Razib Khan over at the ever-fascinating Gene Expression site reminds me of a thought I’ve been thinking myself recently: I really should watch more TV.

As Razib says, if you don’t watch TV you get behind on a lot of cultural referents. It’s transient stuff, of course, but helps to keep the social wheels turning, and occasionally delivers some social or political significance.

My ongoing Ally-McBeal-DVD-a-thon has brought this home to me. Having now watched four of the five seasons of this show, I have things to say about it. Unfortunately no-one’s interested, because everyone’s totally forgotten the durn thing.

So I want to watch some cutting edge TV, to get better acquainted with the zeitgeist, and enhance my social life. What should I watch? All suggestions gratefully accepted. Well, not quite all: I shall NOT watch any sitcoms that end each episode with the participants affirming their love for each other in spite of all the conflict they’ve been going through for the previous 25 minutes. (I believe this group-hug finale is known in the TV screenwriting biz as “the moment of s***.”) NOR any lawyer shows–I believe I have fulfilled my lifetime quota with all that Ally McBeal. NOR any cop shows in which the ballsy woman detective is just as good as the slightly-slower, slightly-dimmer, way-less attractive male detective. NOR any sci-fi shows at any level of scientific plausibility lower than Firefly’s. NOR any political dramedies in which wise, sensitive, handsome liberals spend their time outwitting stupid (though cunning), coarse, ugly conservatives. NOR any shows with cute kids with names like Timmy in them. Exceptions, in all cases, will be made for any shows at all featuring Morena Baccarin.

[NB on Razib’s post: Don’t watch the Nelly Furtado video if you own one of my POP CULTURE IS FILTH T-shirts. Don’t watch the Katie Melua video if you have a weak stomach for surgical procedures.]