I love network TV. Yup, I said it.

Besides Sex and the City, Mad Men and United States of Tara, I’ve never been a fan of cable shows. Sure, I’ve watched an episode here and there of Dexter, Californication, The Wire and Spartacus, but I much prefer network fare like The Good Wife, Cougar Town, 24 and The Big Bang Theory to the grittiness of what cable offers.

I might sound like a bit of prude (those who know me know that so isn’t the case), but I find the violence and sex to be way too much. And even though I swear like a trucker, whenever I hear explicit language, I’m always caught off-guard, like the F-bombs should be coming from a movie theatre screen, not my television.

But last October, a smart, slick crime-solving show premièred on Bravo! (a week after it debuted on USA Network south of the border) and I was instantly smitten. White Collar has no cursing, no sex and rarely any fight scenes. It’s just a sunny, briskly-paced dramedy that features the easygoing, natural chemistry between the show’s stars, Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay, whose characters Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke work so well together. It’s amazing how the two became such fast friends and how the actors made it so believable.

The premise is simple, though some may think it’s a tad contrived: Neal’s a master con man and thief whose abilities and smarts are the equivalent to those of top-notch FBI agent Peter Burke, and the two work together to stop white-collar crimes. Every week has been an absolute treat watching the two pros take friendly, sarcastic jabs at each other, all with charm and panache.

But it isn’t just the two lead dudes. Tiffani Thiessen plays Peter’s wife, Elizabeth, perhaps the coolest, most supportive and understanding wife on the small screen; Willie Garson plays Neal’s neurotic pal Mozzie, who always helps with the shady stuff; and Diahann Carroll pops up every now and again as Neal’s distinguished landlady.

All Peter has wanted this season has been for Neal to have a better life. The two genuinely like and respect each other, but in tonight’s season finale, the pair have to work together to stop the one thing that plagues both of them. Now Neal has to decide whether he takes Peter up on his offer, or goes his own way.

Unlike the usual dreary, heavy, dark fare cable typically offers, White Collar is practically a network show airing on a cable network. It reminds me a bit of Castle or Chuck, with their mix of drama and laughs, great ensembles and crazy/wacky crime-fighting. Ironically, episodes of the ABC and NBC shows have more blood and violence than White Collar.

Simply put, White Collar is great TV. It may not have all the bells and whistles of CSI, Law & Order, Lost or True Blood, but that may be its best quality. It’s just a fun, witty, lively hour that is escapism at its best. I can’t wait for Season 2.

The season finale of White Collar airs Friday, March 12, 9 p.m. ET/PT, Bravo!

denette@tvguide.ca

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Denette’s not ashamed to say she has loved TV for as long as she can remember, whether she was rolling her eyes at Polkaroo on Polka Dot Door, catching up on soaps recorded on her family’s trusty Betamax, crushing on Face from The A-Team or laughing along with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Nowadays, Denette digs Glee, Mad Men, Chuck, So You Think You Can Dance, Big Brother, awards shows, and Friends reruns. Things that annoy her to no end are Samantha Harris’ co-hosting Dancing With the Stars, the addition of Kara DioGuardi on American Idol, someone calling during Lost and her PVR crashing. If you’ve thought it, it’s probably crossed her mind, too. Denette will gladly praise a show, but she’ll be more than happy to slam something if it sucks.

 

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