Gates, preceded by The Scoundrels. The Gates appears to be painted with the same brush as True Blood (in a similar shade of crimson), populated with sexy vampires (including Rona Mitra), werewolves, and witches … oh my. The Scoundrels … much less promising, but what the hell. I’ll take a look and let you know tomorrow.
Also awaiting my attention on my TiVo is Leverage which airs on TNT. I haven’t seen enough of this one, but what I have seen so far looks pretty good. If I can just make room for it …
Fox is running out the last episodes of ‘Til Death, but I have to wonder how much longer they really plan to milk that goat. The same goes for Sons of Tucson. NBC drops in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, but fortunately I picked up most of those via USA earlier this summer.
As June swelters on into July then August, Sundays get even more crowded. AMC brings back Madmen which will eventually lead into Rubicon (one of my must see picks this summer).
On my “maybe” list for Sunday night will be Hung, which starts up in just a week or so. On my list of “not likely and hell no” are Entourage (HBO) and Big Brother (ABC).
I haven’t even mentioned Liftetime or TBS, both of whom have some kind of originals which will further clutter up Sundays. Even leaving those off my list, there is just too much TV for one evening to bare.
Fortunately, if I can’t get to ‘em sooner, they’ve left my Friday and Saturday nights wide open.
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