In the world of weekly TV
There are things everyone should see
And things with reputations overblown
That surely are best left alone.
Trying to sift through good and bad
Can surely drive a watcher mad
But this dire fate you will be spared
For my advice will now be shared.
Monday’s where we start our quest
With a sitcom that is one of the best
"How I Met Your Mother" is its name
Five seasons in and finally getting acclaim.
Watch as Ted slowly moves toward his fate,
Supported by a cast that is truly great.
Then avert your eyes as we pass "One Tree Hill,"
Hop over "Two and a Half Men," they’ll make you ill.
Then you’ll arrive at the next good show,
"Gossip Girl," which I know
Some say is soapy and doesn’t make sense.
At this accusation I must come to its defense:
Its absurdity is its beauty, its soapiness its charm,
And some mindless TV fun won’t do you any harm.
Tuesday, there is not much on,
But the one show worth watching is far from a yawn.
It’s "So You Think You Can Dance’"s performance night;
With dancing and Cat Deeley you can only go right!
Word of warning though: right now the show is in the audition phase
So it’ll be a few weeks before the dancing starts that will truly amaze.
Now turn off your TV until Wednesday night,
A night that is truly a total delight.
First up is the "So You Think You Can Dance" results show,
A show that results in fingernails getting bitten down low.
After it’s done, don’t change that channel,
Especially not for "The Beautiful Life," which is already canceled.
Instead watch Glee, still in its first season:
Singing, dancing, Broadway stars and dark humor; do you need more reasons?
No lawyers or criminals could ever compete
With this wonderful Wednesday night treat.
Now follow me into Thursday, where you will find
Two shows to watch, at eight and at nine.
"Bones" and "Vampire Diaries" you’ll need to step around
To get "Flashforward," with a plot that confounds.
Only two episodes have aired, so take care to be wary
For with new shows there is always a chance of getting so bad it’s scary.
So far though, it’s been very well written,
With a very good cast (Jett Jackson! Shakespeare from "Shakespeare in Love"!) with which to become smitten.
Next it’s time to move away from science fiction, crime scenes, and soaps that cause groans
And instead watch a sitcom that’s very well known.
"The Office" is its name, and you’ve probably seen it already,
But make sure you keep that viewership steady!
Now we move onto Friday, which has not much to offer,
Except for the latest from the Joss Whedon Sci-Fi coffer.
"Dollhouse" is not a show for everyone,
But for fans of Joss, it gets the job done.
Now you can turn off your TV until Sunday night,
When the networks don’t really do anything right.
But switch over to cable channel AMC for "Mad Men,"
A show about 1960s ad men.
The characters can be infuriating but the show can be sublime
And it’ll snap in half any rose colored glasses you might wear for the time.
And now friends, you’ve made it, the week is through,
I hope that this roadmap will prove of help to you.
Just one more thing to add: because of staggered premieres
Not all good shows are already here.
In January there’s "Lost," so it’s coming soon,
And then "Chuck"’s back in March, at which time in delight I will swoon!