Some quality time with the small screen ...

At least in the States, the cinema currently is in what can be called the "off-season." It's too early to release works that are considered to be Oscar-worthy, and it's too early to be releasing the big-energy blockbusters. As a result, there are a lot of "Superhero Movie"'s floating around right now. A good time for rentals and for the Telly.
The new year started with some relief for us with new Lost episodes (though they better quit jerking us around if they want us fans to stick around). With the end of the writers' strike (which apparently Parker and Stone will soon parody in South Park), I'd like to stress 3 shows who currently have new (or impending) episodes:

1) Battlestar Galactica. I'll be brief here, since it is the beloved show of the intelligensia (and when I mean intelligensia, I mean we geekazoids who decide what should be watched). Despite its rampant popularity, the quality of the production has in general remained high (a brief slow-down in season 3 when they were trying to wrap up old storylines, but a big upswing with the last few shows). Regrettably, no cable for me, so I'll catch it on the DVD side.
If you haven't seen it yet, you don't have to be a sci-fi nut to appreciate it. Start with Season 1/two-hour pilot, and you'll be hooked.

2) 30 Rock. Tina Fey is a comic genius (usually) and Alec Baldwin truly deserves every piece of metal he gets for his role as the GE Exec-turned-TV-exec. They got a Peabody, for crying out loud (as did Colbert, finally). When 30 Rock came out, it was a little confusing, as Sorkin also had a show about the behind-the-scenes of a sketch comedy show on NBC. Luckily, the better show won.
The writing is smooth but fast, and with the bubbly background music, it does bring back feelings of the old Howard Hawks/Cary Grant movies at times (just like old Sorkin did - sadly, he seems to have been a better writer when he was on the crack). And the performers just add to it - a new respect for Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan, and a real rockstar in the NBC Page, Kenneth (Jack McBrayer).
If you have Netflix, you can see all of the first 2 seasons in streaming, commercial-free. And you can see this season's episodes on the interweb as well.

3) Finally, there is a little show on a little network that really should get a look from us. On the CW, it's called Reaper. Simple premise - Sam is a normal working-class guy, working at a Home-Depot-like store. He turns 21 and he meets, well, the devil. You see, his parents sold his soul to the devil as a child (for reasons we're still learning). But the devil doesn't want to take him "home."
You see, Hell is pretty big, and when there are billions of citizens, on occasion a few escape. So, Sam, and his buddies Sock and Ben, are the Devil's bounty hunters. So, while catching a new escapee every show, the plot moves forward (can Sam get together with co-worker Andie? Will we find out why Sam was sold to the devil?).
It's a boatload of fun, and for those of us who were early Buffy fans, this show is a kick. Watch it before it gets canned - Thursdays, before Lost, but on the CW.

Two more quick mentions -- Pushing Daisies is friggin' awesome, and Bones is for those who liked the quirkier X-Files episodes.