TV's Best Shows Are on Cable

For reasons that include time and money, I haven't gotten into all the various TV shows I would like to.

I don't have HBO, so I've missed out on a few gems there. I've yet to dive into AMC's "Mad Men," even though I know I should be watching it and even though a good friend keeps pestering me to do so.

Point being, I'm aware that I'm not even in on ALL of the best shows cable TV has to offer as I write the following statement:

These days, the best shows on TV are on cable channels.

Don't get me wrong, I still have a few favorites on network TV. I regularly watch "House," "30 Rock," "How I Met Your Mother" and a few others. I've enjoyed the production quality, in particular, of "Hawaii Five-O" and enjoyed the ride "Lost" took us on.

But network TV just can't seem to touch cable's best stuff these days. At first, it seemed like it was pretty much a niche thing, with "The Sopranos" and "Entourage" drawing in crowds who wanted a little bit edgier drama. But now, it just seems like cable shows continuously blow out of the water their network TV counterparts, at least in terms of acting and storylines, if not always in terms of revenue.

There is nothing on network TV that's anywhere near as enjoyable to watch as "Psych." There are no cops-and-robbers shows that are anywhere as fun and refreshing as "White Collar." No high-octane, high-explosive shows that can match "Burn Notice." No caper-style shows that are anything like "Leverage."

The list goes on, and includes ongoing shows and ones whose runs have ended, as well - "Terriers," "The Wire," "Dexter," "The Shield," "Covert Affairs," "Breaking Bad," etc., etc.

At the same time cable TV keeps drawing me in, the major networks have made it harder for me to remain engaged. I still count "House" among my network favorites, but that's mostly because I really enjoy the lead character and the consistently phenomenal acting by Hugh Laurie; the show itself has deteriorated a great deal in the past couple of years.

Ditto for nearly every network comedy not named "How I Met Your Mother" or "30 Rock." Shows like "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" are still fun for mindless laughs, but the content has begun to remind me of running on a treadmill - a lot of work just to end up in the exact same spot the programs, and their viewers, have been for years.

Thankfully, cable TV regularly bails me out of that funk with shows that are refreshing, inventive and just plain fun to watch.

Here's hoping that trend continues into the foreseeable future.

Sources:
Mad Men, AMC
The 20 Best TV Shows of the Decade (2000-09), Paste Magazine