Season 2 of Burn Notice arrives July 10, 2008

As much as I hate to admit it, Renae and I have become rather big TV hounds as of late. For better or worse, it’s just so easy to plop down in front of the ol’ idiot box while feeding Simon (though we like to think that we’re starting early on making Simon a pop culture savant). But to our credit, the lineup of shows that we watch with any regular basis is pretty limited.

One show that we’ve only recent discovered, via re-runs, is USA’s Burn Notice. Slick, polished, and clever, Burn Notice is the kind of show that one could call a “guilty pleasure if it wasn’t so enjoyable and well-made.

Burn Notice follows the exploits of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, who has more than a passing resemblance to Guy Pearce), a spy who finds himself suddenly and inexplicably blacklisted (or “burned”), stripped of all credentials, and stranded in Miami.

His only allies are an ex-girlfriend who just happens to be a trigger-happy ex-IRA agent, and an old friend who was also a former spy but is now informing on him, and his rather dysfunctional family. To make ends meet while trying to find out who “burned” him and why, Westen takes various odd jobs for which his “unique” skills come in very useful.

Take equal parts MacGuyver and Alias, toss in some fancy Tony Scott-esque editing and glamorous Miami scenery, and a healthy funny streak that’s both sardonic and tongue-in-cheek, and you’ve got Burn Notice. And did I mention that it stars man-god Bruce Campbell as Westen’s boozing, womanizing pal, Sam Axe? ‘Nuff said.

Season One, consisting of twelve episodes, will be released on DVD on June 17, 2008. Season 2, with 13 new episodes, will be airing on the USA network on July 10, 2008.