Cable heats up summer

The TV world turns upside down this summer, as the big broadcast networks open the spillway to a torrent of cheesy reality shows, while cable channels trot out meaty comedy and drama with high production values.

Here’s how it used to be: Lots of people found better things to do in summer than watch TV. The networks saved their pennies airing reruns.

Here’s how it changed: Cable channels, seeing a void, started to premiere their best shows in summer. Broadcast bosses blubbered, “We’ve got to do something.” Sometimes when they did, they struck the mother lode.

Here’s how it is: Cable channels continue to slot much of their best stuff in the summer. The network big boys (and girls) augment their reruns by throwing all sorts of cheap meat into the stew, dreaming of another “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Survivor” or “American Idol,” which all began as summer fill-ins.

And lots of people still find other things to do in summer besides watch TV.

They’re missing plenty on cable: “Rescue Me,” FX’s fireman series starring Denis Leary, and the network’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which this summer picks up guest star Danny DeVito; “The Closer,” TNT’s tale of a brilliant detective (Kyra Sedgwick); the believable alien escapades of “The 4400” and the endearing obsessiveness of Mr. Monk on USA; “Brotherhood,” a new Showtime drama about two brothers, one a gangster, the other a politician; and, of course, TV’s best show, HBO’s amazing Western, “Deadwood.”

In the regular fall-winter-spring TV season that just ended, the broadcast networks garnered exactly a 50 percent share in prime time – meaning that half of all the households watching TV at any time weren’t watching ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN or the WB.

Count on that number to go down considerably this summer. While one of the new summer broadcast shows might catch on – my money’s on “America’s Got Talent,” produced by “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell – most of them sound like strikeouts.

Among the network offerings:

• “Gameshow Marathon,” premiered May 31, CBS: Continuing the reality-show-as-endurance-sport theme, such “celebrities” as actor Leslie Nielsen and “Trading Spaces”’ Paige Davis play such classic TV game shows as “Card Sharks” and “Beat the Clock.”

•”Windfall,” premiered June 7, NBC: The only new network summer drama resurrects Luke Perry (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) as one of a group of 20 players who win the lottery.

•”How to Get the Guy,” premiered Monday, ABC: From the folks who brought you “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” this one attaches two “love coaches” to four attractive young things as they search for Mr. Right.

•”Tuesday Night Book Club,” premiered Tuesday, CBS: Desperate for some younger viewers, CBS hopes these real-life housewives will be smoking enough to lure fans from MTV’s popular “docu-soap,” “Laguna Beach.” (One of them even looks like Eva Longoria.)

•”Treasure Hunters,” premieres Sunday, NBC: The artistry of Da Vinci might be lacking, but there will be plenty of codes and puzzles in this globe-trotting competition that is definitely not a rip-off of “The Amazing Race” – each team has three people.

•”America’s Got Talent,” June 21, NBC: Regis Philbin hosts, and there are judges – a gal (Brandy), a guy (David Hasselhoff), and a Brit (who cares what his name is) – and home voting. But it isn’t a straight steal from “American Idol” because jugglers, drummers, even a talking pony are eligible to be declared the nation’s most talented creature.

•”Master of Champions,” June 22, ABC: Who has the most pizzazz at pizza tossing? Which unicyclist is uniquely skilled? Who can line up the lamest TV reality concept?

•”Rock Star: Supernova,” July 5, CBS: Tommy Lee learned a lot at college last summer, like how to worm his way into another reality show. The new rock super group, at least in their own minds, features oldsters Lee, Jason Newsted of Metallica and Gilby Clarke of Guns N’ Roses – and, as the eventual lead singer, some refugee from “Wayne’s World” who will have won the “prize.”

•”The One: Making a Music Star,” July 18, ABC: Fox took the dance-contest idea from ABC, but this not a complete copy of “American Idol” because … you get to see the contestants being coached.

•”Buy It Now,” July 31, ABC: A one-hour eBay infomercial combines with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” as families seeking to “realize one of their most meaningful dreams” auction off all their heirlooms and hope friends and neighbors kick in some junk, too.

•”One Ocean View,” July 31, ABC: Manhattan yuppies head to the Hamptons, or somewhere by the shore, to party hearty on the weekends.

Returning network summer series include “So You Think You Can Dance,” which premiered May 26 on Fox; “Last Comic Standing,” which began its fourth season May 30 on NBC; “Hell’s Kitchen,” which returned Monday on Fox; and “Big Brother 7: All-Stars,” which comes back for its seventh season July 6 on CBS.