Five TV Shows You Should Be Watching or You’re a Dick:
5. How I Met Your Mother
Premise: The show is told through the point of view of our main character (Ted Mosby, Architect) and the catch is he is 20 years or so in the future and re-telling the story of how he met his wife to his children.
When It Airs: It’s on everybody’s favorite youth oriented network, CBS, Monday nights at 7:30pm CST.
Why You Should Watch: Basically, it might be the perfect sitcom. The humor is both relevant and hilarious without being too over the top or disgusting (ie, you could watch it with your parents, your spouse, your Grandma, a ten year-old kid and everyone would enjoy it just as equally). The cast if chocked full of talented and funny people who have experience after being on some great shows of their own (Jason Segel from Freaks and Geeks. Alyson Hanigan from Buffy. And of course Neil Patrick Harris from the one, the only, Doogie Howser, MD). It has a ton of great running gags (Robin Sparkles, slap bets, the goat, making fun of Canadians) but you could easily pick it up at any point without feeling totally lost.
Episode To Start With: I would highly recommend Slapsgiving or this season’s super awesome Little Minnesota.
4. Supernatural
Premise: Sam and Dean Winchester are two brothers who travel cross-country together in a 1967 Chevy Impala fighting ghosts, demons, satan and basically any and all things that go bump in night.
When It Airs: Thursday nights at 8:00pm CST on The WB Network.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re a fan of Buffy, Angel or any X-Files type of show then this bad boy is right in your wheelhouse. If you aren’t this just might be the show to whet your appetite a little. The humor is very tongue-in-cheek and it managess to be a show wholly centralized on ghosts and monsters without being too overly Sci-Fi. It can also be creepy as fuck and the special effects are usually pretty awesome despite operating with a TV show budget. And, the extra cheese on the nachos, the only music that they ever play on the show is 70’s and 80’s era classic rock (think Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Molly Hatchet, etc).
Episode To Start With: Ghostfacers or Criss Angel Is A Douchebag.
3. The Soup
Premise: Okay seriously. It’s been on for years (formally known as Talk Soup). But, just in case, Joel McHale hosts this half hour clip show every week where they poke fun at the seemingly limitless bounty of morons who are referred to as “Reality TV Stars” and “Talk Show Hosts” these days.
When It Airs: It’s on the E! Entertainent Network about 1700 times a week. Feel free to pick any one.
Why You Should Watch: Joel McHale just might be the funniest solitary person on television right now. Whether the jokes/bits/clips are flawlessly executed or achieve trainwreck status, they’re pretty much equally as hilarious. They have killer drop-ins (one of which can be witnessed right here). And it seems like The Soup is one of the few bastions of sanity left on television right now as they rountinely call out the grossly disgusting celebrity fascination all of the other networks continue to champion. Bottom line? It’s just clever, whipsmart and well worth the 17 minutes or so a week you’ll spend watching it.
Episode To Start With: Do yourself a favor, head on over to Google and just type in “Spaghetti Cat” like now.
2. 30 Rock
Premise: The series centers on Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and is a look behind the scenes of the fictional live sketch comedy show where she works.
When It Airs: Thursdays on NBC at 7:30pm CST.
Why You Should Watch: While Tina Fey may be the head writer/creator, it is very much an ensemble cast and easily the funniest one on television right now (and probably even since Seinfeld). I was late to the game on Arrested Development, but luckily I managed get in somewhere toward the middle for 30 Rock. Take my advice and try to do the same before it’s too late. Comedies of this calibur tend to fly right over the head of Middle America so while it may be critically acclaimed, NBC’s hunger for ratings always has me scared it’s days could be numbered. 30 Rock is comedy at it’s absolute best and worth watching just for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Not to mention Grizz, Dot Com, Kenneth, Dr. Spaceman, Frank’s hats and all of the ridiculousness that comes out of Tracy Jordan’s mouth every single week.
Episode To Start With: Any of them. I have yet to see a single bad one.
1. Friday Night Lights
Premise: The series details events surrounding the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with a particular focus being placed upon the team’s head coach (Eric Taylor) and his family. The show uses a small-town backdrop to address a gamet of issues and, just like the equally awesome book and movie (of which the show is based), it may seem the main focal point is football when in reality it is simply more about the characters themselves.
When It Airs: This part gets sort of tricky. The first two seasons were on NBC and aired on (wait for it…) Friday Night. However, Season Three started off airing only on DirectTV last fall but has since resumed it’s regular schedule on NBC, Fridays at 8:00pm CST.
Why You Should Watch: Simply put, it’s the best show on television and has been for the last three years. It’s also one of the best television dramas e-v-e-r. I started watching it halfway through the first season and it’s only gotten better and stronger since. If you were only going to listen to one pick from my whole little list here, Friday Night Lights would be the one to pay the most attention to. If I know you personally I will even go so far as to lend you all three seasons myself.
Episode To Start With: You have to start from the very beginning. So start with the pilot.
Added Bonus: Just like 30 Rock, FNL has been on the ratings fence for quite some time with NBC. And the way Season 3 left off (cliffhang style), I would have been seriously bummed if that was the last episode. However, in looking for a decent promo shot to use I just saw that NBC has ordered two more 13 episode seasons to air in the same way as last season, DirectTV in the fall to NBC in the spring. So, if you do get into the show, bear in mind that you’ll get at least 26 more episodes of Dillon Panther goodness.
So there you go. Set your DVR’s and TIVO’s accordingly and feel free to thank me later.
Dancing with the Stars (8:00pm)
How I Met Your Mother (8:00pm)
One Tree Hill (8:00pm)
House (8:00pm)
Heroes (8:00pm)
Lincoln Heights (8:00pm)
Top Gear (8:00pm)
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