Five Network TV Shows I’m Religiously Watching This Fall

So I gave The Playboy Club ten minutes of my time and found it a waste.   Yeah it’s nice to see hot chicks in Playboy Bunny outfits but I just couldn’t take the show all that seriously.   And then what do I see?  A commercial for Cougar Town?  How in the world did they let this show back on the air?

Oh and don’t get me started on Two and a Half Men.  Yes I gave it one more try because I wanted to see how Kutcher would pan out.   From the funeral scene to the younger kid farting on the couch, everything I suspected about this show was true:  it sucks.  It’s practically potty humor and isn’t funny!  I could write a show like that in my sleep.  In fact, that’s dissing myself.  And if you’re a Big Bang Theory person please tell me why!!

So what network TV shows will in fact make the cut?  Here are five shows I’ve got set to “record” on my DVR….

Modern Family


It’s pretty tough to argue against this show.   And honestly I couldn’t care less about the Emmy wins.   It has to do with how awesome this cast is and how awesome the writing is.   So far I haven’t grown tired of it all and that’s saying something.   Though this might be a crucial season in keeping people’s interest.  Once a show hits the 3rd and 4th seasons it becomes increasingly difficult.  Still though, I’m confident.

The Office


You still got me interested Office!  Why?  Two reasons.  Dwight Schrute and James Spader.   I can’t wait to see how these two interact.   Jim and Pam left my heart ages ago.  Creed will still be Creed and the rest of the cast should be fine.   I think the show could be pretty solid this year.

Parks and Recreation


I haven’t tired of this show yet and I can’t see it happening anytime soon.  I’ve liked it better than The Office for two seasons now and I just can’t see myself getting weary until at least next year.

House


I had to put a drama in here and frankly I just can’t stand any other drama on TV.   While House has jumped the shark on being anything normal it’s still entertaining and Hugh Laurie will always be Hugh Laurie.  Plus he’s in jail now so it will be interesting to see how that all unfolds.

Family Guy


Face it, what comedy cartoon is better?  The Simpsons?  Yeah I guess they’re kind of equal but I’m taking Family Guy for yet another year.   Personally South Park is my favorite but that’s Cable TV and a different article.

*Other shows I may give a chance to are Community, Fringe, and 30 rock although I’m getting a  little tired of 30 Rock.   Community usually delivers one good thing per episode and Fringe just seems cool.   Oh and How I met Your Mother is tolerable though Ted makes me want to vomit.

Anyone got any suggestions?

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38 Comments

  1. Archer is awesome but it’s a cable show, not network. It’s like a mini arrested development reunion.

    Love parks and rec. Community is good. I’m a big good wife fan, even though I’m sure I’m not in the demo for that (middle aged women) and hate CBS. I was rather peeved that the guy from big bang theory won and Steve carrell never won an Emmy for Michael Scott. For shame!

    New girl on fox seems promising.

  2. Cougar Town is awesome. Can’t beat a show where they drink wine in enormous glasses. And they created a game called penny can where you toss pennies in a can xD. I agree with the other choices, except family guy and the office, those shows are boring as hell.

  3. I may just start having to watch Community, I have a huge crush on Joel McHale because of The Soup and my co-workers rave about the show.
    I’ve never watched a full episode of Parks and Rec, I clicked passed it once and it was the girl from Funny People and this young goofy guy and she asked him if he wanted gum and then spit hers into his mouth…I was literally speechless…grossness aside I laughed for 5 minutes straight.
    I’m very excited for The Office as well…I’ll miss Michael but hopefully they will showcase more of the supporting cast (hopefully Darryl)

  4. Take Terra Nova for a spin! This monday, it’ll be a 2 hour premier, which is as good as a movie. After that, we’re left with Spielbergian dinosaurs chasing down people with guns week after week – how is that NOT worth space on the DVR??

  5. I watch the big bang theory because its hilarious. You have never actually watched a full episode have you nattyb? I know some people automatically hate it because of the laugh track and the sets but seriously get over yourselves. Yes it does mock nerds and some of the personalities are extreme. That doesn’t mean its not funny or that the nerd stereotypes are not true. For example Raj physically can’t talk to women unless he’s drunk. Now I don’t know anyone that has that much anxiety around women, but I surely know some people that might as well be that bad. It’s simply a heightened reality where everything is slightly turned up than it is in the real world. Just like every other tv comedy ever made. Give it an honest to his shot and you might like it. If you start watching something with the attitude of “this will be terrible” chances are you will find it to be terrible.
    Oh yeah and for all the people saying archer, sunny, psych etc. Those are cable something that he avoided on his list.

  6. @Sam

    You love Big Bang Theory and think Modern Family is terrible? Yikes. Different strokes I guess. Give Modern Family more of a chance. I didn’t like it much at first either, but I grew to love it.

    As for everyone else, yes, pay attention to NETWORK TV in the title. Maybe I’ll write a cable list tomorrow.

  7. @theButterFly
    Good call on HIMYM. I’ve heard a lot of people say barney is the only reason to watch, its obvious they stopped watching after season 1. While barney is awesome, Marshall has become not only the best character on his show but one of the best on tv period.

  8. @theButterFly Seconded on How I Met Your Mother. That show has never left my top 10 and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.

    I’m also watching Community, Psych, Workaholics, Big Bang Theory, Simpsons, Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mike and Molly, Futurama.

    Losing interest in Always Sunny, Castle, Family Guy, American Dad, Louie.

    Was pleasantly surprised by 2 Broke Girls. AK in Two and a half men – looks like I can end my boycott of that one.

    Missing Entourage, Caprica and waiting impatiently for BSG Blood and Chrome.

    I may be watching too much TV…

  9. Wow James Spader really has gotten old looking since the end of his 5 year Boston Legal stint!

    I used to be a massive family guy but the last two seasons really have gone downhill massively to the point where I only give courtesy laughs to a show I once loved.

    Also I am not sure if they are cable or network shows but Chuck and Burn Notice are still awesome and I might try Terra Nova

  10. Big Bang Theory is too predictable & has the same stale nerd jokes over & over. I’ve watched a couple episodes & just cant get into it…

    It’s like 2 & a half men with nerd jokes.

  11. “I know some people automatically hate it because of the laugh track and the sets but seriously get over yourselves.”

    No, I hate the Big Bang Theory because Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki are insufferable. And because they’re not internally consistent – Sheldon’s supposed to be this super-intelligent nerd, but he makes tons of mistakes that his “character” wouldn’t. And because my girlfriend likes it, I’ve seen far more episodes than I’d like. It’s not THAT terrible (Kaley Cuoco is not hard to watch!), but not worth my time.

    You guys all need to give Community a chance. It takes a couple episodes to pick up on some of the running gags, but it’s worth it. And Cougar Town is much better than it would appear. Not to mention, there’s a running gag in Community about Abed loving the show, so much so that he not only talks about being an extra on the show, but he’s ACTUALLY IN AN EPISODE. And they’re on completely different networks.

    And you have to take Paul’s advice. Family Guy looks like a pile of crap next to Archer.

  12. You summed it up yourself with Family Guy. “The Simpsons? Yeah I guess they’re kind of equal.”

    So you’re essentially saying Family Guy is equal to a show that was only renewed for another season so it could reach 500 episodes? The Simpsons would have been cancelled if it weren’t so close to that milestone, because they have run out of new ideas and are blatantly taking the most popular news story and basing an entire episode’s plot off it with almost no original material added except the undercurrent of sarcasm and satire in everything they do (to be fair, South Park has done that for the past couple seasons as well).

    I do agree with your analysis, but my opinion differs because I can’t stand the past few seasons of Family Guy nor The Simpsons.

  13. @Jim Lahey
    In their current state the Simpsons and Family Guy are about equal. They’re both pretty terrible. But if you judge entire series to entire series, it’s not even close. No show will ever have as good of an 8 season span of pure greatness that the Simpsons had from seasons 3-10.

  14. New Girl? Zooey Deschanel playing quirky yet again.
    HIMYM has played out. Move on already. The pace is awful.

    I agree with Modern Family. The writing. So good.

    Greetings from Holland, where cable or network doesn’t mean anything.
    Really, why would you separate those. People still actually watch shows on their TV over there?

  15. Mentalist ofcourse, he is in jail. Just like House i guess.

    @John
    Entourage is over it’s finished.
    Also this is about Fall TV
    Curb and Louie are spring TV.

    Not an accomplisment watching shows, you contributed nothing to those shows being fun or good.
    Somehow people see this as an achievement, I watch all this.

    I solely watch TV-shows for my entertainment as for that I’m happy Modern Family, The Mentalist, TBBT returned
    Also loving the New Girl! ZOOOOEEY!

  16. Don’t knock Cougar Town since you clearly haven’t seen it. Once you get past the name it’s a very funny show. On a related note Happy Endings is also surprisingly funny. On the cartoon front, I’m surprised that American Dad never gets any love on this site given how out there it often is. It’s been better than FG for years now.

  17. @tube

    What did you add to this except acting like a child? I didn’t say Entourage was a fall show and I didn’t say it was still on – I said I miss it. I guess I’m not allowed to express an opinion like Louie sucks because it didn’t fit into your notion of what this post is about. The fact that you act like a dick is all I need to know about you.

  18. Jeeeeus christ!!!! you include awful pieces of crap like the office and family guy that havent been funny in years/were never actually funny and tak crap about cougar town?????????

    theres having personal opinions and then theres just plain dumb, bill lawrences writing is GENIUS moron. get a clue ; )

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