Television currently suffers a serious adolescent crush on New Jersey, happily showcasing its housewives, manicurists, unemployed party animals, and now its history of slick, sophisticated organized crime. "Boardwalk Empire," adapted from the bestseller with the same name, shows Atlantic City's colorful jazz age history, paying fierce attention to realistic details and historical accuracy. "Boardwalk Empire" takes the Sunday night timeslot usually reserved for "True Blood" while the vampires go on hiatus, and with skilled assistance from Martin Scorsese, it so completely rivets its audience that they cannot remember what they used to watch after "60 Minutes." Like a complicated, sophisticated Victorian novel, "Boardwalk Empire" takes two episodes to set the stage and establish its historical context; but once the bootleggers, gangsters, and corrupt politicians get their machinery greased-up and going, eager audiences stay tuned. The New York Times effectively summarizes, "'Boardwalk Empire' is a well conceived, beautifully made series that has every reason to be great. Who doesn't want to watch rum runners and gangsters on HBO?" Mtv and E! will break-up with Jersey, and they will not "still be just friends" when new seasons roll around; but viewers can look forward to HBO's going steady with "Boardwalk Empire" until the vampires come home.

Off the Map is a character based medical show set in South America. The newest medical drama show from producers of Grey's Anatomy is proving to be a hit series. The latest offering from ABC television, "Off the Map" TV show premiered January 12 of 2011 with some endearing characters going on the "adventure of a lifetime". The show is set in the tropics of South America where three intrepid doctors do their best to save people who are in serious need of medical help. While life is not exactly primitive down in this tropical area of the world, it most definitely is not up to date as far as medical supplies go. Dr. Ben Keeton (Martin Henderson) lost his child and his wife due to an accident and he's having problems coping with the single doctor lifestyle even though he has friends who encourage him. Dr. Otis Cole (Jason Winston George) is one of those docs that most say has a bite every bit as bad as his bite. While super strict at work he also has a somewhat zany side. A former addict he lives for candy as his fix of choice now days. Dr. Lily Brenner (Caroline Dhavernas) has been heartbroken when her fiancee was killed in an accident. Off the Map TV show is a soap opera-ish show and a fun divergence from the normal seriousness involved with medicine. Fans of Grey's Anatomy might like this one.

"Deadwood" is a critically acclaimed American Western television series that aired on HBO from 2004 to 2006. The show takes place in the late 1800s in the lawless town of Deadwood, South Dakota, during the Gold Rush. The show was praised for its authentic portrayal of the historical period and its use of language.

Those of us who love a good "who done it" or murder mystery are drawn to television programs like Cold Case because they solve crimes and they prove who was guilty. It might be human nature to want to solve crime, especially those that were previously unsolvable until new technology (such as DNA evidence) answers the questions that were left behind. Even though the Philadelphia Police Department portrayed in Cold Case is a fictional "cop shop" we get caught up in the characters portrayed by writers on the set. The senior detective is Lilly Rush (actress Kathryn Morris). Lieutenant John Stillman (John Finn), Senior Detectives Scotty Valens (Danny Pino) and Nick Vera (Jeremy Ratchford) head up the intrepid team of master sleuths that solve old stale cases that were put back on the shelf, awaiting new evidence or better technology. We get to see how they solve the crimes others gave up on. The background music also plays a significant part in most episodes as it ties in with the year crimes were committed and many big names such as Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, and Frank Sinatra are featured.

Another reality television show that actually has merit is School Pride. The show is based on an actual restoration on Carver Elementary, a school in Compton, California seven years ago. The schools chosen on this program will receive around two million dollars worth of upgrades and repairs that were sorely needed plus plenty of exposure via the television program. Additionally the student participation helped with School Pride as they were a part of renovations and it is their family, volunteers, and neighbors that help organize the production. The premise is that schools in need of costly repairs can receive help when they showcase how much need there is for improvements and students participate by showing how much pride they have for their school. Somewhat based on the television program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" the cameras follow students, teachers, and community members performing the renovations badly needed by a particular school. In seven days it's amazing how much can be done and camera crews will return a few months later to see just how much improvement has been made and how it affects the surrounding community.

That may well be the title to a dream sequence by some brilliant but unqualified attorney "want to be's" who can only imagine how they could accomplish what Mike Ross has done. He bluffed his way in by convincing Harvey Specter, one of the finest lawyers in Manhattan to hire him in spite of the fact he has no law degree. Although Ross is brilliant and extremely personable he could not afford the schooling and his choices in friends and recreational drugs did not help his situation. However he can pass the bar without attending any law school simply because he has an eidetic memory. Now clean and dedicated to becoming a first rate attorney, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams from FlashForward, Raising the Bar) must prove himself to the man who put his trust in and hired him, Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht from Love and Other Drugs, Middle Men). Mike Ross must convince the other attorneys he graduated from the Harvard Law school because that's the only place they hire new recruits from. And he is a fast learner who's wit and conviction works well in the court room.