Happy Labor Day, all! Today marks in many ways the end of the summer TV season. We're starting to have some of the varsity players back, starting with new episodes of "Prison Break" and "Gossip Girl" tonight.

So Kate and I thought we would go over the best and the worst of the 2008 Summer TV season. Mostly the worst.

Raoul: So overall, how would you rate this summer's TV watching?

Kate: Hmmmm...I'd say a smidge above test of the emergency broadcast system.

Raoul: I tend to agree. Probably the weakest summer of the last couple years. Of course, that may be because the writers' strike had shows like "Hell's Kitchen" start early.

Kate: Yeah. But there's still no excuse for "Swingtown" or "Wipeout."

Raoul: I'll defend the honor of both those programs in a moment. But first: what's your pick for best overall program this summer?

Kate: OK, I'm going to go with love-to-hate "The Next Food Network Star." But I'm sure that has more to do with my habit of trash-talking cooking shows than its actual quality.

Raoul: My vote is going to be with "The Middleman." It's clever, fun, sassy and if you love comics or genre films, it should be mandatory viewing. Unfortunately, it may not be coming back for another season.

Kate: Cool.

Raoul: Naturally, that's my choice for best new show as well. Yours?

Kate: Ummm...pass?

Raoul: Come on...there has to be one show that premiered this summer that you liked...doesn't there?

Kate: I don't think so. Remind me what premiered, I have weekend brain.

Raoul: Let's see..."Greatest American Dog," "I Survived A Japanese Game Show," "In Plain Sight," "Flashpoint," "Generation Kill"... "Celebrity Family Feud": You know you love it! And there was the "Celebrity Circus" deal for a while. I never followed it.

Kate: "Greatest American Dog"...watched it, quickly got bored.
  "Japanese Game Show," pffft.
  "In Plain Sight" was okay.
  "Flashpoint" was TERRIBLE!
  "Generation Kill" was too depressing for me. "Celebrity Family Feud" was surprisingly boring, and I like regular "Family Feud."
  "Celebrity Circus"...yeah, I didn't watch that one.

Raoul: "Flashpoint" wasn't terrible. Just not good enough to watch beyond the pilot for me, though.

Kate: I guess I'm voting for "In Plain Sight" by default. Dude, "Flashpoint" was soo bad. The episode I watched made me laugh at what I could tell was supposed to be a tender moment. What a waste of Enrico Colantoni!

Raoul: Give our neighbors from the North a break. Not every cop series can be as dramatic as American ones, eh? OK, so what's the worst of the worst?

Kate: Speaking of Canada, I'm changing my vote to "episodes of 'J-Pod' I illegally downloaded."

Raoul: What's J-Pod? And feds, if you're listening, I don't know nothing abotu no illegal downloads.

Kate: I believe I've given my worst of the worst answer already: "Flashpoint." "J-Pod" is a Canadian show, now canceled, based on the Douglas Coupland book. It was on up there starting in January.

Raoul: I don't think I can single one show out as the worst. There was just a lot of blah.

Kate: A lot of blah. There's the title for our post.

Raoul: Did you pick up a summertime guilty pleasure?

Kate: Let me think... I didn't, but my friend Rachel really loves that "Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" show.

Raoul: Mine, as you can guess, was "Wipeout." I seriously feel bad admitting in public that I watched every episode of that and laughed. (Well, I didn't watch every second of the clip show they had at the end.)

Kate: I know! You lose 10 intellect points!

Raoul: There was just a good mix of slapstick, SportsCenter-like commentary and general goofiness.

Kate: See, I found the commentary mean and pissy, so the show was not magical for me.

Raoul: These people knew what they were signing up for, though: to be mocked. I mean really, when you weigh 300 pounds, you can't expect to go on a televised obstacle course and not get mocked. And I say that as a big guy.

Kate: I think schadenfreude should be reserved for people you actually know.

Raoul: Ooh, look at the fancy word. But that's the great thing about schadenfreude: one can take joy in the suffering of anyone, not just the people you're acquainted with.

Kate: I stand by what I said. Typed.

Raoul: Going back to "Swingtown," that's probably got my vote for Most Disappointing. Not that it was actively bad. Because I enjoyed most of the episodes I watched. But because it just should have been so obvious that it was a bad fit for CBS.

Kate: Dude, that show was surprisingly boring.

Raoul: That's sort of what I mean. How can a show about open relationships, swinger parties, hot teens coming of age, and so forth have so little sizzle?

Kate: And one time I was watching it and Steve from "Coupling's" character said something that reminded me of that "pucker" episode and I laughed. That was probably the high point of "Swingtown" for me.

Raoul: Which of the shows this summer are you most looking forward to seeing next summer?

Kate: I guess "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List." Just because I usually love it and feel it will again rise to its former glory.

Raoul: You didn't think it was that good this season?

Kate: Nooooo. It was boring.

Raoul: I thought the Woz thing was a total showmance.

Kate: Well, I think it was more like, hey, we really like each other but we have no physical chemistry soooo time to break up. How sexy can a guy on a Segway be? You know?

Raoul: He got engaged to someone else within like two months of their breaking up!

Kate: I know!

Raoul: I bet if it was like Henry Ian Cusick on a Segway, you'd still manage to find him attractive. :

Kate: Who?

Raoul: The guy who plays Desmond on 'Lost." Don't play coy.

Kate: Ah, see, it's all about the character. That guy's probably not very cool in real life.

Raoul: Anywho, I would say one of my favorites is "Psych," and I'd guess that's almost a shoo-in to return. So that's my show I'll look forward to most next summer.

Kate: Yeah, that's a good show. Speaking of which, I spaced and forgot about my perennial fave: "My Boys."

Raoul: Is there any show you hope they will bring back in jeopardy? For me, it's "The Middleman."

Kate: I don't think I'm waiting out any nailbiters right now.

Raoul: "My Boys" had a pretty good season. I do think PJ's a little nasty for going after Bobby's brother, though. I just think that once you try to go fishing anywhere in the vicinity of a person, their relatives are off-limits romantically.

Kate: Mainly I think it's weird because, let's face it, the brother of your ex probably looks like your ex and...get therapy. Bobby and PJ were never actually together, though.

Raoul: Even so. It's just one of those dating rules civilized people should follow.

Kate: Are you saying I'm not civilized?

Raoul: You've dated brothers before?

Kate: No, I'm just messing with you.

Raoul: ha ha

Kate: I fear those 'ha's were sarcastic.

Raoul: No I actually laughed. Good show.

Kate: So, what else?

Raoul: So in summary: Summer TV 2008: Best forgotten. 2009: Probably better.

Kate: Always an optimist!

- posted by Raoul and Kate