Go ahead, turn on your TV this summer. No need to apologize.
Warm weather doesn’t mean you have to trade the TV and couch for the beach and a towel. After all, too much sun isn’t good for you.
Make the right viewing choices and you can get all the sun, sand and hotties you can handle in your living room. The teens on CW’s new soap “Hidden Palms” spend most of their time poolside (and half naked), while the surfers on HBO’s “John From Cincinnati” um … surf.
Returning guilty pleasures — make that guilt-free pleasures — include BBC America’s “Footballers Wive$,” Bravo’s “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” and USA’s “Psych.”
Here are several new and returning shows to help you decide what to record or ignore this summer.
THIS WEEK
The Ex-Wives Club
Began 8 p.m. Monday ABC
Divorcees Marla Maples, Angie Everhart and Shar Jackson advise the recently separated about how to get on with their lives.
Big Medicine
Began 8 p.m. Monday TLC
Each episode tells the story of an overweight patients’ fight with obesity.
The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?
7 p.m. Wednesday ABC
If the commercials are any indication, this might be as fun as “American Idol” audition episodes.
Hidden Palms
7 p.m. Wednesdays CW
Think of this teen drama about a rebel who moves to Palm Springs (Yes, it’s sorta like “The O.C.”) as the TV equivalent of beach reading. It’s light, easy on the eyes and doesn’t require a lot of thought.
Traveler
9 p.m. Wednesday ABC
Two grad school friends may have been duped by their best bud, Will Traveler. Now they’re on the run after being accused of a bombing that Will may have committed.
The Starter Wife
8 p.m. Thursday USA
Debra Messing of “Will & Grace” returns to TV in this 6-part miniseries about a Hollywood wife who is dumped by her movie mogul hubby.
Pirate Master
7 p.m. Thursday CBS
Contestants sail around the West Indies looking for treasure. Arrrr!
JUNE
Army Wives
9 p.m. Sunday Lifetime
This look at life on an Army post starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell gets preachy at times but has its high points.
Creature Comforts
7 p.m. June 4 CBS
Animated animals are dubbed with the recorded voices of regular people.
Tyler Perry’s House of Payne
8 p.m. June 6 TBS
An Atlanta firefighter moves with his two kids back into his parents’ home. From Tyler Perry, creater of “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.”
Fast Cars & Superstars
7 p.m. June 7 ABC
Or “Racing with the Stars.” Tony Hawk, William Shatner, Serena Williams and other celebs race with stock-car drivers.
Lil’ Bush
9:30 p.m. June 13 Comedy Central
Animated brats Lil’ President Bush, Lil’ Condi and Lil’ Cheney butt heads with bully Lil’ Kim Jong-Il on the playground.
Meadowlands
9 p.m. June 17 Showtime
A family in the FBI’s witness protection program can’t escape the past.
Flight of the Conchords
9:30 p.m. June 17 HBO
Girl-crazy New Zealanders Jermaine and Bret seek fame in Manhattan’s music scene. It’s a musical comedy for straight boys.
Burn Notice
9 p.m. June 28 USA
A spy (Jeffrey Donovan) wants to know why he was fired, and he has ways of making people talk.
ALSO NEW
Born Country (reality)
7 p.m. Friday CMT Heartland (drama) 9 p.m. June 18 TNT
Age of Love (reality)
8 p.m. June 18 NBC
Shaq’s Big Challenge (reality)8 p.m. June 26 ABC
Destination Truth (miniseries)9 p.m. June 6 Sci Fi
Confessions of a Matchmaker (reality) 9 p.m. June 16 AMC
JULY
American Body Shop
9:30 p.m. July 8 Comedy Central
An improvised sitcom in the style of “Reno 911!” that’s set in an auto body shop.
State of Mind
8 p.m. July 15 Lifetime
The personal life of a therapist (indie movie fav Lili Taylor) seems to be more screwed up than those of her patients.
Saving Grace
9 p.m. July 18 TNT
Oscar winner Holly Hunter comes to TV as a troubled Oklahoma City detective who gets some help from an angel.
The Kill Point
9 p.m. July 22 Spike
A police negotiator (Donnie Wahlberg) matches wits withthe mastermind of a bank heist (John Leguizamo).
Damages
9 p.m. July 24 FX
Glenn Close played a tough cop on FX’s “The Shield.” Now she’s an even tougher attorney.
ALSO NEW
Side Order of Life (drama)
7 p.m. July 15 Lifetime
The Bill Engvall Show (comedy)
8 p.m. July 17 TBS
Derren Brown’s Mind Control (reality) 9 p.m. July 25 Sci Fi
AUGUST
Flash Gordon
START DATE TBA Sci-Fi
The comic book space man defends Earth against the forces of the evil galactic dictator Ming.
The Company
Start date TBA TNT
Don’t call him McSpy. Chris O’Donnell (left) kept busy after getting the brush-off from Meredith Grey by making this miniseries about the CIA during the Cold War.
Californication
Start date TBA Showtime
David Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a novelist whose obsession with truth-telling and self-destructive behavior are destroying his career.
SOME RETURNING SERIES
Hex Saturday BBC America
The Loop June 5 Fox
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List June 5 Bravo
Footballers Wives$ June 6 BBC America
Top Chef June 6 Bravo
Big Love June 11 HBO
Kyle XY June 11 ABC Family
Rescue Me June 13 FX
The Dead Zone June 17 USA
The 4400 June 17 USA
The Closer June 18 TNT
Big Brother July 5 CBS
Psych July 13 USA
Monk July 13 USA
My Boys July 30 TBS
Weeds Aug. 13 Showtime
John From Cincinnati 9 p.m. June 10 HBO
The mysterious John (Austin Nichols, right) befriends members of a troubled California surfer family and strange things begin to happen. I’m sure there’s some extistential meaning to it all, but I liked the sex jokes and bathroom humor.
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cwwagner@tribune.com
