Nothing to watch on TV this summer-

Tim Clodfelter / News Virginian
Published: June 20, 2007

Summertime is here and all the good TV shows are in reruns or off the air completely. Sure, there are a ton of reality shows. But rather than continue channel-surfing in hopes of finding something less lame than "Big Brother 20," might I make the following suggestion: Read something.

Now, bear with me. I'm not suggesting any high-falutin' literature, or even the latest Tom Clancy. No, what devoted TV buffs need to pick up are books about TV shows.

And fortunately, there are a bunch of them out there now, to tide us over till the fall season begins.

Here are some new (or at least newish) and notable titles:

"Firefly: The Official Companion Volume Two" (Titan Books, $24.95): The late, lamented sci-fi Western "Firefly" is the subject of this, the second of two books that combine scripts, interviews, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and production art.

Volume Two has the uncut shooting scripts for the final eight episodes of the series, including perhaps the show's best outing, "Out of Gas," in which Captain Reynolds reminisces about pulling his crew together as he lies near death. The lavishly illustrated book runs 205 pages and includes a look at the weapons supply of gung-ho mercenary nutcase Jayne (who got many of the show's funniest lines); profiles of each of the stars; and plot ideas for episodes that were never made.

"Dimensions Behind The Twilight Zone" by Stewart T. Stanyard (ECW Press, $21.95): This book examines the classic CBS anthology drama through interviews with people from the show's cast and crew; essays by Hollywood writers and producers; and rare behind-the-scenes photos and documents.

The documents in particular are fascinating rarities, including network correspondence, contracts and casting call sheets - things that diehard fans will find intriguing, but that casual observers will likely flip past.

Much of the focus is on series creator Rod Serling, whose creative vision led to a show that blended fantastic ideas with genuine human behavior. He comes across as an amused, occasionally curmudgeonly genius. There are plenty of intriguing anecdotes about by Serling throughout the book. "I am an admitted shmuck, but an abject one," he says in a letter to actor Earl Holliman explaining why he failed to visit him in the hospital.

"24: The Official Companion Seasons 3 & 4" by Tara DiLullo (Titan Books, $16.95): Boy, that sixth season of 24 was a stinker, wasn't it- But you can relive a better time with this companion book to 48 hours of gritty, intense action and angst for Jack Bauer.

Each episode is broken down into a timeline with plot summaries, explanations of concepts that pop up through the series, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. There are plenty of photos and character biographies as well.

"Supernatural: Origins" by Peter Johnson and Matthew Don Smith. (Wildstorm Comics, $2.99 an issue): This comic-book miniseries should please fans of "Supernatural," the WB/CW drama about two brothers traveling the country fighting the forces of evil. This is a prequel fleshing out the characters' backgrounds.

This is also part of a growing trend of comic books based on TV shows. That is nothing new; back in the 1960s, everything from "The Beverly Hillbillies" to "The Wild Wild West" got the comic-book treatment. Now the comics are increasingly tied in to the shows. "Origins" is meant to explore the origins of the "Supernatural" characters, and Dark Horse's hit "Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Eight," now four issues in, is an official continuation of the series, written by series creator Joss Whedon. Its success has led to plans for new comic-book "seasons" of "Angel" and the classic "Star Trek," and calls for the same treatment for other shows such as "Veronica Mars." Best of all, there are no special-effects budgets to mess with.

Tim Clodfelter writes for the Winston-Salem Journal.