Seven Shows for Summer

The pros: Duct-tape bombs! Main character Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) has a MacGyver-esque knack for turning a trip to Home Depot into a baddie-vanquishing assault. But like USA's other hits ("Monk" and "Psych," for example), "Notice," doesn't take itself too seriously. "Notice" has a satisfyingly wry tone and features the shamefully underemployed Sharon Gless as Michael's needy mother.

The primer: DVDs are out now, and full episodes are available at USANetwork.com.

"Mandrake"
HBO Latino, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The pitch: He's a lawyer! No, he's a fixer! No, he's a sleazebag! Mandrake (Marcos Palmiera) is three characters in one, a handsome Brazilian criminal attorney who involves himself far too deeply in the shady dealings of his clientele.

The pros: The obscenity and the obscurity. "Mandrake" is one of the most consistently raunchy shows I've seen in some time, and each episode further tests the boundaries of the TV-MA rating. Naturally, this is because the show was produced in Brazil, where people are less uptight about such things. Also, because it's tucked away on HBO Latino like "Epitafios" before it, watching it makes you feel like you've stumbled on a secret. (Fair warning: As it was originally written in Portuguese and is now being shown for a Spanish-speaking audience, "Mandrake" is both overdubbed in Spanish and subtitled in English.)

The primer: All episodes are available on HBO on Demand.

"Jingles"
CBS, premieres July 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The pitch: From Mark Burnett, the man who revolutionized television product placement, comes his latest stroke of genius, which further blurs the line between art and commerce. "Jingles" is part "The Apprentice" and part "American Idol"—teams will be given a product for which they'll write a jingle and perform it before a live audience. Then voters at home will choose their favorites, and the team behind the most insipid jingle—or maybe the least?—will be eliminated.

The pros: Burnett is still the biggest name in reality television, and even "Survivor," his most senior franchise, showed with its last season that it still has plenty of life left. And this premise is just irresistible. Plus, with "Mad Men" scheduled to premiere right after it, you can watch a Sunday advertising double-feature—watch "Jingles" to see advertising done wrong, then "Mad Men" to see it done right.

The primer: No catch-up required.

"In Plain Sight"
USA, Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The pitch:Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) is a U.S. Marshall tasked with protecting people who know too much. As an agent attached to the Witness Protection program, it's her job to help recent enrollees acclimate to their new lives in Albuquerque, and to keep them alive as long as possible. This while juggling the stress of living with her free-spirited mother and sister.

The pros: McCormack, who played Kate Harper on "The West Wing," is always a welcome presence. It's arguable that the world doesn't really need another tough-but-tender female cop on the beat, with "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" also premiering new seasons this summer, but McCormack's appealing performance is certainly worth a look.

The primer: Full episodes are available at USANetwork.com.

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