"Rescue Me"
This show, equal parts comedy and heartwrenching drama, follows Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin, a New York firefighter dealing with his life in the aftermath of 9/11. The show does not shy away from issues created by the tragedy, showing the ruined families, relationships and psyches of the men who went into the buildings when everyone else was trying escape. But Leary, a comedian at heart, keeps the show from getting too down, and makes for an entertaining combination of emotion and humor you can't stop watching.
"Workaholics"
For being a fairly-simplistic concept that seemed likely to be cancelled at its launch, this Comedy Central show has maintained a high level of hilarity. The show is about three recent college grads and world-class slackers that work at a telemarketing company and, not surprisingly, hate their jobs. Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine and Anders Holm of YouTube's "Mail Order Comedy" all star in the show and do most of the writing. They essentially play themselves, and the realness of the characters and writing make for consistently funny television.
"SpongeBob SquarePants"
Relive your childhood and check out "SpongeBob." The show needs no introduction for most, but for those rare few who missed out, head to Netflix immediately. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea, he's absorbent and yellow and porous, and he's full of nautical nonsense. The show is still running on Nickelodeon, but early seasons are available online. It's a great chance to catch up on the adventures of SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy and of course, Gary the Snail.
"Sherlock"
The second season of "Sherlock" is just around the corner, premiering on PBS on May 6, so there is no better time to check out (or re-watch) this BBC hit. "Sherlock" updates the classic stories of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective to the 21st century, where the titular investigator must utilize cell phones, computers and other forms of new technology to solve his cases. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch ("War Horse," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy") as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman (soon to be seen as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit") as Dr. Watson, this fresh new take on Sherlock Holmes keeps all the integrity of the original stories, while updating the mysteries with style and ease.
"Hot Tub Time Machine"
While this film isn't exactly the most thought-provoking ever made, it is good for laughs. The science-fiction comedy follows the story of four adult men who travel back in time to the 1980s, thanks to a time-shifting hot tub. They relive some of the moments that defined their boring, unfulfilling lives and, of course, emerge from the situation with a new, positive outlook on life. The plot may be trite, but with a cast that includes Chevy Chase, Craig Robinson and Crispin Glover, the movie definitely has its worthwhile comedic moments.
