Basically Cable

Tonight was the only night of the weekend where we watched any TV of note, and it was all on cable. Take that, networks!

Started out by flipping between Gladiator on TNT and cycling coverage on OLN. The Tour de France is about three weeks away, but OLN has been covering cycling leading up to it on Cyclism Sunday, where the follow races like the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and some of the shorter races in France. The Sunday package is pretty good - even the recap of a smaller race is better than the CBS recap of a week of the Tour de France - but I'd like to see OLN cover some of the larger races like the Giro and the Vuelta Espana (Tour of Spain) in the same day-to-day fashion. It wouldn't have to be live; an hour recap show would be great.

The only problem is that OLN's cycling coverage is pretty Lance-centered, and he uses the other races (if he even rides them) to prepare for France. Still, with the number of strong US cyclists out there now, OLN could build more of a following for cycling (and their coverage) without much more work.

Anyway, we later watched the latest episode of The Next Food Network Star, which was reasonably entertaining. They try a little too hard to create drama (this week over a contestant who had a little knife accident), but as I noted before the general lack of fake tension-building is refreshing. My only problem now is that I'm not crazy about any of the contestants. It's a short-run series (the finale is June 26), and I don't think that'll be enough time for anyone to really come out as a favorite for me.

Next was Bridezillas on WE, which is about what you'd expect - a series that follows difficult brides on their way to the altar. It's like a million other cable shows that's built around ordinary people, not particularly memorable but not particularly horrible, either. I am looking forward to the follow-up series Divorcezillas, where the husbands finally cut loose from the immature shrews they married.

Finally, some Family Guy on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Thankfully, no American Dad. It took me a little while to warm up to Family Guy, and that process isn't happening for the new show.