For most of my 20 years as this newspaper's movie critic in the 1980s and '90s, I would schedule my vacation time during August, traditionally the dumping ground for the worst movies.

Summer was on the wane, the blockbusters were ensconced in theaters as studios encouraged audiences to return again and again (hey, it worked for "Star Wars"), and bad movies provided no competition. Heck, some were so bad it's surprising they made it to theaters.

August is still a landfill for those pictures — "Spread," "G.I. Joe," "Post Grad," anyone? But today we are also more likely to see at least a smattering of good films, such as "Ponyo" and "District 9."

These days August may even bring something that really belongs in the fall, such as "Julie & Julia," "In the Loop" and "Inglorious Basterds."

Same with television.

When I was young, summertime TV was strictly reruns or "summer-replacement" shows. After all, summer was when everyone was out hiking and camping and swimming — or at the movies watching all those summer blockbusters.

So why burn off TV episodes that could garner higher ratings in the winter, when everyone was stuck at home?

Summer TV in the 21st century still offers a lot of reruns. And reality shows overload the airwaves over at the traditional networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, the CW).

But if you've already seen "Julie & Julia" and you're tired of reality shows and reruns, there is a place to go for something new. Cable.

There are new episodes of such gritty programs as "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" on TNT, "Rescue Me" on FX, and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Burn Notice" and "In Plain Sight" on USA.

And my favorites, USA's less-gritty, comedy-heavy crime shows, "Monk" and "Psych." Both are downright old-fashioned in the way they eschew the vulgarity, sex and graphic violence other shows seem to revel in these days. And that's a good thing.

Once in awhile, "Psych" will include a naughty one-liner, and "Monk" might show a gruesome murder — but both are arguably the cleanest scripted shows on the tube right now.

"Monk" has the great Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the "defective detective," a sort of OCD Columbo crossed with Sherlock Holmes.

This is the eighth and final season of "Monk," and there are lots of treats in store for loyal fans — chiefly an episode that will bring back Sharona (Bitty Schram), Monk's assistant for the first two seasons, and the promise that the series-long arc about the death of Monk's wife will at last be resolved.

The latter is the big draw, but it should also be amusing to have Monk dealing with the gum-snapping, short-skirted Sharona in the same room with the more subdued Natalie (Traylor Howard).

"Psych," for the uninitiated, is a crime show that is heavy on wacky farce, and it works very well, thanks to well-written scripts and the snappy chemistry of two actors cast as a comedy team. James Roday, as Shawn, gets the lion's share of the rapid-fire, pop-culture-laced one-liners, but his straight man, Dule Hill as Gus, gives as good as he gets.

The plot has Shawn as a hyper-observant amateur detective who pretends to be psychic and works as a police consultant. The entire supporting cast is immensely appealing, and every episode is a hoot. (Watch for pineapples.)

e-mail: hicks@desnews.com