The new TV season is right around the corner. After the political conventions and the Jerry Lewis Labor Day MDMA Marathon, the networks bring back our old TV friends. In the olden days, people who missed the start of a series were reduced to asking the creepy guy at the office about plot points. Or they decided they’d missed too many episodes to start watching. With the evolution of TV shows on DVD, the curious late comer can binge on a series prior to the fresh batch. With the absence of commercial breaks, a DVD viewer can watch 3 episodes in the time it takes to watch 2 episodes on broadcast TV. Because of the writer’s strike, there’s less episodes on a majority these boxsets so it’s not even a complete marathon. The fine folks at The DVD Lounge’s Department of Polling figured out the Top 10 TV shows that are worth the effort to catch on disc before they start broadcasting.
10. Rescue Me: The Complete Fourth Season puts Denis Leary in a long term series. No more “Mr. Brilliant But Canceled” title for him. He’s a conflicted firefighter in New York City. This is the kind of gutty show you expect from FX. The new season starts on March 2009. Available at Amazon.com
9. Reaper: Season One reminds us of what can happen when your parents make a deal with the devil. A lowly clerk at a huge hardware story finds himself obligated to work for Satan. His job is to collect evil souls using various devices such as a Polaroid and a remote control car. It’s rather engrossing for a series that could have sputtered out as a one note joke. Ray Wise is perfectly cast as Satan. Any Twin Peaks fan will vouch for his ability to be truly demonic. The new season on CW will start when Tyra Banks says so. Available at Amazon.com
8. Friday Night Lights: The Second Season is the show that critics keep begging you to watch. It’s about high school football in Texas town that lives and dies with its teenage warriors. The new season is going to first be broadcast on Direct TV’s The 101 before it runs on NBC in the winter. Available at Amazon.com
7. Big Love: The Complete Second Season puts more pressure on Bill Paxton and his tasty three wives. Bigamy and Utah are intricately explored in this suburban drama. This is the show that reminds us that if you want creepy old guys, hire Bruce Dern and Harry Dean Stanton. The third season starts Jan. 11, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
6. Life: Season One is an unusual cop show. A police detective gets sprung from the prison after being set up. He needs to clear his name while working his old shift. He made a fortune in settlement money from the state. While he goes on spending sprees, mostly he wants to buy proof exposing the crooked cops that made him take the fall. Sarah Shahi is his tasty partner. The second season starts Sept. 29.Available at Amazon.com
5. Californication: The First Season brings David Duchovny back to his Red Shoe Diaries roots. He’s a miserable novelist in Los Angeles dealing with his woman marrying a rich publisher. He copes with ample amounts of drink, drugs and nude women. The weirdness is seeing the voice of King of the Hill‘s Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) getting nasty. Don’t close your eyes when she’s on the screen. The new season starts Sept. 28. Available at Amazon.com
4. How I Met Your Mother: The Legendary Season 3 keeps me thinking that Neil Patrick Harris is the biggest womanizer in TV history. No matter what the other two couples are doing; you know that Neil will save the day with his manly instincts and tailored suits. Britney Spears proves she can still perform with her two guest roles. The new season starts Sept. 22. Available at Amazon.com
3. The Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season is better than Terminator 3 – Rise of the Machines. The series explains how a wimpy kid saved humanity from the evil machines. The action scenes are high octane for the small screen. There’s more bullets per episode than a rap award ceremony. We mainly watch to enjoy Summer Glau as the cybernetic lust machine. The new season starts Sept. 8. Available at Amazon.com
2. Rules of Engagement is called The Puddy Show around my house. Patrick Warburton rules the Rules of Engagement. Does anyone care about the newlywed couple? People merely tolerate David Spade as the alleged swinging single. The only reason why Rules of Engagement is a comedy is the joy of Warburton. He’s hilarious while maintaining his bachelor ways against his wife’s attempts to domestic him. The new season will start off at a time to be determined. Available at Amazon.com
1. Dexter: The Second Season proves you can create a great TV character out of the most horrifying of people. Dexter analyzes the blood splatters for the Miami cops by day. At night, he’s a serial killer. This second season has things getting warped as a top FBI agent arrives to uncover him and get romantic with his step-sister. Michael C. Hall brings such charm to Dexter that you can understand why smart women write love letters to jailed serial killers. The new season stars Sept. 28. Available at Amazon.com
