Five TV Shows that will make you Abandon your Studies

BY ANDREW CAMPBELL

As the spring semester gets underway and assignments start to get increasingly more serious, you might be wondering what there is to do in your free time during the week. It’s necessary to take breaks whenever engaging in heavy academic study and this spring a few hot television shows will be gearing up with new episodes.

For those of you who enjoy food and travel, new episodes of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” air on the Travel Channel at 10 p.m.

Join Bourdain as he traverses the globe, landing in various exotic locales to experience the culture and the cuisine. Not only is the mixture of food and culture entertaining, but many viewers also enjoy the sarcastic disposition Bourdain maintains while sampling a variety of strange foods.

Next up is a perennial favorite for many viewers, especially those who love to watch people struggle with their illusions of talent. A new season of “American Idol” can been seen on Tuesdays on FOX at 8 p.m. “American Idol’s” popularity stems from its humorous depiction of those without talent struggling in front of the widely known judges in order to rise to fame. Another seemingly favorite reason to watch “American Idol” aside from the sheer entertainment you might get from the awesomely horrible singing (most of the time), is the fact that because so many people audition you are bound to find someone from you area to follow and pull for to see just how far they get.

Probably one of the funniest contemporary animated shows, new episodes of “Family Guy” can be seen on Sundays at 9 pm. on FOX. I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t at least find some humor in the ridiculous situations in which the Griffins find themselves. Whether it be the family’s constant barrage of insults towards Meg or the consistently funny situations in which Stewie seems to be involved, “Family Guy” is sure to keep you laughing and provide a soothing alternative to completing the daunting load of school work that is ahead.

New episodes of “House” will be airing Wednesdays on FOX at 8 p.m. This is for those out there who enjoy the thrilling medical dramas reminiscent of “E.R.,” while at the same time offering you the almost unreal arrogance of the talented yet gruff Dr. Gregory House.
“House” has received critical as well as commercial acclaim and proves year in and year out to be one of the top television dramas to watch out for.

Finally and arguably the best show on the list, new episodes of “The Office” can be seen Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. This highly character driven adaptation of the British original has proven to be one of the funniest, if not the funniest television shows to air in a while. The blatant crude antics of Michael Scott as well as the plethora of hilarious situations and jokes that get packed into every episode will be sure to have you hooked and provide a much anticipated reason to gather with friends and watch as the seasons stories unfold.

These are just a few of the currently running spring 2009 television shows. The handful mentioned here are guaranteed to keep you entertained, whether it be the serious drama of “House” or the ridiculously humorous “The Office” or “Family Guy.” These should provide just enough enjoyment for the much needed breaks from the monotony of schoolwork.