Summer is just about here and with it comes the wild and wacky world of summer TV. There are basic cable shows, broadcast network shows and pay cable shows.

It's the season of the Manly Mad Men---stylish, angry men who have lots of inappropriate sex. It's the season of the Drama Queens---quirky, flawed women with tough jobs and crappy personal lives.

It's also the season of the reality show and the game show. From the bizarre to the freakish, they have names like, "So You Think You Want to Be A Millionaire,Who Can Dance Like Elle Woods and Marry the Bachelor Farmer Whose Big Brother Competes For Tila Tequila."

Here's a list of some of the shows, new and returning that have my DVR ready to get to work:

Manly Mad Men

Mad Men - AMC, July 19: This stylish show set in the high flying advertising business of the 1960's returns for it's sophomore season after a slam dunk first run.

Burn Notice - USA Cable, July 10: What happens when an international spy gets dumped by his agency and has to put his life back together? This show, that's what.

Generation Kill - HBO, July 13: Written and Produced by David Simon and Ed Burns, creators of "The Wire," this fact based mini-series depicts young marines during the first forty days of the Iraq war.

Drama Queens

In Plain Sight - USA Cable, June 1: "In Plain Sight" is a descendant of "The Closer" and "Saving Grace." Mary Shannon is a flawed woman who's great at her job---she's a US Marshall with the Witness Protection Program---but has a personal life is...wait for it...crappy. Mary is played by Mary McCormack and her boyfriend is played by none other than "Dancing With The Stars" finalist, Cristian de la Fuente.

Army Wives - Lifetime, June 8: Think "Desperate Housewives" except in uniform. There's just as much sex, lying and gossip, but instead of Wisteria Lane, you get Spit & Polish Road.

The Closer - TNT, July 14: Starring Kyra Sedgwick as LAPD police interrogator Brenda Leigh Johnson, "The Closer" is about to start it's fourth season. Brenda was the first in this latest crop of summer TV Drama Queens. In 2005, "The Closer" premiered to big ratings for a cable show, and ever since, it's actually increased in viewers.

Saving Grace - TNT, July 14: Played by Holly Hunter, Grace is an Oklahoma City police detective. Like the Manly Mad Men, Grace has lots of inappropriate sex, but like the Drama Queens, she also has a crappy personal life. But she is a good at her job---police detective---and will do just about anything to catch the bad guys.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl - Showtime, June 16: Based on a book by a college student turned high
priced call girl, this series should provide lots of insight into the Eliot Spitzers of the world and the women they pay $2000/hour for sex.

Are They For Real?

Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods - MTV, June 2: It's just what it sounds like. A group of aspiring Broadway stars compete to win the starring role as the platinum haired Harvard Law student with the wicked bend and snap. It's a cross between "America's Next Top Model," "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance," and the first episode was surprisingly entertaining,

30 Days - FX, June 3: Imagine spending 30 days living someone else's life. A life totally opposite to your own. How would it be? How would you react? Well that's the premise of this show which is about to start its third season.

She's Got The Look - TV Land, June 4: It's "America's Next Top Model,"---Tyra should be giving me a commission at this point---except with contestants that are over thirty-five.

Would You Like To Play A Game?

Hurl - G4, July 15: Okay, so I lied. My DVR will not be working this show. That's because this high concept show is a competition to see who can eat the most in a short amount of time and then be the last one to...you guessed it...hurl. Why not just let them hurl and see who can project the farthest?

My DVR will be passing on this one. Yuck.

I Survived A Japanese Game Show - ABC, June 24: Ten Americans are shipped off to Japan to compete in one of those screwy Japanese game shows---the ones where people have to do things like wear chicken suits and make scrambled eggs with their butts---and ABC has kindly arranged for us to follow along and watch.

Competition Is Good For The Soul

The Summer Olympics - NBC, August 8-24: Dun, dun, Da dun dun da dun, Dun da...da, da...Dun, dun, da da da da da dunnnnn...What more do I have to say?

Not Reality, Documentary

Hopkins - ABC June 26: No, documentaries aren't the same as reality shows. This six part series follows six Johns Hopkins Hospital medical residents as they try to balance their personal and professional lives while learning the vital skills needed to treat patients. Sound a little like "Grey's Anatomy?" That's no coincidence. ABC 's hoping "Hopkins" will lure some "Grey's Anatomy" viewers and generate some "Grey's Anatomy"-like ratings.

That's it for now. Hopefully these shows will be enough to keep the ol' DVR busy 'til fall.

Additional Source: Entertainment Weekly (June 6th Issue)

Other Links:

One Girl's Quest: Shawna's thoughts on "In Plain Sight."
Blend Television: A list of new and returning summer shows and their premiere dates.
Reality Blurred: A list of new and returning reality shows through spring 2009.

Megan Smith is a BlogHer Contributing Editor covering TV/YouTube and she plans to watch a lot of TV this summer. Her other blogs are Megan's Minute and Video Runway.