Whether students are supportive of the writers' strike or not, one burning question lingers: What the heck are we supposed to watch?
"I try to watch whatever is not in reruns and movie channels," biology senior Sara Richart says.
Some new shows are debuting in the midst of negotiations. Unfortunately, most leave a feeling of déjà vu. In fact, not one, but two "Sex and the City" rip-offs are kicking off midseason. The first, "Cashmere Mafia," has the four women, the Big Apple and the sex. But one missing ingredient leaves the recipe incomplete: it's not funny. Worse off, it tries to be and falls flat.
The other, "Lipstick Jungle," comes from the same cookbook but doesn't debut until February. Hopefully this copycat will leave viewers more satisfied.
For fans of action shows like "Heroes," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" doesn't completely suck. The action-packed pilot premiered earlier this month and proved to be somewhat attention-grabbing, thanks to a decent plot and interesting characters.
And as if there was a shortage, networks are releasing imitations of reality franchises as well. New shows such as "Make Me a Supermodel" and "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" are blatant impersonators. Since the originals are off-season, new episodes of "Project Runway" and "American Idol" are better options.
Some hope has returned to TV with late-night talk shows back on air. Devoid of writers, Letterman, Conan and others still managed to remain amusing.
"I watched Stephen Colbert and he was actually really funny," journalism freshman Kirsten Stubbs says. "You can tell who the true entertainers are."
But if you're not a reality fan, TV still isn't too thrilling at the moment. Until powerhouses like "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Office" return, time may be best spent doing something other than watching the tube.
