New on DVD

By Dave Lake
MSN TV

Most things about summer are wonderful: the weather, the long days, the hiatus from school. TV, on the other hand, is decidedly crummy during the summer months. The broadcast networks fill much of their schedules with reality shows, celebrity editions of game shows, and reruns. And though many cable networks have stepped up their scripted offerings during the months of June, July and August, the summer TV landscape is still barren compared with the fruit-bearing months of fall.

But if there's one consolation during this downturn, it's the ability to spend more time catching up on shows there simply wasn't time for during the regular season. Were it not for summer I'd never have experienced the way-beyond-sci-fi storytelling of "Battlestar Galactica." I'd never have been exposed to Baltimore's gritty underbelly in "The Wire." And I most certainly would not have had the pleasure of being introduced to the bumbling Bluths of "Arrested Development."

With any luck, perhaps this summer you'll get to enjoy some of the below series as much as I've enjoyed some of the ones above. May this list be your guide to some of the recent (or upcoming) DVDs that will help combat the summer television doldrums.

Drama
"Army Wives" Season 1
Don't let the fact that this show is on Lifetime, traditionally the home of weepy made-for-cable movies, prevent you from catching up with a first-rate drama. In its debut season, the series broke ratings records for Lifetime and was so popular with an influential voting demographic that it inspired senators John McCain and Barack Obama to tape messages that appeared within the Season 2 premiere. Catherine Bell and Kim Delaney lead the ensemble cast as -- you guessed it -- the wives of military men. But the show isn't bogged down in war politics, which is exactly why it succeeds. It's the relationships and behind-the-scenes conflicts between characters that keep us tuning in. And the gorgeous locations of South Carolina, where the show is shot, don't hurt either. | Buy it

"Burn Notice" Season 1
Michael Westen, played with cheeky perfection by Jeffrey Donovan, is a CIA operative in the middle of a covert mission who discovers he has received a burn notice -- a letter from the agency terminating his employment without explanation. Finding himself suddenly back in his hometown of Miami, he begins to piece together the events that led to his firing while taking on jobs as an unlicensed private investigator to make money. The series also features a strong supporting cast, including Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless. And Tricia Helfer from "Battlestar Galactica" will join the cast when Season 2 begins on USA on July 10. | Buy it

"Mad Men" Season 1
No show received more buzz last season than the Golden Globe winner for Best TV Drama, "Mad Men," a simmering and stylized series from "Sopranos" writer Matthew Weiner that is set in a 1960s Madison Avenue advertising agency. Jon Hamm (who won a Globe for his performance) plays Don Draper, the agency's creative director, who, despite the appearance of a happy home life, is having an affair (or two), a not uncommon occurrence among his colleagues and the changing social mores of the time. Passed over by HBO but eventually picked up by AMC, "Mad Men" is less about advertising and more about the death of the American dream. If there's only room for one show on your summer catch-up list, make it this one. | Buy it

Holly Hunter adds sex, booze and bad behavior into the summer

"Saving Grace" Season 1
Holly Hunter plays Grace Hanadarko, a binge-drinking, sexually promiscuous Oklahoma City cop who, after running over a pedestrian in her Porsche one night while drunk driving, is greeted by an angel (Leon Rippy) who promises salvation if she'll give her life over to God. Though Grace manages to keep herself (mostly) together while solving crimes and investigating murders, after hours she's prone to getting lost in a haze of booze, men and bad behavior. And she loves to flash her elderly neighbor through her window for fun. The season concludes with a taut cliffhanger as Grace tries to come to terms with a major part of her past. Season 2 of the series begins July 14 on TNT. | Buy it

"John Adams"
Paul Giamatti is John Adams, one of the founding fathers of the United States, co-author of the Declaration of Independence, and second president. But this eight-and-a-half-hour HBO miniseries, based on the best-selling book by David McCullough, is far from a rosy biopic. The film takes an unglamorous look at the bravery and bravado that went into the founding of the United States -- no easy feat -- and examines Adams' relationship with his wife (Laura Linney), daughter (Sarah Polley) and comrade Ben Franklin (Tom Wilkinson), making the series essential viewing for history buffs and television fans alike. | Buy it

There are also new seasons of "The Closer," "Jericho" and "Rescue Me" out on DVD this summer -- and all three are very good shows -- but it's better to start at the beginning of these series than somewhere in the middle.

Comedy
"Californication" Season 1
From the very first scene of the very first episode, this smart and sexy Showtime comedy sets clear boundaries: none. The opening sequence -- which is revealed to be a dream -- depicts David Duchovny's character, writer Hank Moody, receiving oral sex from a nun (in a church no less). Like all great self-loathing writers, Hank likes to drink, fight and screw, all of which he does aplenty in the course of the first season's dozen episodes, primarily because his best-selling novel, "God Hates Us All," was turned into a brainless chick flick. But Hank's softer side is revealed through his family -- an adolescent daughter he is fiercely protective of, and an ex-wife he desperately wants back. The always pleasurable Natascha McElhone plays Hank's wife, and Evan Handler, Rachel Miner and Pamela Adlon co-star.

"My Boys" Season 1
Better than the majority of its sitcom contemporaries, "My Boys" centers on tomboy Chicago sportswriter P.J. Franklin (Jordana Spiro) and the gaggle of men who surround her -- some of whom she dates, and some of whom get in the way of her dating life. Most of the stories from the first season focus on P.J.'s quest for love, most of which end unsuccessfully, though the first season finale ends on a cliffhanger with P.J. choosing between three men to join her on an Italian vacation. | Buy it

The second season of "Psych" and the third season of "Weeds" are out now on DVD as well, but, again, you'd probably do better starting off at the beginning of each series rather than diving in at the middle.

Reality
"The Hills" Season 3
Who cares if "The Hills" isn't entirely real -- you won't watch the show for its realistic story lines and smart dialogue anyway. You watch for the fashion, backstabbing and pretty people, which "The Hills" has in (Kate) spades. And don't worry about figuring out the backstories, just know that all the girls either currently hate, or have at one time hated, each other, and that they all work in the fields of fashion or entertainment, though doing what we're never exactly sure. And despite the fact that none of the boys on the show is employed, they all drive expensive cars. Come to think of it, "The Hills" may just be the most realistic portrayal of Los Angeles on television. Oh, and the soundtrack is a who's who of hip and happening new artists.

Kat Von D of "LA Ink" leaves a permanent mark on the summer season

"LA Ink" Season 1
Foxy female tattoo artist Kat Von D leaves the beaches of Miami behind for her hometown of Los Angeles, where she opens a tattoo shop that caters to celebrities and average Joes alike. A mix of rocker chick chic and rebellion, Von D's too-cool-for-school persona can be annoying, but there's no denying that she and the rest of her staff at High Voltage Tattoo (three women and one dude) are excellent artists. And the stories behind the tattoos they create are both inspiring and deeply personal. | Buy it

"Parking Wars" Best of Season 1
It's hard to believe you could build a whole series around the Philadelphia Parking Authority. It's even harder to believe it'd be fun to watch. But "Parking Wars" is a guilty pleasure if there ever was one. Perhaps some of the viewing pleasure comes from the fact that everyone seems to hate the men and women of the Parking Authority, which they make no secret of -- shouting profanities from their cars or giving a middle-finger salute as they pass on the street. But more fun than the interactions between ticket givers and the illegally parked are the segments at the impound lot, where those unlucky enough to have had their cars towed must follow the rules required to extricate them. Let's just say there are not a lot of happy customers at the Philadelphia Parking Authority's impound yard, which its staff seems to take perverse pleasure in exploiting. | Buy it

What do you recommend for summer viewing? Write us at heymsn@microsoft.com and let us know. Sound off: Message board