Where have all the good shows gone?

J and I haven't had cable or satellite TV for over two years. We think this is a wonderful thing. As it turns out, there is hardly anything worth watching! We do have Netflix and a Tivo, though, so we records a few shows to watch later and take adavantage of the "Watch Instantly" feature on Netflix. As I get older, I add a new show here or there to my favorites, but some shows have been on the list for a long time. Here are my all-time favorites:

1. The Office. I've seen every episode and there are some I've seen multiple times. ("The Dundies" comes 
    to mind.) My favorite thing about the show has always been the relationship between Jim and Pam.
    Although I don't find it as enjoyable as I used to, it's been fun to see them go from being office-mates
    with unspoken crushes on each other to a married couple with a baby. I'm glad the writers allowed the
    relationship to develop in a realistic way, even though they're not quite as cute as they used to be. Other
    than Jim and Pam, I like the awkward humor of the show. Because that's how humorous situations
    often are in real life. Just awkward. This show can totally make you feel embarrassed and have to turn
    away from the TV. It's good that way.

2. LOST. We didn't start watching this until last year. I knew enough about the show to know it was
    something you needed to watch from the beginning or you would be, well, lost. So when I saw we could
    "Watch Instantly" on Netflix, I added Seasons 1-5 to the queue. I got totally addicted. So did J. We still
    aren't caught up; we're close to finishing Season 5. It's kind of bittersweet. On one hand, I want
    to know what happens. On the other, once it's over, it's over. No new episodes. Hurley, with his big
    hair (not completely unlike my sometimes unruly curls) and Sawyer, with his amusing way of saying
    things and nicknames for everyone, are my favorites. I feel kind of sorry for the people who already
    watched the finale. At least we still have that to look forward to.

3. The Cosby Show. I will never get tired of this show. I love the humor and the family dynamic. I love
    Bill Cosby's hilarious ways of saying things, in particular when he is speaking to or about his children or
    grandchildren. I have thought to myself that they are the kind of parent I want to be. Firm, but fun-loving
    and funny. With definite rules and regulations for the kids, but also an understanding of the way kids are.
    A knowledge that they are going to mess up and you just have to deal with it the best you know how.   
    There was never a lot of drama, but a rather honest potrayal of how a real family often works. There are
    too many shows on today that make it look like all families are broken and crazy and dysfunctional and
    that's simply not true.

4. The Andy Griffith Show. I will never get tired of this, either. My dad has always been a fan of this show,
    so I watched it when I was younger and I still like it now. I love the hilarity that is Barney Fife. I love the
    town of Mayberry, with its cast of odd characters. I wish I could live in a town like that, where everyone
    knows you, where there's such a lack of bad stuff happening that most of the sheriff's time seems to be
    taken up eating the lunch that Aunt Bee brought by or driving around the countryside to try to catch some
    moonshiners, who aren't even dangerous, just doing something they shouldn't be. I wish my kids could
    grow up in a place where I would feel comfortable letting them run around and play, without constantly
    having to be under my watchful eye, where they could explore the woods and ride their bikes without
    having to be careful who they talk to or where they go. It's kind of how my dad grew up. Maybe that's
    why he likes the show so much.

5. The Gilmore Girls. Although I didn't really like the way this show ended, this is still a great series. The
    camaraderie between Lorelai and Rory is so amusing. If I have a daughter, I hope we can have that kind
    of easy relationship. The show takes place a town similar to Mayberry, in that everyone knows everyone  
    else and nothing truly bad seems to happen there. It's a cute town with cute little festivals and plenty of
    town characters to keep you amused.

6. Hey Dude. I doubt this show is on too many people's "favorite show" lists, but it's on mine. If you don't
    even know what it is, I understand. It came on Nickelodeon in the late 80s and early 90s. It's about a
    dude ranch and, because of this show, I have an abiding dream to visit a dude ranch and maybe even do
    a little work while I'm there. I want to ride horses and sit out in the desert night, eating BBQ with real 
    cowboys who sing and play the guitar. It sounds like so much fun!

I think it's sad that there are so few decent shows on TV anymore. I know there has always been bad stuff on, but it is definitely getting worse and people are so immune to it. (And by decent, I don't mean a show with a good story and good characters. I mean decent to watch. Clean. Suitable to be watched by Christian eyes.) Also, kid's TV seems so dumbed down. I'm not saying that what I watched as a kid was so intelligent and was never silly. But there's a big difference even between "Hey Dude" and "iCarly". Or between "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and "Hannah Montana". I miss all those old shows!