Summer on the couch

My, how times have changed. Once television's recycling bin, summer may now be the best season on TV.

May 19th — The Good Guys (Fox)
The way I see it, this show has two very promising things going for it: Bradley Whitford and Matt Nix. Bradley Whitford was one of the best things on one of the best shows on TV, "The West Wing," while Matt Nix is responsible for one of the, if not the, most watchable TV shows in years, "Burn Notice." Taking place in Dallas, "The Good Guys" stars Colin Hanks and Whitford in a rookie vs veteran, old-style vs new-fangled, buddy cop show. Hanks is the by-the-book newbie to Whitford’s bumbling but always-gets-the-job-done-even-by-accident veteran. "Law & Order" meets "The Odd Couple"?

June 20th — Scoundrels (ABC)
A one-hour comedic drama based on a show from New Zealand. A wife decides it’s time her family goes “straight” after her career criminal husband ends up on the wrong side of a long prison sentence. Virginia Madsen plays the wife and David James Elliott her “scoundrel” husband. Patrick Flueger ("The 4400") takes on dual roles as the couple’s twin sons. "The Good Wife" meets "The Grifters"?

June 22nd — Memphis Beat (TNT)
Jason Lee, and who doesn't like Jason Lee?, stars as a Tennessee cop who lives with his mom and is very attached to the city he patrols. Produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov's shingle, Smokehouse Productions. This is too easy — it's Earl meets Elvis (with a badge).

July 13th — The Glades (A&E)
Whadda ya know, it's another crime procedural set in Florida. This one about a relocated Chicago homicide detective. Australian actor Matt Passmore plays Jim Longworth, attractive, brilliant, and irascible and forced into exile after being wrongfully (of course) accused of having an affair with his former captain’s wife. Kiele Sanchez plays the love-interest, complete with a husband in prison and an adolescent son. Promisingly, the show was created and is exec-produced by Clifton Campbell ("White Collar," "Profiler," "21 Jump Street"). Really, Burn Notice is totally different. The guy forced to stay in Miami is a spy, not a cop. And the girl-friend doesn't have a husband in jail, though she spends a lot of time trying to stay out of it. Totally different. What do you say? "Burn Notice" meets "L&O: Criminal Intent"?

July 13th — Covert Affairs (TNT)
Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly") plays Sidney Bristow, I mean Annie Walker, a newbie CIA trainee who has to sink or swim when she is suddenly promoted to a field operative. Executive produced by Doug Liman ("The Bourne Identity"), the show also stars Christopher Gorham ("Ugly Betty," "Jake 2.0") and Sendhil Ramamurthy ("Heroes" — and, may I say, a real hottie) as federal agents and Peter Gallagher ("The O.C.") as a CIA director. Think "Alias" meets... blonde?