TV for Dummies

Sure a college student might have better things to do than watch television every night. But when you need help choosing something to watch, this list is for you.

Monday

"Monday Night Football" on ESPN starts the night off. Football is the best sport America has to offer, that is until dwarf tossing catches on. After football comes "How I Met Your Mother" at 8 p.m. on CBS. This is a great romantic comedy series that features an excellent cast including Jason Segel ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and Neal Patrick Harris. The show follows the main character Ted as he explains to his children how he met their mother. Did I mention the show is narrated by Bob Saget? Need I say more?

At 10 p.m. on the Travel Channel is the awesome "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain. This has to be my favorite cooking show. It is a lot of fun watching Bourdain travel all around the world sampling various foods. What I like most about Bourdain is that he will try the most exotic and daring dishes and his love for food really shines through in every episode. After eating a pig dish in one episode Bordain exclaimed, "Oh my God, that was a religious experience... In the words of Homer Simpson, 'The pig is a magical animal.'"

Tuesday

There isn't a whole lot to offer on Tuesdays. I realize that "So You Think You Can Dance" is on this night but I'm just not a fan. Tuesday nights is where I will usually head over to MTV and VH1 to get my fill of mind-numbing "reality" shows.

What saves the night is "Sons of Anarchy" on FX at 10 p.m. This show is like "The Sopranos" but set in the world of a biker gang. While it's currently in its second season, it's never too late to get caught up.

Wednesday

This is one of the best nights for television. "Top Chef: Las Vegas" is on Bravo at 10 p.m. It's a lot of fun watching the chefs compete against one another and is a way better show then "Hell's Kitchen," unless a screaming Gordon Ramsay is your cup of tea. In last weeks episode the contestants all had to cook for Natalie Portman.

If cooking shows aren't for you, also at 10 p.m., is "Nip Tuck" which is still very entertaining, even though I don't know if the newest cast member Mario Lopez was really necessary. This night also has new episodes of "MythBusters" at 9 p.m. and new episodes of "South Park" at 10 p.m.

Thursday

At 8 p.m. is a newest promising drama, "FlashForward," which is about uncovering the reason why everyone in the whole world blacks out for two minutes, 17 seconds and has a vision of what they will be doing on April 29, 2010. So far, it has the makings of the new "LOST."

Also on Thursday are the great comedies "The Office" (Jim and Pam are just the cutest couple ever) and "30 Rock." Also, do not miss "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" at 10 p.m. on FX.

Friday

Friday is all blah, just blah. There are new episodes of "Law and Order" at 8 p.m., but come on- at this point would anyone really care if this show was canceled? Skip watching television on Friday and go out with your friends in crazy Rohnert Park.

Saturday

Another night that is pretty bad for television. If you decide to go out for a night of debauchery and come home early enough though, "Saturday Night Live" is, believe it or not, still on the air at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. Yes, SNL has gone downhill even more than Lindsay Lohan and will never recapture the magic of the Adam Sandler and Company era or the Will Farrell and Company era but, while the skits are generally pretty dreadful, the digital shorts are usually pretty good. Past digital shorts have given us "Dick in a Box," "I'm On A Boat" with T-Pain, and "Iran So Far."

Sunday

After a dismal past couple nights of television, Sunday night is one of the best for great shows. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" starts at 9 p.m. on HBO and is followed by the freshman comedy "Bored to Death." Both are great comedies. "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" are still pretty funny after all this time.

At 10 p.m., "Mad Men" airs. If you have seen the Emmys at all the past three years, you've heard of this show about an advertising agency in the 1960s. It's a slow paced show but spends more time on character development than any I've seen.

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So take a break from studying or arguing with your roommates and enjoy some great American television.