Because I work in media and I have to know this stuff...

With the writer's strike still raging on, I'll be expecting a spring programming schedule full of cheaply produced reality shows. American Idol is poised to be bigger than ever with everyone trying to get a 30 in their time slot even though rates are up to Super Bowl proportions.

But TV was going to shit anyway.

What's up with the mindless programming of celebs going nuts, bratty teenagers losing all sense of reality with super sweet parties and news outlets losing touch with what really matters in this world? However there's a bunch of shows that I do try to catch when I can.

Now I don't have cable. I have no need for it because shows that I want to watch can now be downloaded (shh!) or streamed online. Hell, I can buy the DVD box set of the show if I want. But quality programming does exist on broadcast television.

The Amazing Race - the Emmy winning show is the only reality show that I make time to watch.
ABC Programming - the Disney owned company has been coming hard with their original programming, keeping reality shows to a minimum on weeknights. Nobody can deny the commercial success and critical acclaim of Ugly Betty, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Carpool, Samantha Who? and etc. And when they do reality tv, they do it right with Home Makeover, Dancing with the Stars and even Supenanny. Their line-ups have CBS, NBC and Fox running scared. Not so much Fox though with their American Idol line-up.
Globetrekker TV - gotta love quality public broadcasting from the UK.
How I Met Your Mother - everyone wrote the show off as a Friends wannabe; but the strong writing and the awesome cast push it to the level where Friends was once they hit their stride.
Heroes and 24 - who doesn't love superheroes and goverment agents? After Lost, serialized tv series came back with some creative storylines that might have needed scorecards to keep track of.

So there is a light at the end of the tunnel! But can we please inject some relevance back into MTV? The Real World started as a series that looked at the differences and life situations of young adults, now it's a springboard to a mediocre celeb carreer if not a meat market. Thanks.