CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Your TV set is about to get a little hotter. "Burn Notice" opens its third season at 9 p.m. tonight on USA. (Fans, take note of the new time slot.)

The second season ended spectacularly in March with blacklisted spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) jumping out of a helicopter into the Atlantic Ocean. No, he wasn't out thrill seeking; he was declining a job offer from the good folks who had threatened to kill him all season if he didn't do their bidding.

Before he jumped, Michael was told that the group's protection was the only reason he was still safe from all the enemies he'd made in the spy trade over the years. He was threatened that with that protection withdrawn, his enemies would come out in full force. Presumably, that's what this season will focus on.

"Burn Notice" is one of my favorite shows on the air. It's witty, exciting and fun. There's plenty of spy stuff to keep the action moving and enough humor in Michael's wry voiceovers and by his best friend Sam (Bruce Campbell) to keep things light. 

The cast -- which also includes Gabrielle Anwar as Michael's ex, Fiona, and Sharon Gless as his mom, Madeline -- are perfect in their roles, and the chemistry between them is excellent. The main trio of Michael, Sam and Fi is so natural that I can't imagine anyone else in the roles-- even though I initially hated Anwar as Fi. (Her accent in the first episode was so awful it was distracting.) Campbell is so much fun as Sam that he's got to be near the top when it comes to listing great sidekicks, and, simply put, Jeffrey Donovan IS Michael Westen.

With all of this and the steamy Miami setting, "Burn Notice" is the perfect show for summer.  If you haven't watched it yet, you should definitely check out tonight's season premiere.

"Burn Notice's" timeslot shift allows the new show "Royal Pains" to premiere at 10 p.m. on USA.

"Pains" stars Mark Feuerstein (TV's "Good Morning, Miami" and "3 lbs.") as a blacklisted surgeon who becomes a "concierge doc" (private physician for hire) in the Hamptons. Anyone who watches "Burn Notice" will pick up on the two shows' theme similarities, so it makes sense to put them together.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Your TV set is about to get a little hotter. "Burn Notice" opens its third season at 9 p.m. tonight on USA. (Fans, take note of the new time slot.)

The second season ended spectacularly in March with blacklisted spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) jumping out of a helicopter into the Atlantic Ocean. No, he wasn't out thrill seeking; he was declining a job offer from the good folks who had threatened to kill him all season if he didn't do their bidding.

Before he jumped, Michael was told that the group's protection was the only reason he was still safe from all the enemies he'd made in the spy trade over the years. He was threatened that with that protection withdrawn, his enemies would come out in full force. Presumably, that's what this season will focus on.

"Burn Notice" is one of my favorite shows on the air. It's witty, exciting and fun. There's plenty of spy stuff to keep the action moving and enough humor in Michael's wry voiceovers and by his best friend Sam (Bruce Campbell) to keep things light. 

The cast -- which also includes Gabrielle Anwar as Michael's ex, Fiona, and Sharon Gless as his mom, Madeline -- are perfect in their roles, and the chemistry between them is excellent. The main trio of Michael, Sam and Fi is so natural that I can't imagine anyone else in the roles-- even though I initially hated Anwar as Fi. (Her accent in the first episode was so awful it was distracting.) Campbell is so much fun as Sam that he's got to be near the top when it comes to listing great sidekicks, and, simply put, Jeffrey Donovan IS Michael Westen.

With all of this and the steamy Miami setting, "Burn Notice" is the perfect show for summer.  If you haven't watched it yet, you should definitely check out tonight's season premiere.

"Burn Notice's" timeslot shift allows the new show "Royal Pains" to premiere at 10 p.m. on USA.

"Pains" stars Mark Feuerstein (TV's "Good Morning, Miami" and "3 lbs.") as a blacklisted surgeon who becomes a "concierge doc" (private physician for hire) in the Hamptons. Anyone who watches "Burn Notice" will pick up on the two shows' theme similarities, so it makes sense to put them together.

I'd hoped to be able to preview the show before its premiere, but the advance copy I requested never arrived, so I'll be watching it for the first time tonight along with everyone else. After watching all the previews for it, I don't have strong feelings either way.

Feuerstein hasn't impressed me as good or bad from what I've seen, although Paulo Costanzo (TV's "Joey") seems like he might get a little annoying as Feuerstein's onscreen sibling/sidekick. The cases appear to be a mix of MacGyver rescues ("I need a bottle of vodka, a Bic pen and some duct tape") and bizarre ailments of the rich (a breast implant "blow out"), which could be over-the-top to the point of being either off-putting or entertaining.

I was interested in but not necessarily excited about "Burn Notice" when it premiered, but I ended up being hooked on it from the first episode, so that is reason enough for me to tune into "Royal Pains" and give it a chance. Besides, it's summer. What else are you going to watch?

Series premieres: "The Listener," 9 p.m. tonight, NBC (Canadian import about telepathic paramedic/do-gooder); "Tosh.0," 10 p.m. tonight, Comedy Central (Internet-related humor with comic Daniel Tosh); "Top Chef Masters," 10 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo (24 world-renowned chefs compete in charity cook-off).

Season premieres: "Ghost Adventures," 9 p.m. Friday, Travel; "Whale Wars," 9 p.m. Friday, Animal Planet; "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," 9 p.m. Sunday, A& E; "The Next Food Network Star," 9 p.m. Sunday, Food Network; "Army Wives," 10 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime;  "The Closer," 9 p.m., and "Raising the Bar," 10 p.m. Monday, TNT; "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List," 10 p.m. Monday, Bravo.

Of note: Neil Patrick Harris hosts The Tony Awards, 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS; Neil Young is featured on "American Masters," 9 p.m. Wednesday, PBS. 

Reach Amy Robinson at flips...@wvgazette.com.