Why The End Of Summer Is A Good Thing

Even though the weather hasn't quite made a turn for the worst yet, I am officially accepting the fact that summer is now over. School has started, baseball's seemingly non-existent pennant races are winding down, and a new season of our favorite television shows are about to make their return to our primetime lineups. As an avid television fan, I have really been looking forward to getting back some of the shows that I have come to know and love over the years. NBC's The Office will be back with a new feel now that Steve Carell is no longer a member of the cast, but I'd be willing to bet that at some point before that show has run its course completely, we will see Michael Scott's familiar face once again for a brief cameo to give ratings a big boost for a season finale or premiere. The excitement surrounding this year's premiere of The Office has to do with the revelation of Michael Scott's heir apparent, which will be chosen from a pool of characters that were played by special guest stars whom were auditioning for the position on last season's finale. One of which was a character played by James Spader, though since they have already announced his position on this season's cast roster, it is highly unlikely that he will be revealed as the new boss. I guess we'll just have to tune in to find out, but as usual I will be tuning in for not only the announcement of the new boss and the usual laughs, but for a little game I like to call, 'How many promotional items do they have in their office that I also have in mine!'

Along with The Office, there are a number of shows set to return that I am looking forward to. NBC's Community happens to be one of them and as an added bonus, John Goodman is apparently joining the cast this season and I don't know about you, but to me John Goodman is like cheese or butter, pretty much everything is better when one of these ingredients are added. While I am excited about the new seasons of some of my favorite shows, summer TV hasn't been that bad. You expect that summer television isn't going to be great in the first place, but since I am a fan of most cooking shows I was generally kept occupied by a healthy dose of Gordon Ramsey in both MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen when I was watching TV over the past few months. Those series' were certainly entertaining in their own right, but in my opinion the summer ushered in the latest installment of one of the best shows on television no matter what time of year it is. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you enjoy the stand-up comedy scene or even just comedy in general, look no further than FX's Louie, featuring arguably the hottest stand-up comedian in the business today, Louis CK. The show is sometimes insightful and often very relatable to the viewing audience, but above all it is just plain entertaining. Whether it be because of Louis' unique perspectives on life or his struggles to work his way through some strange and awkward moments, you are in for some laughs and it may even make you think here and there. So summer television isn't so bad after all, but with all the traditional summer activities available during the warmest time of year, I think that these months tend to pass us by without us really noticing or paying much attention to what's on TV because we are too busy enjoying the outdoors.

So despite the sad realization that summer fun is over, new seasons of our favorite shows can help to lift our spirits. Which is why yet again, I will talk about how the NFL truly 'gets it'. Granted, the NFL has been playing their regular season games around this time since it has been in existence, so it's not as if the timing of the start of their season has anything to do with a new ingenious marketing campaign, but amidst any of the hype that has been generated for the new upcoming seasons of primetime television, the only programming I seem to care about watching right now is American professional football! Since I no longer attend school, I could almost make the argument that this is one of the best times of the entire year! The weather is soothing, the leaves change colors, our favorite television shows return and the NFL is back! Not to mention, I can still comfortably BBQ outdoors during this time of year and furthermore, I have had some of the most fun around a grill when it was easily below freezing temperatures at 10am in the parking lot of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, waiting for a Bills game to start. So there may not be anymore beach or pool fun left in New York in 2011, but cheer up! Fall is a great time of the year!