view from the couch

The return of several reality shows kicks off on July 3rd with Fox’s Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? starring Jeff Foxworthy. More returning reality series include Big Brother 11 (July 12, CBS), The Moment of Truth (July 19, Fox), Hell’s Kitchen (July 21, Fox) and The Real Housewives of Atlanta (July 30, Bravo).
On the scripted TV front, the Sci Fi Channel (rebranded “Syfy” as of July 7th) will bring back fan favorite Eureka on July 10. Also returning are HBO’s Entourage (July 14) and TNT’s Leverage (July 15).
Deserving of its own mention is the recently canned ABC series Dirty Sexy Money. The final three episodes will air beginning July 18.
New shows are also on the horizon this month. NBC kicks off The Great American Road Trip on July 7. The series pits seven families against one another in a cross-country competition.
Also on July 7, ABC Family unveils its newest drama, 10 Things I Hate About You. The high school comedy is a redux of the 1999 film of the same name starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.
TNT’s newest crime drama Dark Blue hits the airwaves on July 15. The show stars Dylan McDermott and centers on the lives of undercover cops.
Miami Social, Bravo’s latest docu-series, chronicles the comings and goings of young professionals who are all business by day and party animals by night. The show premieres on July 14.
Finally, viewers will get to peek into the lives of those looking for love with not one but two new dating shows airing this month. First up is ABC’s Dating in the Dark (July 20), a series which gives new meaning to the term “blind date.” In it, six singles will mingle under the cover of complete darkness, getting to know the personalities of their prospective mates before being seduced by physical beauty. Then over on Fox, “real people” (read: overweight) will get their chance at televised romance with More to Love, a show that will have several plus-size ladies competing to earn the heart of one lucky Average Joe. The series begins on July 28.

july dvd releases
JULY 7
Knowing (Rated PG-13)
Push (Rated PG-13)
The Unborn (Not Rated)
Coco Chanel (Rated PG)

JULY 14
Grey Gardens (Not Rated)
The Haunting in Connecticut: Unrated Special Edition (Not Rated)
Horsemen (Rated R)
Edge of Love (Not Rated)

JULY 21
Watchmen: Director’s Cut (Rated R)
Coraline (Rated PG)

JULY 28
Fast & Furious (Rated PG-13)
Dragonball: Evolution (Rated PG)
Miss March: Unrated Fully Exposed Edition (Not Rated)