Right around the time the big networks air their "season finale" episodes in May, millions of Americans begin to cut down on their TV watching. They crawl out of their cocoons, head for the beach, take vacations or otherwise reconnect with that wide, wonderful world out there. They don't know what they're missing. Summer, as all enlightened couch potatoes know, is one of the very best times to watch TV. And it's mainly due to cable. And this summer that will mean a much wider menu of choices than ever. As Time Warner continues its yearlong upgrade of the Johnson County cable system, tens of thousands of viewers this summer will see better-quality, fiber optic-delivered pictures. And customers who choose to take full advantage of the new digital-cable feature will more than triple their video and audio options. Even if you have all the channels you want, there will be more new, original shows on cable this summer than at any time in its history. More than half of the 40 top-rated channels will introduce at least one new series this summer, according to an industry journal, Electronic Media. So crank up the AC, pull down the shades, grab your remote and if anybody objects, simply remind them: Television is your best entertainment value. Thanks to cable, there's more family-friendly programming than ever on TV. One gem that's available to digital customers is HBO Family, with nothing but G- and PG-rated fare, much of it produced by HBO. It's of the highest quality: adaptations of the Great Books, commercial-free movies, docudramas on the lives of famous inventors and artists, "Dear America" (based on the popular historical novels for kids) and charming animated shows like "George and Martha" and "Babar." Lifetime already has one great drama series in "Any Day Now," the story of interracial friends who grew up in the civil-rights cauldron of Birmingham, Ala. Now it hopes to double viewers' pleasure with "Strong Medicine," a series about (take a guess) two women running a medical clinic. That's in July. In June, Lifetime will launch a game show and a reality show focusing on the lovelorn. TNT has recruited Stanley Tucci to headline "The Bull," that channel's first original series. It's about a group of 20-somethings who quit their Wall Street jobs to launch their own firm, and the show will have its debut Aug. 15. And TNT will keep producing movies, as it does year-round, including Mardi Gras thriller "On Hostile Ground" June 11, and "Deadlocked" - featuring a rare sighting of ex-"NYPD Blue" star David Caruso - on June 18. Odyssey, which is backed partly by Hallmark, will have a weekly drama series based on the works of H.G. Wells in August. Sci-Fi Channel is also adapting the sci-fi master with an updated version of "Invisible Man." Comedy Central has its annual "premiere week" starting June 18 with comedian Julie Brown's new sitcom, "Strip Mall," about the scandalous lives that exist behind the facade of suburban Rancho del Toro. Also starting that week are "The League of Gentlemen," in which just three male actors play all the citizens of a small town; and "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush," a game show in which contestants are picked from the audience, with the winner immediately whisked away on their grand (or not-so-grand) getaway. (Yes, there will be a fresh "South Park" that week, too.) Showtime's summer will feature the premieres of two shows with diverse casts: "Resurrection Blvd." has an all-Hispanic cast in a drama about a family in Los Angeles, and "Soul Food" is an African-American series based on the 1997 movie. Perhaps CBS and UPN will follow suit; like Showtime, they're owned by CBS-Viacom. Cartoon Network will showcase Bugs Bunny with a 48-hour marathon beginning 10 a.m. June 2 in its annual "June Bugs" special. It will include 20 shorts the channel hasn't shown before. The Cartoon Network also will unveil three new cartoons in June: "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," about two kids who take on the Grim Reaper when he comes for their pet hamster (June 9); "Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?", about a young robot suffering the perils of middle school (June 16); and "Clever Trevor," about a young boy with an active imagination (June 23). Former "Daily Show" cutup Brian Unger is back with a satirical look at the show business world for the E! channel titled "Hollywood Off-Ramp" (June 4). Former "Seinfeld" schlemiel Jason Alexander goes behind the camera as executive producer of "Liquid Soap," a new soap-opera spoof for Fox Family Channel. Food TV is adding six new shows in June, including "Food Nation with Bobby Flay." That show will focus on regional cooking. Flay also is part of a new "Iron Chef" show in June in which the Japanese All-Stars go to New York. Bravo jumped the gun and launched the second season of Michael Moore's edgy TV newsmagazine "The Awful Truth" on May 17. Among the stories Moore and Co. are tackling: a possible sibling rivalry between Jeb and George W. Bush in which the two governors see who can execute more inmates. Animal Planet will have the premiere of the movie "The Trial of Old Drum" (June 9), based on the true story of a beloved golden retriever put on trial in Warrensburg, Mo., in 1955 for killing a sheep. Randy Travis stars. To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CAPTION:'Soul Food' Showtime series based on a 1997 movie @ART CREDIT:MATTHEW JORDAN SMITH/Showtime @ART CAPTION:'The Awful Truth' back on Bravo @ART CREDIT:Bravo @ART:Photos (2) >>>