I know we all only have so much time in the day.  We hit the grind all the live long day and seemingly only have a few minutes to ourselves before we hit the hay and start the process all over again.  But if you find yourself in need of something to do on a certain night of the week, I suggest filling the time void with some good old fashioned television.

You might think I’m crazy with the following list of TV shows, but please hear me out on these shows you should be watching but probably aren’t.

Sunday- Once Upon a Time (ABC, 8pm EST)

If you take my advice and watch this show you might think to yourself or aloud to no one, “I can’t put my finger on it, but this kind of feels like a family-friendly version of Lost.”  Let me be your finger’s TV spirit guide:  Adam Horowits and Edward Kitsis, Once‘s creators, were writers on Lost.  Now, there’s no cage sex but there is some wholesome princess on prince lifetime commitment.  So there’s that.  But seriously, just when you think that you’re finally going to give up on the show because Ginnifer or Jennifer (Goodwin and Morrison, respectively) has finally done just enough to annoy you away, something happens that pulls you back in against your will.  I realize how much I’m doing to sell this show, but it really is one of those that you both will and won’t regret watching. Tristan Chan, can I get an Amen?

Monday- Doctor Who (Netflix, at your leisure)

This show (in its 7th or 33rd season, depending on how you look at it) has recently taken America by storm.  But if you’re not quite on board the TARDIS, let me explain.  The Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, an alien species who were wiped out in the time wars with the evil Daleks.  They live pretty much forever.  He travels around in an old blue police telephone box called the TARDIS that is much bigger on the inside.  He has a sonic screwdriver that is essentially a magic wand.  He always finds mischief.  He always wins.  But there is loss.  He is a nearly-immortal being that befriends very much non-immortal humans.  Until you enter the TARDIS, you couldn’t possibly realize how many different ways, places and times your existence could be wiped from time and space.  You might think this all sounds totally predictable and boring but you are wrong.  It is totally predictable and completely charming.  The show is like being wrapped in a warm blanket and eating a nice pie.

Tuesday- Cougar Town (TBS, 10pm EST)

First and foremost, no one likes the title.   The stars don’t like the title.  The creators don’t like the title.  The network doesn’t like the title.  But most of all, the fans who love the show but desperately want people to listen to me them when they say,  “the show has nothing to do with cougars and is just a delight,” don’t like the title.  The title really has nothing to do with anything at this point.  Sure, it started off being about Courtney Cox getting back into the dating game as a woman of a certain age, but that concept was abandoned after Bill Lawrence sobered up four episodes.  Cox’s character is now married to a man her own age- NOT chasing after hot twenty-somethings (though her husband is nothing to sneeze at).*

So now that we’ve gotten you over your title prejudice, you’re asking yourself, “Well, if its not about cougars, what is it about?”  It is about a group of friends that hang out and drink wine.  You think that sounds simple, but need I remind you of the best (yes, I said it, THE BEST) sit-com ever, also featuring Courtney Cox?  Replace coffee with wine and ugly-naked-guy watching with penny can and you basically have the same show.  Really, the best shows are about weird characters doing not much of anything- Seinfeld, Community, Happy Endings, New Girl, The List Goes On.  Ok, that last one wasn’t a show but you get my point.

So you guys, seriously just watch the show.  Because after all the pimping I’ve done for them, I deserve six seasons and a movie.

*Twenty points to whomever can explain why that phrase is a thing.

Wednesday- DVR’ed Go On

Mostly for the reasons above, but replace ‘wine’ with ‘crazy people’ and ‘Courtney Cox’ with ‘Matthew Perry’ and you have the same argument.  But for real watch Cougar Town.

Thursday- Hercules: The Legendary Journey (The Hub, 10pm EST)

Let me take Thursday as an opportunity to introduce you to a network you might not be familiar with- The Hub.  I believe this is under the Nickelodeon umbrella but I have NO idea what their target demographic is.  They advertise for children’s slippers and Gone Girl (a very adult book) on audible.com in the same commercial break. But they air things like Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Jem and the Holograms, Fraggle Rock, and The Facts of Life.  Come on- its basically the best network ever. Take Thursdays to explore all its 1990s wonder.

Friday- Fringe (Fox, 9pm EST)

I admit, you’ll be coming in a little bit a lot late.  We’re in the last season of five and shit kind of got weird.  But maybe instead of watching the new episodes where Joshua Jackson is turning into a bald, emotionless man, go back and watch the old ones where Joshua Jackson was just a hot, emotion-ful hotman.  There’s some ‘science.’ There’s an old man who does a lot of drugs and forgets things but is totally endearing. There’s a blonde lady.  What more do you want?

Saturday- Get a life and interact with other humans. Real ones. Not the ones in your TV.