Some of you will spend this summer outdoors, spend weekends at the beach, lake, river, water park or some other sun-drenched hot spot. And many of you will do nothing but plant your air-condition-loving, fair-skinned rear in front of the TV. After all, TV-viewing season no longer excludes summer. Many networks, particularly those on cable, save some of their best programming for the summer viewing audience, when they know competition will be at its lowest. With that in mind, here are some of the better shows to check out this summer.

‘BIG LOVE'
Season premiere: 8 p.m., Monday, June 11
Network: HBO
Stars: Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny
Premise: The story of Utah polygamist Bill Hendrickson, his three wives and their numerous children.
The 210 take: Any man who defines sleeping with three women as the pinnacle of coolness has never been married.

‘LAST COMIC STANDING'
Season premiere: 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 13
Network: NBC
Stars: Bill Bellamy (host), aspiring stand-up comics
Premise: Comics compete, with the victor claiming $250,000, a talent contract with NBC Universal and a half-hour comedy special on Bravo.
The 210 take: Quick, name a winner of one of the show's four previous seasons. Thought so.

‘RESCUE ME'
Season premiere: 9 p.m., Wednesday, June 13
Network: FX
Stars: Denis Leary, John Scurti, Andrea Roth
Premise: New York City firefighters deal with the drama of day-to-day life, both in and out of the firehouse.
The 210 take: Leary plays an alcoholic, abusive firefighter who is filled with rage and yet is the unquestioned leader at the firehouse. Boy, now we feel safe.

‘TOP CHEF'
Season premiere: 9 p.m., Wednesday, June 13
Network: Bravo
Stars: Padma Lakshmi (host), aspiring top chefs
Premise: Contestants compete for the chance to be crowned “Top Chef.”
The 210 take: We're at the point where we have shows, and even channels, dedicated to food. And people have the gall to say America has an obesity problem.

‘THE CLOSER'
Season premiere: 8 p.m., Monday, June 18
Network: TNT
Stars: Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds
Premise: A policewoman has an impeccable ability to obtain criminal confessions.
The 210 take: It's the most-watched of all advertiser-supported cable programs and has won multiple awards. Turns out TNT is good for something besides basketball and “Law and Order” reruns.

‘WEEDS'
Season premiere: 9 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13
Network: Showtime
Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon
Premise: A widowed suburban soccer mom sells a whole lot of marijuana to make ends meet.
The 210 take: She must live near a college campus. ô

CLINT HALE | 210SA