5 TV Shows You Should Be Watching

In 2011, we spend a lot of time parked in front of our flat screen, LED, high definition TVs watching whatever we can find. Whether it be the intriguing Monday Night matchup or the latest Kardashian drama, many hours are spent weekly engulfed in our entertainment. Well, there are 5 current television shows that you should absolutely be watching.

5. The League
Surely not a family show, this raunchy comedy follows a group of high school buddies and their annual fantasy football league. Initially, many people thought how could a 30 minute show about a fantasy league catch on, but of course it is not just about the teams and their players. We follow the guys (played by a bunch of comedians) dealing with hilarious every day problems, like hooking up with an au pair, getting grey pubes or eating mystery meat that leads to a vicious bout of the runs while stuck in traffic. Definitely worth checking out, Thursdays at 10:30pm on FX.

4. Happy Endings
Yes, this show is in it's second season and is getting better every week. It began as a mid-season replacement last year coming on Wednesdays at 9:30pm on ABC, which gave it a good lead in with Modern Family in the 9pm slot. I started watching it for Elisha Cuthbert to be honest, but she is the weakest part of the show I'd say. The show follows a group of friends living in Chicago, an interracial married couple (featuring Damon Wayans Jr.), an previously engaged couple that has remained friends, and a couple that used to date until the dude realized he was gay. Yes, it is similar to Friends except this show is actually funny. The jokes highlight stereotypes but I find myself laughing (at least chuckling) for 17 of the 22 minute program.

3. Modern Family
The mockumentary style comedy show has been pretty big the last few years (The Office, Parks and Recreation, etc) but Modern Family is the best one. We are focused on a family with Ed O'Neil in the role as family patriarch and his two children with their respective families; a gay son with his partner and their adopted child, and a daughter with her goofy husband and their off the wall children. My love of this show was rounded during season 1, where I saw some of the funniest scenes I saw on TV in recent memory; Phil explaining to his kids what jagermeister actually is or Luke looking out at the plane they getting ready to board, pondering "what if we crash on an island like in LOST" while his mother has a nervous breakdown from his comments. Modern Family is still an excellent show now in season 3, and every episode now ends with some kind of lesson how family is such an important aspect to life. It can be sappy, yes, but the comedy just puts it over the top for me. Worth watching with everyone in the family, Wednesdays at 9pm on ABC.

2. The Walking Dead
I consider myself in the minority here, but The Walking Dead is one of the best shows on television. I feel like most people want this to be a bad ass, post-apocalyptic, shoot em up zombie show but the writers have taken this a different way and taken time to mold each character into what they are. It is based (loosely) on The Walking Dead graphic novel, but the characterization of the show makes me tune in every week. The biggest complaint is "nothing ever happens" so if you don't like deep, meaningful, character based shows I guess this isn't for you. The final scene of the last episode made all the developing worth it in my opinion. I find myself comparing it to LOST many weeks; good vs. evil, fate vs. freewill, etc. It is currently in mid-season hiatus, airing Sundays at 9pm on AMC. It is set to return February 12th for part 2 of season 2.


1. Boardwalk Empire
Best show on TV, no question about it. The only reason you don't watch this show is because you don't have HBO. It is another deep, character-driven show; you have to pay attention to everything that goes on. Set in Atlantic City in the 1920s during prohibition, Nucky Thompson (inspired by real life Atlantic County treasurer and racketeer Nucky Johnson) is played by Steve Buscemi who has been just utterly brilliant in the role. You see the horrible criminal side of him one scene, then the caring family man in the next; you cannot help yourself from feeling bad for him then realize something he did was a real asshole move. The final episode in season 2 proves the writers care capable of anything. Sundays on HBO at 9pm, season 2 just ended so you have 9 months to catch the 24 episodes that have aired.