Why I Don't Study Past 7pm

The wealth of new channels that I've been treated to lately have brought me not only a new way to waste time (flicking from station to station takes much longer than it used to), but they have also brought me two new shows to love. Usually, I don't develop addictions to shows I watch on ACTUAL television. The ads drive me slightly insane, both those that feature in the middle of the show and those in the week leading up to it. Sadly, putting your hands over your ears and humming loudly so the plotline isn't spoiled is not socially acceptable (apparently). But since 7mate, Gem, Go and others have graced my screen, I've become an ACTUAL television convert. This is for two reasons: Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.

I recently read an article that suggested Big Bang Theory was a show for guys. Sure, the cast is mostly male, but I fundamentally disagree. I don't think it's a show for men. I think it's a show for people that feel just slightly out of the ordinary. In fact, it might even be a celebration of those people. While I adore many shows with an abundance of beautiful and popular people (Gossip Girl, The O.C, One Tree Hill... the list goes on), it is refreshing to come to know and love a cast of characters that are more interested in science than glamourous parties and (gasp!) not always so beautiful. Of course, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) is in some ways the exception. However, even she has her quirks that make her all the more endearing. This show is well worth a look.

For years now, I'd been hearing about this show called How I Met Your Mother. For whatever reason, I never bothered to see what it was like. Probably because it was always on ACTUAL television, and never in a box-set sitting in my loungeroom cupboard. It wasn't until I went killing time on the plane earlier this year that I discovered exactly why this show was so loved. It's a cliche, but the characters are people you can imagine being friends with. Well, except maybe Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). I'm sure we all know many people who think they are Barney, but only on television could there be someone so fabulous. Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) are the couple everyone wants to be, Robyn (Cobie Smulders) is ultra cool and Ted (Josh Radnor) is the lovable hopeless romantic you can't help cheering for. And plus, it's really, really funny. The humour they share is exactly the kind of humour you can imagine sharing with your own goofy friends, and that's what makes it so special.

After becoming a loyal HIMYM fan, I started exploring what the other extra channels had to offer and stumbled across Big Bang Theory. The rest, as they say, is history!