090 - "Bummer Porn"

I am completely burned out on "Bummer Porn" - TV shows that trick viewers into thinking that shock and sorrow are the pinnacle of Drama. Shows that don't really have "Heroes" so much as "A Few People You Despise A Bit Less Than You Despise All The Other Characters". These are shows you watch out of habit and out of societal obligation more than anything else.

The two biggest offenders currently airing are Game Of Thrones, and The Walking Dead. I first started feeling this way, though, with Mad Men.

Just a series of unfortunate events, with no real joy.

These shows do nothing but depress me on two levels - the story is always depressing, and then I feel depressed that I've wasted so much of my life watching so much misery.

So I'm looking for good, inspiring shows to fill the void left by having abandoned Bummer Porn. I need something engrossing and fun with an ongoing story arc. Stuff like:

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer
  
• Angel
  
• Firefly
  
• Star Trek
  
• Quantum Leap
  
• The Survivors
  
• Doctor Who
  
• The Flash

I'ved got stuff like Supergirl and Legends of The DCU lined up, but despite being so good those are also a little bit *cheesy*. Shows that were too cheesy for us to continue included Z Nation and Eureka. Pretty much anything that's a SyFy Original Series is going to be too cheesy...