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Get Turned On: Summer shows don't disappoint

By Carrie Wood

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Published: Sunday, July 6, 2008

Updated: Sunday, February 22, 2009

Well, we're in the full swing of the summer programming season.

That means return of the endless rerun, return of the lame game show and return of lots of terrible reality television.

Despite all of this, I can't say it's all bad - I find myself compelled to sit in front of the tube and absorb the mindless shows that flash by.

Reruns, while certainly repetitive, still manage to provide a level of entertainment. I can sit and watch "The Office" - which runs on both TBS and NBC now - all day, if given that option.

Something about watching the ever-awkward Michael Scott sit in an uncomfortable silence is always funny.

That, and until season four comes out on DVD, I have no other way of being able to recap the crazy in-office romances between Jim and Pam, Dwight and Angela, Angela and Andy and whoever else was in a hilarious (and possibly doomed) relationship.

While we're on the topic of "The Office," I should mention that the season finale blew my mind. If there had been any doubt that the writers were really back, that is now totally erased.

I didn't think Dwight still had any game left.

The cast of "The Office" is also making an appearance on one of NBC's new game shows - "Celebrity Family Feud." It's classic "Family Feud" game-play with faces the current television-addicted generation is more likely to recognize.

I can't say the show is really all that compelling, but the entertainment value is still there.

The episode airing on July 8 will feature the Dunder Mifflin crew facing off against the men and women of "American Gladiators." The cast of "My Name is Earl" will also be participating.

The other big summer game show so far has been "Million Dollar Password," which airs on CBS. Another rehashing of a classic game show ("Password"), I can't say this one's as great.

Maybe it's because I'm sick of Regis Philbin.

Probably.

I really can't stand to see his face on TV anymore.

But by far, the best summer show so far is "The Mole," that airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on ABC.

I was a fan of the show back when it first aired in the early 2000's, and both a fellow Towerlight staff member and I were filled with nothing but excitement when the new season was announced.

For those unfamiliar with the show and its premise, a group of people must cooperate and work together in a series of missions that challenge them both physically and mentally in order to build up a pot of prize money, worth up to a cool half-million.

If they fail the mission or part of the mission, that money is not put into their pot.

In addition to this, the players must always be looking out for the "mole" - someone amongst them who was selected by the producers of the show to work against everyone else to sabotage the missions and prevent the players from winning money for the pot.

One player is eliminated at the end of every episode though a process referred to in the show as "execution."

The viewing audience has zero impact on who goes home, as that is chosen by who scores lowest on the quiz.

The quiz tests the players' knowledge of the mole and who he/she really is, and the person who is farthest off base gets a trip back home.

However, the viewers are still encouraged to participate in the show by taking the quiz themselves on the show's website.

Also, host Jon Kelley drops inconspicuous clues to the audience so that they can really hook on to who is truly the mole.

The show manages to be more mature (compared to other reality shows) while still keeping an occasional senseless fight around.

One of the more memorable moments from this season so far was when Nicole told Paul she could "kill him in his sleep and not leave any traces."

Nice.

With all of these options, it seems as if I - and you too - will be able to effectively waste a lot of time during the summer heat.

Couch potatoes rejoice, for we still have a whole two months to go.

I hope you're as excited as I am.

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