THE BEST SHOW THIS SUMMER (that no one is watching)

A few weeks ago, when Saved premiered, I was truly disappointed. I love Tom Everett Scott. He's frakkin' adorable. Dark hair, blue eyes, a smile that lights up an entire city. What could be bad about this? Well, the first episode. It was torture, and I was heartbroken. I kept at it though, because honestly, why give up an hour with a tall beautiful man, if you have the time. Which I really don't, but seriously, have you seen him? Anyway, talk about getting better and better. After that first misstep, which just established a bunch of characters, the show really became fun, and smart, and did I mention how hot Tom is? And his name is Wyatt on the show. Something about that is even hot.

Anyway, the story's real easy. Wyatt's a paramedic with a gambling problem. He comes from a rich all doctor family. His brother made gazillions when his company went public, and here's poor old Wyatt, dropped out of medical school, left his home, his girlfriend, everything, to go find himself. When he returned, he realized what truly made him happy was being paramedic. The only true friend it seems he has is his partner, Sack, who looks too much like Doc on Third Watch. It's creepy how much they look alike. Not that I'm complaining, it's just a bit odd.

Of course there's the girl he left behind when he pulled a Gaughan and ran off. She's a doctor and living with another doctor. See doctors only like other doctors, it's like a rule or something. She still harbors unresolved feelings for Wyatt because honestly, who wouldn't. In fact, at the end of the first episode she couldn't control herself, and they did it in the back of the ambulance. Sexy! When the bus is rockin', don't come a knockin'. Ah, good times. But later, since her obligation is to the man she just moved in with and not the love of her life, she feels bad and ends it with Wyatt. Of course they still have to see each other because he brings in all the patients.

Speaking of the patients... A cool trick they do on this show is give us a 10 second breakdown of what led whoever they're working on to their current predicament. All shown with the heartbeat beating in the background. It's a quick little breakdown that gives us a good sense of the person and quite effective. Like a girl they pick up from a hospice care facility who needs a new liver. She's a volatile 15 or 16 year old. In her flash we see that her parents were killed in a plane crash and she was left orphaned and without anyone. She started off being annoying, but she's kinda cute, and has a crush on Wyatt. She notices Alice and Wyatt's connection, and plays with it.

Someone else gettin' some lovin' is Angela. One of the other paramedics. She's getting it from her roommate, Shelly or something. Yes, Angela's gay. And this is great for her partner Harper, a Mormon. He feels like God, or John Smith, or whoever, may have sent him to degayify her. Okay.

Meanwhile, Sack, the usual absent father, has just started paying more attention to his kid. In fact, he's found out that the kid's gifted, and wants to enroll him in the private school Wyatt went to, much to Wyatt's dismay. The school cost $25,000 a year, something Sack doesn't have. He's going to get him into the school Malcolm X style, by any means necessary. I somehow think he's going to get involved with Wyatt's gambling guy.

Yes, Wyatt is diseased. He's diseased with hotness. I'm sorry, I really am, but come on, adoarable! Anyway, he's been gambling for awhile. Long enough for everyone he knows to know he has a problem, and for him to be in debt with his old 2nd grade classmate and gay bookie. This guy is scum, but still likes Wyatt enough not to kill him. He just has his friends beat him up. Never did a black eye look so good. Okay, maybe Brad Pitt in Fight Club. Anyway, Wyatt owes a ton of money, and borrowed a couple grand from his father, with the idea he'd reapply to medical school and finish what he'd started. See he has some issues with his father, who was never there, and who wants him to be a doctor as well. He agrees, and fills it out, just in time. The bookie's not happy about the lack of payment, but settles for what he has.

Later, the bookie comes back around asking Wyatt for the rest of his money, and of course he doesn't have it. He threatens to hurt people he cares about. As his father and brother come to take him to dinner, his father learns that Wyatt wasn't planning on going back to school, and the deal was only that he'd "apply". Wow, semantics, kill ya every time. Daddy's not happy. When Wyatt goes to his father's birthday party, his father, as he ignores his brother, tells everyone that Wyatt did get into medical school, and will be starting soon. Wyatt's pissed. He's also pissed that the bookie's shown up and he wonders if he's there to hurt someone he cares about. Alice is there at the birthday party too, so Wyatt's exceptionally concerned.

His father calls him up to the podium (yes, they had a microphone and podium at this birthday gathering. So hoyti toyti) and tells him to give a little speech. Wyatt gives an excellent speech, talking about why it is he's a paramedic, and that he doesn't like being invisible, like he is right now, as his father goes to the men's room, not caring about his son's speech. The bookie follows him. Wyatt finishes up his speech and rushes to the bathroom, just as the bookie's taking something out of his pocket. Wyatt attacks him before realizing it's a couple grand his father won on the races or some sport. His father realizes Wyatt thought something was going to happen to him, and is touched by the gesture. Not touched enough to hand over that money he just won for Wyatt.

Anyway, there's so much more to this show then what I've just explained. The relationships, the dialogue, the stories, I'm really digging it. And did I mention how beautifully hot Tom is?