What do I think of television?

I enjoy a good concept.
I enjoy a well executed story arc.
I enjoy an innovatively shot scene.

This is what I enjoy about television in addition to the whole "liking a show" thing.

Everyone can identify some shows that are "good" to them, and some may even be able to tell you some good shows that they aren't watching. But rarely do they understand why there are so few good shows around.

The downfall of good TV was Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
I believe this game show came at a point when people were finally starting to demand intelligent and complex shows. Unfortunately when the game show craze hit many excellent shows were overlooked and ignored.
With all of the copycat game shows, there were fewer slots to fill with scripted shows. Some good shows got cancelled like Once and Again and Party of Five, and I'm still really bitter about losing the Salingers so early.
The distraction of stupid game shows has managed to significantly dumb down America, and has also forced many excellent shows to go unwatched and under appreciated.

Sports Night was an fantastic show that really started the careers of Felicity Huffman(Desperate Housewives), Peter Krause(Six Feet Under) and writer/uber-producer Aaron Sorkin(West Wing and Studio 60). Unfortunately this is the first in a series of shows where the only identifiable reason for its failure, is that it was too smart.

Then when game shows fizzled, along came my nemesis.
Survivor.
I watched the first season and enjoyed it. But then the reality fad went crazy and there were even fewer slots for scripted dramas and comedies.
I truly hate reality shows for this very reason. They took away at least 4 or 5 hours of shows every year that could still be on the air right now. The networks found that both of these types of shows were significantly cheaper to produce, since they weren't hiring actors or writers they thought they found a gold mine. The networks also went with safe but stupid shows, which somewhat explains "Yes, Dear".
Fortunately most people tired of the game show, unfortunately too many reality "game" shows are still on.

The simple fact that a genius show like Arrested Development (reairing weeknights on G4 at 10:30) can be allowed to end after 2 1/2 years is amazing. It is the funniest show that has ever been on television, and the only reason it was canceled is that it was too smart for the TV audience.

The long winded point I am getting at is that television has been chasing advertising dollars in the wrong way.
TiVo and DVRs are here, there is no fighting it.
People are going to skip commercials, and not everyone is watching their favorite shows live.
It is time for the networks to get their acts together, and they really are trying.

It seems that just about every new show has an eerily similar companion; "Studio 60" and "30 Rock", "Vanished" and the recently cancelled "Kidnapped", "Ugly Betty" and "Jericho" and to a lesser extent "The Nine" and "Six Degrees".
But at the same time many of these shows are brilliant and shouldn't be missed.
But you shouldn't have to choose between "How I Met Your Mother", the show on the CW that I refuse to admit exists and "Prison Break" but you probably did. Can you really be expected to watch "Jericho", "Bones", "One Tree Hill", "Lost" and "The Nine" all on Wednesday night? If you are cursed enough to watch Survivor, have you also enjoyed My Name Is Earl and The Office?

NBC has full episodes on their website. They also have deleted scenes and 2 minute replays of most if their shows.
Fox has FOX on demand for many of their shows(including the great midseason show The Loop).
CBS has Innertube where you can also watch full episodes of selected shows(watch Jericho to get a glimpse at what I imagine in my Red Dawn fantasy).
ABC has full episodes of most of their shows available.

With all of these options I feel like this is the first time that I can recommend a show without having to personally catch someone up. It used to be that I would play a tape for someone, play from my DVR or just describe the important situations and events.
Now I can say "You should be watching Studio 60, Heroes and Jericho" and you can at least watch the last episode and usually the premiere or at least a extensive recap.
If people are talking about the show and watching it in some form it can only increase the long term exposure of the show and the profit on future seasons and DVD sales(another weakness of mine that I am too embarrassed to get into).

I am hoping to keep this updated enough so that you can at least try all of the shows I believe you should be watching.
So if you can bear with my pointless ramblings I may just help you find your new favorite show.