TVSquad

This really isn't stunning news, as both shows are loved my millions and get great ratings every week, but I think it will bring a smile to people's faces as we watch the Dow go down again.

USA Network has renewed Burn Notice for a third season and Psych for a fourth season. This means the new seasons that will begin in the summer of 2009, not the current season which had its summer finale this summer and will launch the second half of their seasons in January.

You know, TV seasons used to be a lot easier to figure out.

(S02E09) "What do you see up there? A mastermind petting a Persian cat?" - Sam Axe

So , as you might expect from the finale, Michael is very close to solving one of this season's mysteries. It seems the only missing pieces of the puzzle are who is the sniper's target and does Michael want to save them?

I can only imagine that the target would have to be a really bad person in order for Michael to overcome his inflated savior complex. If Osama Bin Laden ends up as a passenger on the ferry, he'll probably let the hit go down. Anyone else, however, is going to have to be a game day call.

(S02E08) I like it when old friends of the main character show up for a visit. Generally, because they inevitably give out some personal information. For example, it seems that Michael has had a fondness for yogurt for some time now. The other tidbit was that Michael didn't have such high moral fiber back when he was working for the government. I'm willing to bet it was the reconnection to his family and friends that brought him back from the dark side.

The other thing that visits from old friends bring us is cool guest stars. Tim Matheson doesn't work near enough for my tastes and to see him turn up as a douchebag ex-coworker of Michael's was fun.

Writing a tie-in novel to a popular (and current) TV show can't be an easy thing to do. Some of them are pretty lousy, dashed off to appeal to fans of the show and/or cash in on the show (and let's not even get into fan fiction). The author also has to be careful not to tick off loyal fans who know the show backwards and forwards. What if you get the voice wrong? What if you get character information wrong or change something in the show's world that fans don't buy (and actually ticks them off)? What if you suddenly make the lead character a robot or a leather bondage fanatic?

Luckily none of those things are a problem in the first Burn Notice tie-in novel, The Fix. It's written by Tod Goldberg, author the the novels Fake Liar Cheat, Living Dead Girl, and the short story collection Simplify, and it's his first journey into the world of TV show tie-ins. It's quite good. Fans will be pleased and it works as a separate little adventure as well.

I like to think that I read more than the average bear, and I certainly have my favorites. I've been counting down the days to the new Neal Stephenson novel, Anathem, since a release date was announced. That being said, I've never really been lured in by any of the television tie-in books. However, a guest article at the LA Times site by Tod Goldberg has left me curious about Burn Notice: The Fix.

In the linked article, Goldberg details the thought process behind him making the jump to television tie-ins. He has an interesting perspective and it makes for a good read. Among other things, Goldberg was worried that writing a tie-in might sully his career. One of the things that turned the tide was the fact that he is a huge fan of Burn Notice. He actually makes a great comparison, saying, "It's smart, funny, visually arresting and has the tone and style of my favorite Elmore Leonard novels." Why yes, it is. Goldberg's first foray into tie-ins is available now.

(S02E07) "Sounds like the world's worst game show." - Sam Axe

Finally, Michael gets himself involved in someone else's problems in a truly organic way. Like most of you, I was tired of people seeking Michael's help like he was Robert McCall Jr. So when he came to the defense of Seymour, it was really refreshing to see.

Speaking of Seymour, I was surprised to see Silas Weir Mitchell playing a character who was so socially functional. After his stint on Prison Break and Earl I wasn't sure if he was even acting.

Here's a neat idea: the Burn Notice promotional kits that USA Network sent out to Emmy voters were written in invisible ink! You needed a UV flashlight to read the words, which was included in the kit. The Denver Egoist has all of the details and several pics from the kit, created by TDA Advertising in Boulder, CO.

The kit, which contains 12 episodes of the show on four DVDs, is set up to look like a classified file, and though some of the words are legible, you need the flashlight to read the others. Very cool and very spy-ish, though I wonder if they should have done it a different way. Isn't the preferred method of getting secret messages to Michael via a crossword puzzle? They should have included a secret message about the show inside of a crossword too.

(S02E06) You have to admire the stones on a guy who can insult someone else's wardrobe while he himself is wearing a Daiquiri Ice colored polo.

As much as I love the larger than life characters on this show, Victor the Wrangler was a little too much for me. I never enjoy seeing brand new characters who talk to the regulars like they are old buddies. I know that's how TV works but if a guy is going to engage in as much douche speak as Victor, he's got build up some goodwill first, or else I'll end up hating him from the beginning. That, however, may have been the point.

(S02E05) "Sammy's gettin' some hammy tonight." - Sam Axe

How great was it seeing Michael and Fi still sitting in that car? I like to imagine that they were sitting there for an entire week while we waited for the new episode.

Not that I didn't enjoy Michael's how-to on exposing covert security but I feel bad for the delivery guy. As if it isn't bad enough to get to the delivery and realize you've been pranked, this poor guy is also going to get the crap beaten out of him. No wonder Michael helps everyone he meets. He has a lot of bad karma to make up for.

I guess it's something that a show like Burn Notice has reached a certain kind of significance in the culture that even The New Yorker stands up and takes notice of it. I'm just not sure if the reviewer likes the show or just tolerates it.

Nancy Franklin is often good in her analysis of a TV show or a TV genre, but she seems to have gotten tired of Burn Notice already. While she likes the Miami location and loves Bruce Campbell (deservedly so), she thinks the show is already getting tired. She's not buying the tension between Michael and Fiona, and she thinks the mom/Michael stuff is just too much. She also compares Jeffrey Donovan to Frank Gorshin's Riddler from Batman, which isn't fair (she also gets a fact wrong - Sam is not secretly reporting on Michael to the government, Michael knows about it).

I'll have a longer post about the Sci Fi / Entertainment Weekly party early next week, but I wanted to post a couple of short interviews I was able to grab at the party first. I actually wasn't intending to interview anyone at this party, but since Rich had his handy recorder with him, I made a few choice picks from the red carpet while I had the chance.

First up: Tricia Helfer. With Battlestar Galactica finished filming, she's been busy in a guest-starring role on Burn Notice. Hell, this woman's on two shows I love and, come on, it's Tricia Helfer. I was the last person in line on the carpet, so I kept it short. She was extremely nice and open to talk to.

(S02E04) I'm sure you die-hard Burn Notice fans saw it in the first scene. The show has now expanded its yogurt promotion to include the frozen variety. The producer's also have started sharing other uses for yogurt. Next time I have a hangover, I'll try a nice cool tub of Dannon to stop the throbbing.

I was wondering when Nate was going to show up again. More importantly, I was curious whether or not he would still be running scams. At first glance, it would seem that he meant everything he said about making "a few changes." However, as we all know, nothing on this show is ever what it seems, except for Michael's inability to refuse to help those in need.

I'd like to think that I'm the kind of person that gets in on cool things at the start, you know? There's just something about jumping on the bandwagon that's less attractive than being able to say, "Oh, yes. I was into that from day one." So, while I can proudly declare that I was a charter member of the Mad Men audience, I was late to Burn Notice. I missed the boat on Burn Notice, okay! There, I said it.

Fortunately for me, I've had the chance to catch up. I even got to visit the set. The USA Network rebroadcasts and occasional marathons have helped -- hooray for DVRs -- but I really think it was the Burn Notice Season One DVD set that filled in all the blanks. Reasonably priced and recently released, the set has become one of my favorites, as had the tale of Michael Westen, professional spy who has been inexplicably fired -- burned -- and dumped in Miami. There's a lot to like in this show, and in this DVD set.

(S02E02) "Who's the puta now?" Me after Sophia revealed herself to Raul.

As I watch Michael have his meeting with Carla, I can't help but wonder what I would do in his situation. On the one hand, like Michael, I would really be obsessed with finding out who burned me and why. When you've been a spy as long as he has, it's impossible to let that kind of thing go.

On the other hand, Carla seems to be a good number of steps ahead of Michael at all times, so maybe the best thing to do is just follow her instructions and play by her rules until she finally comes across with the information. It's got to be damn frustrating to be outsmarted by her every time.

Numbers don't lie -- although some people can manipulate them -- but in all the ways that matter for television, the second season debut for USA's Burn Notice was a 100% hit. The spy caper-drama did something that brings smiles to the lips of all cable execs, it beat first run episodes of ABC and CBS programs.

I'm generally not a numbers person. (I freely admit that I sucked at algebra.) However, the Burn Notice success in Nielsen ratings and key demographics -- 1.8 rating/6 share among adults 18-49 and approximately 5.4 million viewers overall -- is impressive. It built on last season's numbers considerably -- 35% in viewership.