Mark Feuerstein

CHICAGO – USA’s “Royal Pains” has always been a great summer diversion for this critic. It just fits in the warm weather as one can imagine being in the social circle of HankMed, walking the beaches of the Hamptons and hobnobbing with the rich and beautiful.

CHICAGO – USA has a proven formula for success and they show no sign of slowing down in that department, adding new hits like “Covert Affairs” and “Fairly Legal” to a line-up of proven successes like “Burn Notice” and “Psych.” The first season of the very hit-and-miss “Affairs” and the second season of the more-consistent “Royal Pains” recently hit DVD from Universal and they’re both sets designed for fans of the network.

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have one mega summer gift bag for season two of USA Network’s “Royal Pains”!

CHICAGO – USA’s “Royal Pains” was one of the most surprising hits of 2009, the #1 new show of the summer season, and it returns even more confident, entertaining, and close-to-perfect with its second season premiere on June 3rd, 2010. It’s highly unlikely that the show will lose any viewers and the buzz around the sophomore season and the release of the first on DVD should actually see numbers increase.

CHICAGO – Premiere episodes of new series really only have to pass one test - will you return for the second week? The jury is still out on the health of a whole season, but the premiere of USA’s new “Royal Pains” is clever, witty, and promising enough that most viewers are very likely to return to see the good doctor in week two.

CHICAGO – There are many things to like about Edward Zwick’s “Defiance,” including Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber’s excellent performances, a lovely score by James Newton Howard, and, of course, the important subject matter, but the overdone screenplay and Zwick’s typically melodramatic direction just barely sink the film, although a nice Blu-Ray release should help make a few of its flaws easier to overlook.