Couch Potato.

In recent years, television has diverged in two different directions - either really thought provoking, innovative and well-produced/acted (think Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Boardwalk Empire), and the, well, opposite (anything Eddie McGuire is involved in, the Real Housewives franchise, any CBS sitcom except for the Big Bang Theory).

But really, who am I to judge what a "good" TV show is? What I like is bound to be different to your tastes. The real shame of Australian television is that there is hardly any good shows being broadcast anymore. And network stations have resorted to stamping "NEW EPISODE" and creating tension-filled adverts to entice us to tune in, when in fact 1. they are sadly 3 months+ behind US television, and 2. the scenes they use in the adverts have really nothing to do with the main plot of the episode.

I bet the programme bosses hanker for the days of the 90s, when we were not obsessed with a wonderful thing called the Internet, and to watch a TV show, we had to actually watch it on a television. Speaking of the 90s, it reminds me of some great shows that I miss:

Ally McBeal

I wish law firms in real life were all like Cage and Fish. A unisex bathroom playing host to many memorable and awkward scenes, face bras, weird dancing babies... this show had it all, and then some.

Dawson's Creek

This show was a weekly staple in my early high school years. It was so much more than your average teen drama. For one, it was very educational - what other show in this genre requires you to watch it with a dictionary by your side? And if you had told me that 10 years later Katie Holmes would be married to Tom Cruise, Michelle Williams would be a knock-out indie actress, and Joshua Jackson would be Diane Kruger's arm candy, I would have thought it was April Fool's Day.

Daria

Every one wants Morgan Freeman to narrate their lives, but I would much prefer Daria. This girl had sass and sarcasm spilling out of her pores. What makes this show so good are the astute observations of the world (and the stupid people in them) and the really well realised characters. My favourite quote: "Don't worry, I don't have low self-esteem. It's a mistake. I have low esteem for everyone else."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

This is the original vampire show, before Twilight ruined it all. I had the biggest crush on Spike. I was in such a minority, every time I said "to hell with Angel. Who cares about him?", I swear I lost a friend.

Freaks and Geeks

I maintain that Freaks and Geeks is the best thing Judd Apatow has done so far. Bridesmaids and Superbad have nothing on this severely under-appreciated show, and I'm not sure James Franco has topped his work here since.

What were some of your favourite shows?