tell me what to watch on TV

We went four years without cable. We’re nearing one year with cable again, but so far we’ve only started watching one show: “24”. We like it a lot and are looking forward to the third season.

Soooo, what should we be watching? Network or cable, new show or renewed, what are the best things on TV?

Note: We don’t have HBO.

Julie

The Daily show on Comedy Central is consistantly great, Monk on USA puts a marvelous spin on the dectective series, and Stargate SG-1 on the Sci-Fi channel is just plain fun.

The best things on cable:

MTV- worth watching- “true life” “made” -mini documentaries, good stuff. “Jackass” is hilarious in my opinion, many find it distasteful. I watch “the osbournes” which many also find distasteful.

Comedy central: ditto “the daily show.” Also “south park” is frickin hilarious and offensive.

Animal planet: animal cops and animal precinct, I also like when they have dog shows. “pet star” is kind of fun.

“trading spaces” I think airs on The Learning Channel, pretty interesting.

Cartoon network: “The powerpuff girls” “Samurai Jack”
Nickelodeon: “spongebob squarepants” is a really good cartoon for kids and adults.

Network TV:
NBC- “the west wing” if you can keep up with it not having seen the first couple of years.

I personally love “survivor” (CBS thursday nights) and that’s about it for the reality shows. I’ve been taping it while I watch “friends” for a couple of years now.
Oh, and “american idol” makes a nice topic for the water cooler (fox network) worth watching at least the first couple of weeks just to see the bad auditions.

Warning about reality shows: once you start watching them, you’re addicted, and you’ll find yourself watching “who wants to marry a loser” all season if you’re not careful.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE: NYPD Blue (Tuesdays on abc)

Alias- awesome show (abc sundays) right after that: “the practice” although that one is being revamped, so we’ll see about it.

A weekly schedule might look like this:

Monday: “boston public” at 7:00, football after that.
Tuesday: NYPD blue at 9:00, I think American Idol is on before that IIRC, also, the osbournes is on at some point on tuesdays.
Wednesday: “the west wing” at 8:00 “law and order” at 9:00
Thursday: “survivor” at 7:00 then nbc comedies and “ER” for the rest of the night
Friday: mostly cable specials, maybe a dog show or animal planet, or trading spaces or rent a movie, or get a freakin’ life and go out or read a book or something.
Saturday : flip through the channels all afternoon till you find something good, or you figure out that there’s nothing on and watch the preview channel for like 1/2 hour.

Sunday: Alias on abc at 8:00 (?) then The practice at 9:00
also good on Sundays: see what Fox is showing, maybe the simpsons, Malcom in the middle, starting at 6:00.

If you like “24”, I think you’ll also like “ALIAS”. They semi-rebooted the series at the end of last season, so you should be able to jump right in without any prior knowledge. It’s on ABC on Sunday nights.

Smalleville is a promising show. It premieres Oct 1 on WB18

Friends the final season looks like it may have a few bumps.

The Shield on FX is an excellent police drama. The first show I’ve ever watched where I really disliked the main character.

I love the West Wing and you can catch up on Bravo (I don’t know at what time) but they’re showing old episodes. I’ve not been an avid watcher (work schedules and whatnot) but you can catch on pretty quickly, also, each episode is worth watching on its own.

I love the Joe Schmo show, too…

It’s a ‘fake’ reality show where only one guy is real and the rest are actors. Good fun. On TNN (now Spike TV) Tuesday nights.

I love American Chopper (although I don’t care for motorcycles, but the show is about a father and son, really, not motorcycles) and Monster House, both on Discovery.

Trading Spaces–TLC. Great re-decorating drama.

Boomtown and NYPD are wonderful cop shows.

I would put in a plug for Faking It on BBC America. I may be the only fan, but I think it is the best reality show on TV. The premise is that a person from a completely different background is trained in an occupation they would seem particularly unsuited for.

So for example, an English country vicar is trained as a used car salesman in a dingy part of London. Another had an Irish sheep shearer trained as a high class hair dresser. They generally get four weeks and then compete with other people who are really from that profession. It is surprising how well they do, and I eagerly await new episodes.

I really like Lexx on the Sci Fi channel. :slight_smile:

Greck, as heads up for you I think Fox has moved “Boston Public” to Fridays at 9 PM (Eastern).

Oh, and my two cents as to what to watch on TV:

Sunday morning: ESPN college football gameday, (then go to church)

Sunday afternoon: nothing, you should be out doing something.

Sunday night:

8 pm: C-Span “Booknotes”
9-11: Flip aimlessly through the channels.

Monday-Friday

Morning: ESPN Sportscenter

Midday: Nothing, you should be at work.
Afternoon: 5:30pm ESPN “Pardon the Interruption” (I have to tape this)

Monday evening:

Flip aimlessly through the channels, until 11, then watch “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. Also do this Tuesday through Thursday.

Tuesday evening:

Lament the fact that “Buffy” isn’t on anymore. Flip aimlessly.

Wednesday:

8 pm : “That 70’s Show”

8:30 : Flip

9-10: “Angel”

10-11: “Law and Order” (The original. Accept no substitutes like “Law and Order: SVU” or “Law and Order: Etc.”)

Thursday

8-8:30 “Friends” (I like looking at Jennifer Anniston. Is that so wrong?)
8:30-9: “Scrubs”
9-11 Flip

Friday:
Go out. Have fun.
Tape “Boston Public”

Saturday
Go out. Have fun.

Repeat

WB: Gilmore Girls.

USA: Monk

BBCAmerica: The Office & Graham Norton (basically a talk show, so I watch depending on the guest)

I don’t watch a lot of TV.

Wed and/or Saturday on UPN: Enterprise

Monk is great, but it’s on hiatus for now. It should be back mid-winter, I think.

I also like CSI on Thursdays (the CSI: Miami version is awful), and Without A Trace. Anthony LaPaglia is wonderful on that.

Monk is great, but it’s on hiatus for now. It should be back mid-winter, I think.

I also like CSI on Thursdays (the CSI: Miami version is awful), and Without A Trace. Anthony LaPaglia is wonderful on that.

I’ll put in votes for ALIAS and American Chopper.

Here’s my schedule:

Sunday afternoon: NASCAR, the NFL
Sunday night: ALIAS (9/8c)

Monday: Monster Garage and American Chopper

Tuesday-Friday: whatever’s on

Saturday: college football

Adult Swim on Cartoon Network Sun-Thurs nights.

Law and Order is extremely well-edited and fast paced. The first half usually deals with a crime and the police investigation. The second half is about the court precedings regarding the case. Each show is independent of the next.

West Wing is the best drama that is not on HBO. Ensemble cast, beautifully written, sometimes funny, heart-warming, thought-provoking. Bravo is showing it four nights a week at 6:00 Central Time. (It would be easy for someone to catch you up enough in one post.)

I highly recommend The Daily Show on Comedy Central and Scrubs on NBC. If staying up until midnight or later is too late for you, you can catch Late Night with Conan O’Brien during the day on Comedy Central also. These three shows always make me laugh.

I’d also like to add another vote for Monk on USA. Tony Shaloub just won an Emmy last night actually.

If you’re a big Star Trek fan, Spike TV has the rights to The Next Generation (on at least three times a day) and will also start airing Deep Space Nine next year.

What, no votes for Queer Eye For the Straight Guy, Bravo’s hysterically funny makeover show? I have to second all the votes for the great dramas: NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Law & Order (as zamboniracer said, accept no substitutes), CSI, and Without A Trace. I’d also like to plug one of my favorite shows, the USA Network’s The Dead Zone, a really well-written and well-acted show with a supernatural twist. It should be returning with new episodes in January.