What to Watch Now that Lost is on Hiatus: The Best Exciting Non-Network Television Shows

It doesn't look like this writer's strike is going to end anytime soon. If you are a big action show watcher, you are probably knee deep into one of three shows broadcasting right now- repeats of your ol' favorite, mid-season replacement fodder, and over-hyped game shows.

What's left now that Lost, 24, Chuck, and Heroes are going to be put off for awhile? Plenty. These are all shows you can learn from, too. They aren't full of pretentious sound effects, pre-production and too close close ups. They are gritty, realistic and just fun to watch. Since they are on non-network shows, the show times vary so you'll have to check your local listings.

1. Sport Science. Ever wonder exactly how hard a tackle from an NFL linebacker feels? (Hint: equivalent to a 35mph car crash with no seat belt). Or how much damage can a major league baseball pitcher do with a bean ball aimed for the noggin? Sportscience figures it out for you.

They take stars from professional sports, put them in a special, high-tech studio, and gather some interesting data through demonstrations by the professionals. "Big Ben" Roethlisberger was able to demonstrate how much time he has from the snap of the football to toss a perfect pass before getting creamed by a defensive lineman. Good science! On Fox Sports.

2. Human Weapon. This shows another side of the UFC martial arts without using wannabes and self-proclaimed tough guys. IN here, two professional sportsmen travel the world in search of martial arts roots. Each style's history and people are portrayed, from Chinese Kung Fu to Russian Krav Maga. The hosts Jason Chambers and Bill Duff take it a step further and train for four days to compete with top-notch competitors in each sport. Nothing like watching two Americans duke it out with little training versus native combatants! On The History Channel.

3. Last One Standing. This is a little bit like Human Weapon but with more competitiveness. Some of the best athletes from around the world travel together and also go toe-to-toe with international fighters, except this time they have to live the lifestyles of those tribes. The best episode I've seen so far involved Zulu stick fighting where each contestant got bruised beyond belief with thin sticks and tiny shields that yielded a surprising amount of damage. Oh, and you learn how tribes live, too. The Discovery Channel.

4. Meerkat Manor. Something about watching animals live in their communities speaks to the social skills in us. If you watch closely, you can see your family members. Meerkat Manor suffered a loss when monarch Flower died due to a cobra bite, but the meerkat tribes live on, still searching for a place to live permanently while raising the seemingly endless litters. Animal Planet.

5. Deadliest Catch. This show debuted in 2004 but has been an underground hit ever since, spawning many shows like it. Deadliest Catch follows the lives of deep-sea king crab fishermen off the Alaskan coast. Watch people leap back and forth trying to rake in a year's worth of salary in two months of the most dangerous weather. Some of the better "like" shows I've seen are Wildcatters, centering on freelance oil diggers, and Ice Road Truckers, about guys who drive trucks on the frozen roads of Northern Canada to deliver supplies. The Discovery Channel.