Summer already? Time to fly high with Paula

Even if the sun's refusing to play, summertime means easy-breezy TV. Which is why premium-cable viewers are loving life, with HBO's wacky, melodic gift of a show, "Flight of the Conchords." (10:30 p.m. Sundays). Up next: Bret quits Jemaine; and the guys do a brilliant takeoff of the Pet Shop Boys.

Everyone else in search of TV lite might fancy the catfighting on "Age of Love," (9 p.m. Mondays on KING) that new reality-dating series pitting 20-something females against 40-something women for a tennis star who doesn't really seem like much of a catch. Oh sure, you cringe at the show's premise, but admit how you want to take (a quick) look.

Two more things, then, to satisfy your voyeuristic needs. The first is loopy Paula — "I'm a warrior" — Abdul on "Hey Paula," the newest celebcentric series (10 p.m. Thursdays on Bravo). It'll follow the entertainer and "American Idol" judge as she promotes herself, her jewelry line, her "Bratz" film project and her life with her four Chihuahuas. There's only one good reason to be interested in a show like this: You find enormous pleasure in seeing just how slurry, er, wacky the diminutive, ever-pleasing Abdul can be. She's not entirely ditzy in this premiere (we can only hope the loopy factor swells in upcoming weeks). But she's a diva, scolding her minions for not packing the right outfit (No, not skinny jeans!) for a flight.

Abdul made a memorable appearance on a Q13 early morning newscast back in January, acting entirely confused and out of it (she was plugging "American Idol," the show that rebirthed her star wattage and for which she should be ever grateful). "Hey Paula" teasers of future episodes show that the Q13 appearance will be explored. We can only hope she fully explains herself.

Meanwhile, BBC America has a remarkably frank and unsettling documentary that's a hands-down talker if you can stomach tuning in. The film, "Love Me, Love My Doll" (7 and 10 p.m. Sunday) explores a group of men — in England and in the U.S. — who have relationships with life-size, eerily-realistic dolls. Yes, such affairs are sexual, but the emotion Homo sapiens feel for silicone females cannot be dismissed. "We're always there for each other," a Michigan man named Davecat rather tenderly explains.

What's the point of watching? To admire the filmmakers for their restrained treatment of the subject; to remark at how they got these men to open up; to learn something about human nature; and to be grateful that these men, for the most part, leave real women alone.

Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916 or fdavila@seattletimes.com