Live Q&As;

I think my favorite character is Red. Though Crazy Eyes is certainly close.

Season 1 (which came to Netflix last fall) has a score of 69 on Metacritic, which is pretty good. If you click there, you can see that I didn't love it back in September (I gave it a C+ in our fall TV issue), but, when it comes to TV criticism, one's opinion can change. I liked season 2 a lot more -- here's my review from last week. It's not a huge time investment; I think you should give it a shot. I will say I don't like "Derek" nearly as much as I like "Getting On" (the HBO version; I've not seen the British "Getting On"), but both are mining similar territory. If you're one of those people who has vociferously bad reaction to the subject of aging, geriatrics, nursing homes, etc., then you should pass. (And do some thinking about why.) If you're expecting "Derek" to be only hilarious, you might be disappointed, but there are a lot of laughs in it.

The middle out! The middle out!

I agree -- Mike Judge and his writers and his cast really delivered a perfect comedy as well as a meaningful, relevant satire of a culture that needs to be examined and questioned.

When it came along last season, I'd had my fill of new shows about comedians offering us portraits based on their sad-sack lives. I need to go back and see if his show got any better or different. I've certainly enjoyed some of his podcasts.

It's not only ratings. Sometimes its relative production costs -- how much the show is paying off in terms of buzz and accolades vs. how much it costs to make and promote.

We won't get too into this, so as not to spoil the details for anyone who isn't caught up on their episodes. But, if you watched Sunday night and wondered if it's possible to really do that to a guy, The Post's Lenny Bernstein looks into it here. (Spoiler alert, of course.)

Yes, and it's not just parody. For some reason, they always want to make the world a better place.

Lots of questions about Summer TV choices today. As it happens, I am writing a fairly large guide to what's on, which will run in next Sunday's paper (June 15) and probably be up online by Friday the 12th. There's quite a bit out there. I apologize that I still don't have my thoughts quite collected to start doling out recommendations, though I'm excited that "Masters of Sex" has been moved up from fall and will be back with season 2 on July 13. (If you didn't watch season 1, that would be an excellent way to get your summer started.)

"Nurse Jackie" ends June 29, with a season finale episode that is amazing. (I've already seen it.) "Californication" wraps up June 29 too -- and that's a final episode for the series.

I don't believe it was expressly stated, but I'm almost certain Sherwood Schwartz has talked about it in retrospectives, documentaries, etc.

Can any superfans help out here? Was it ever mentioned in any episode?

But they were the Waltons, for pete's sake.

Well, guess what: This time they want you to know (and they sent critics and reporters a press release with team members' names and hometowns) and here's why -- the show is moving to Friday nights this fall and will need all the extra publicity it can get.

Hahahahahaha!

Yes, as slightly older Ann B. Davis fans have been 'splaining to me all week, she was Emmy'd twice for playing Schultzy on "The Bob Cummings Show." Which I knew and included in my essay, but you know how baby boomers (and older) sometimes are: They need to tell you anyhow.

Last question first: I dunno. (Has anyone been keeping up with "Penny Dreadful"? I only watched the first three episodes and there are only seven, I think.)

"True Blood": It's a big mess. I've watched the first two episodes of the new season, which is all about the Hep V plague. But I think fans like that it's a big mess. So guilty-pleasure yourself with it, by all means.

Mike was widowed, because on the wedding day, Bobby is wistfully looking at a picture of Dead Mom. (Also, that's why Mike had Alice as a housekeeper, since he was a single dad raising three boys all alone.) I'm pretty sure Carol was divorced. Waiting for explicit evidence to the contrary.

Maybe the split-level house was built on her grave.

What no one would tell us is that Carol was previously married to Reuben Kincaid.

There is no law in the universe (this one or a parallel one) that would have kept that football from that nose. Or that basketball from that vase. THE END.

The Bradys could have done chores. Such layabouts.

I agree. This season -- SPOILER ALERT -- started off just fine, but became increasingly indulgent and even trying my patience with the entire "Elevator" series. It's fine with me if Louis C.K. wants to try an arc that verges on an art film, but I didn't buy the love affair with Amia, unless its intent was to make viewers deeply uncomfortable. (Is he saying that the perfect woman is someone who speaks a foreign language and that you have no hope of ever fully comprehending or even just talking to?) I'm trying also to reconcile the other threads in that particular story and what they were supposed to mean -- the difficulty Louie and his ex-wife are having with their daughter Jane's behavior and intelligence; the philosophical (nihilistic, really) encounters with the doctor who lives downstairs (Charles Grodin), and, yes, finally, the Pamela scene ("you're not even a good rapist" or whatever she said). "Louie" is an ambitious, fascinating, downbeat show, but either it's a little lost or I am, when it comes to matters of artistic intent. I haven't had time to give it a proper analysis, but not sure I could come to any grand conclusion either. What I have enjoyed -- still -- are the sharp laughs. Such as: Hurricane Jasmine Forsythe.

None. I wrote two reviews of it and couldn't hardly have been more negative.

The choir loves it, that's for sure.

Uhhhhh...

I don't know where to begin here. You lost me at "throws people under the bus like a man."

Renewed for another 12 episodes! Sorry about that whole faith-in-humanity thing.

I do not have any info (press releases, premiere date announcements, the usual indicators of life) about season 8, which was reportedly in production, but "reportedly" may just be wishful thinking on the part of fans. TMZ  and others did report that Hugh had been in an accident earlier this year as a passenger and blamed one of the producers. If true, that might put a damper on things. Maybe IRT (and its iterations) has run its course.

Interesting point. I watched episode 2 yesterday (it airs Sunday night) and for the first 30 minutes or so I thought, hmm, okay, this is picking up somewhat, and then it fell apart again.

Being in bed and the sound of my parents watching "M*A*S*H" reruns every night, volume too loud, after the 10 o'clock (Central time) local news. The theme song, the canned laughter, Alan Alda's voice, my mother's laughter...

Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels -- action women in soft bras, kicking bad guys' asses.

The Catholic Church saying don't ever watch "Soap" or "Three's Company," which means DO, do watch.

My father watching "Hee-Haw" at 5 p.m. on Saturdays with the sliding-glass door open, back and forth from the patio, while waiting for the charcoals to light.

The six or seven hours of cartoons that each network showed every Saturday morning, capped with "American Bandstand" and "Soul Train." At some point I was told to turn it off and go get dressed.

In other words, don't get me started.

Maybe so.

Meanwhile, yikes, one thing I don't like about these chats is seeing words like "couldn't hardly" leave my fingertips.

Diet Pepsi.

Yes, one episode left and hardly anyone is left talking about it. Did it turn out to be too boring? (Was it the commercial breaks? Was it Neil? Was it the colorform cartoons?)

Hmmm.

In this case, no, because "Night Shift" has been sitting in the pantry since NBC rolled out their 2013-14 a year ago.

They have some limited series that are truly summer shows, which I'm getting ready to watch today or tomorrow.

Right, Sunday was not at all a good choice for "Cosmos." Too much else going on, even with the Monday encores on NatGeo.

It's back in the fall.

I did notice with the new season that I was significantly less interested in Chapman's problems and much more wrapped up in everyone else's stories. That's another reason "OITNB" is so good. It's truly an ensemble piece.

Well, that's not canon, but you're right.

Yahoo is on the phone. They'll buy your pitch.

If this hasn't happened already, some philosophy professor somewhere should build a course syllabus around "Louie." Don't you think? (Enough with the "Breaking Bad" classes!)

Much self-loathing here too.

I'm leaning in this direction as well. And after all that build-up and anticipation ...

I have not received any "Tyrant" screeners yet, alas.

I was also jarred by the time-shift in "Fargo," but we have no reason not to expect a strong finish; it's been quite good the whole way.

Ooh, I like that one too! He just yells and yells at those owner/managers.

Visit the Creation museum, in other words? Part of me wants to, just to see...

I have to say this about "Mom" -- it got a lot better as the season went on. I started out feeling sorry that Allison Janney had wound up in it, but she makes it work.

Wrong. "M*A*S*H" started having a successful syndication run in the late 1970s/early 1980s while it was still airing new episodes.

Haha! That's awesome -- and sad.

Added enjoyment. I may have to try that.

There are preachers on Sunday mornings? On TV? All I ever see is David Gregory or infomercials.

Good times! (And "Good Times")

Well, friends, we've run 15 extra minutes and it's time for me to mosey back into Summer TV listings. I'm sorry I never get anywhere close to answering/posting all your questions and comments. I try.

Have a great week and weekend. Let's all try not to think too much about Wonder Woman's bossum.

I'll see you here next week.