Recession-Proof TV

Good television is hard to come by these days. Where television used to be an escape from life's hard times, it seems to be the stomping ground for bad news (and imaginations). Reality TV is anything but real; and, since it's the summertime, all the good shows have gone on hiatus until next season. How does a TV junkie treat his needs with good recession-proof programming? I have a few solutions - and it includes something old and two things new.

Rediscover the past. If the current state of TV land is desolate, go back to when it was populated with great sitcoms. I have taken reacquainted myself with Tim Allen's great Home Improvement. For two hours, I enjoy Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor's maintenance mishaps. The show had great humor with perfect timing and a lesson to learn in each episode. If one can't find the time to surf your 100+ channels, then take a more direct approach and surf the web. The internet provides outlets to tons of shows from the past and present. YouTube is King when it comes to finding classic sitcoms. I've starred plenty of shows from the hilarity in The Golden Girls to the 90's sketch show for kids All That.

Discover the present. For those too young to remember the sitcom, here is something more millennium-friendly. Although the reality show has been overdone, there is one in the realm of competition that is absurdly comical and brilliant at the same time. ABC's Wipeout is the new game show where contestants literally wipeout for a cash reward. Adapted from extremely popular Japanese game shows, Wipeout mixes the physical demands of American Gladiators with the comedy of MTV's Jackass. Contestants are churned through fantastically-constructed obstacle courses in an effort to endure to the very last round as the champion. If you could imagine a live action Mario game, with people leap-and-bounding across moving platforms, then you can imagine Wipeout. Unfortunately, there are no mushrooms to award superhuman strength.

If you are tired from just reading the last paragraph, something less physically straining will suffice. Nothing is more American culture than the talk show, and one in particular stands out above the rest. Actress/comedian Bonnie Hunt's morning show is probably the best thing about weekday mornings. Full of improvised skits, genuine humor and a variety of guests, Hunt embodies an old, familiar comedy style that seems fresh in 2009. The set itself is designed in homage to comedic greats like Dean Martin and Johnny Carson who Hunt enjoyed herself as a child. Not only does the show feature smart writing and production, its Hunt's own way of being personable that draws viewers. Whether it's her talking the latest gossip with her own mother or her perpetual support towards breast cancer research through her online celebrity auctions, Hunt feels more real than any on screen search for love or survival of the fittest.

So, you see, there is plenty on the tube to drive away those recession woes. Check local listings for your 'good' shows.

Photo: TV host John Henson from the television show 'Wipeout' attends the 2009 Disney & ABC Television Group summer press junket at the Walt Disney Studios on May 30, 2009 in Burbank, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)