Welcome back, primetime

For the first time in a couple of years, my DVR is being used to its fullest capacity. In the past five years the networks faltered and primetime programming fell into a deep reality TV abyss, one I thought we would never navigate our way out of. \nDon't get me wrong, for the first couple of years it was mildly entertaining to see how far people would go to win an exorbitant amount of money. \nIt had gotten to the point where if I turned on ABC and saw "I want to marry a chimpanzee," it really wouldn't have surprised me. Its kind of like that Geico commercial about "Tiny House." I remember seeing that commercial and thinking to myself, "Really? Another one of these?" \nNeedless to say, I'm so thankful for a fall schedule that reminds us why comedies and dramas were so popular. Not since the early days of "ER," "Friends," and "Seinfeld" have there been a handful of worthwhile shows to tune into each night. Now, I find myself DVR'ing tons of TV shows and planning nights to go watch "Prison Break," and "Weeds" because I simply can't miss them.\nFinally TV shows are compelling again. The writers and producers of these shows have gone back to the basics: shock and awe. \nThis summer I watched the entire 22-episode season of "Prison Break" in three days (my employer I'm sure noticed the yawns each morning, which marked a late night catching up on Scofield and Lincoln's latest drama inside Fox River. I just couldn't get enough. I needed to know what would happen next, so I cued up another episode.\nDon't even get me started on Weeds, a show I think tops the charts for being a crowd favorite and pushing the limits with twisted plots and risque writing. Never have characters been so compelling. After almost every episode I turn to the person next to me, who's jaw has usually dropped along with mine, as if to say "Did that really just happen?" \nWith new promising shows popping up across networks and cable stations and favorites like "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Office" returning for another go-around, I think its safe to say TV has returned to its rightful spot atop the entertainment mountain.\nSo, let me be the one to thank the major networks, HBO, Bravo and Showtime for collectively reminding us that primetime can be entertaining. Because as entertaining as it is to see people swap families, marry total strangers, lie on TV, eat animal genitalia, race each other to the ends of the earth and survive on a "real" remote island, I'll take true comedic talent and good acting any day.