Where have all the good TV shows gone?

I'm not the kind of person who sinks into their couch and watches TV endlessly. That being said, it's not hard to notice the rather steep decline in quality television these days. I blame reality TV for this (ironic, given that I was a rabid fan of the inaugural season of Survivor, the show that started it all) - it's cheap and it brings in killer ratings. But what the hell is there to take away from crap like Dancing With The Stars and American Idol? Nothing...except a bunch of green to the corporate heads of the networks. It's why cult hits invariably die an interminable death (such as Arrested Development), or even shows that aren't widely-watched but are very well-written, well-produced, and well-acted (my example being Journeyman).

For me, I've largely eschewed watching new television shows. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an utter disaster, thanks to Aaron Sorkin deciding to settle his personal scores on-screen. Heroes had a stellar debut season, but it became a bit too unwieldy for its strike-shortened sophomore outing. In the end, the superhero sci-fi drama - along with the unquestionably best comedy on television right now, The Office - are the only relatively new shows I watch. Strangely enough, I keep up with television shows that are aged by today's standards as well - 24 and Smallville, both of which debuted when I was but a second-year high school student. There's definitely something to be said about the quality of those shows - namely the fact that the quality of both declined irreversibly after their third seasons - but they still generate enough cheap thrills to please me more than hyped-up crap like Bionic Woman or yet another useless crime drama or CSI spin-off that CBS throws out. And it's been a long time since ABC had a drama to watch like Alias (I will never forgive JJ Abrams for abandoning the show for Lost).

Hell, when I was a kid, good old-fashioned beat 'em up shows like Nash Bridges, Martial Law, and yes, even Walker, Texas Ranger. At least they were entertaining and put a unique spin on fighting crime. Those were the days...but now we get fed totally mindless manure like Deal or No Deal. Stupid Howie Mandel and his dumb, show-ending salute.