There is probably a great deal you can learn about a person in knowing what sorts of mass shows they watch regularly.
Thus, this is my useless contribution to the Birthday forum. Wait...I had a meaningful contribution? Shuddup you.

This is all stuff that is DVR'd, because I am never around during the times the shows are playing, or don't have the stretch of free time required to watch live TV. Since I record them, you can tell I like them.

Sci-fi Channel original movies: Even the awful ones, because occassionally -- like once a year -- they have a good one. My wife does not understand how I can do this.

Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis: Religiously. Pun intended, for those keeping up with the former series.

Battlestar Galactica: I didn't get into it until way into the first season, wasn't interested at all. Then I watched one episode on a whim one night (I was bored, nothing else on) and was hooked RIGHT THEN. I found the last season disappointing in light of season one, but have high hopes for the new season.

Dr. Who: Hehe! The new series. I saw maybe one episode of the old series; strangely enough, my wife has seen more of the old series than I have. WAY more.

House: I admit my wife got me into it. Blood and needles make me faint, so I think she just wanted to watch me squirm and hide my head while making little whimpering noises.

Avatar, the Last Airbender: This is my son's fault. This is also an incredibly cool cartoon.

Justice League Unlimited: Need more JLU, damnit!

The Simpsons: A couple times a week, though I think my wife and I have finally seen every episode except the new ones.

Spongebob Squarepants: Every morning. Not only because it does the soul good, but because the kids have it on before they leave for school. And ocassionally if I'm feeling down and need an upper and it happens to be on.

American Idol: Again, my wife's fault, because she watches it; though, this year, I am only watching the highlights (as determined by the wife).

Dr Who is wonderful. It starts again a week on Saturday!

Graham

We have only the most basic of cable packages, so no Sci Fi Channel, no Comedy Central, no Cartoon Network. *sigh*

What I do watch...

I am a Lost junkie. I missed the first season, caught up with it on DVD, and now I'm hooked.

I'm still a fan of Smallville, and not just because of Allison Mack (mmmmm, Allison Mack). It's nowhere near Joss Whedon quality, but it's a damn good teen adventure show, with the occasional nods to old school superhero fans.

My wife and I got into House, but lately we've been giving it a miss. I think we just need a break from the show. But Hugh Laurie is brilliant.

We love the American version of The Office. I actually like it as much as the British original, although they're two different creatures. Actually, it's because they're different that I love them equally.

We loved loved loved Rome when it was on (when our cable company was teasing us with free HBO). Too bad the next series won't be until 2007.

We loved Arrested Development with a furious passion. I'm sad it won't be continuing, although I'm happy the show is ending before it gets a chance to start sucking.

I think Saturday Night Live has the best cast it's had in ages, and the show is better than ever. Anyone who says otherwise is either living in a haze of nostalgia or just doesn't get it. (Mmmmmm, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.)

I'm still a huge fan of the original Doctor Who show and buy the DVDs when money allows. I haven't seen the new show yet, but the first series comes out on DVD soon, and I'm planning on getting it.

Hmm. Lots of stuff we're doing via Netflix.

Fave right now on live TV is Battestar Galactica. I thought season two was awesome and can't wait until friggin' October goddamnit. The season two finale was the most story-now episode of TV I've ever seen. It's the best stuff on TV.

Lost has its ups and downs, though they've recently been doing some really good eps. When they bring in good character stuff, it works. When they get caught up in weird plot stuff at expense of character, not so much.

On Netflix we just watched Deadwood season one, which is unbelievably good. Damn HBO and the waiting.

Also netflixing season one of the Shield, which I like a lot, but not as much as The Wire, (again, damn HBO). It's kind of like the basic cable version of the Wire, without so much swearing, with a little less awesomeness.

Also, because of scheduling conflicts, we're hoping to catch up with Veronica Mars maybe over the summer or something. Season one was pretty good.

Gilmore Girls is Meredith's show, but I watch it with her pretty regularly. She's also into Related and some of those reality shows like Top Model and some new cooking thing, but I usually choose homework over those.

Like Josh, I'm sad that Arrested Development is gone. That, Firefly and Sports Night prove that networks and television audiences are dumb and need slapping.

Of late:

24 - I've really been enjoying series 5. The relentless "what else can go wrong?" is great.

Dr Who - A great re-imagining of an old favourite. I'm looking forward to seeing what David Tennant does with the role.

My Name is Earl - One of the few comedies I watch at the moment.

I was addicted to Master Chef in its last run.

-Matt

Heya,

I really don't watch much TV regularly anymore besides the news and the History Channel.  But I do buy a lot of TV showns on DVD.  My favs are:

Babylon 5
Alias
The Shield
24
Farscape
Smallville
X Files

I'm not sure if the new Battlestar Galactica is out on DVD yet, but when it is, I plan on getting it.

Peace,

-Troy

My wife and I are watching episodes of Gidget on DVD.  Gidget is a deeply weird and hilarious media object.  It would make a fantastic one-player many-GM roleplaying game.  There would be a tandem surfing minigame, Inspectres-style confessionals, and rules for using telephones. 

My wife and I are watching episodes of Gidget on DVD.

My girlfriend and I just watched all five seasons of Ally McBeal on DVD, which is one of the greatest shows evar (also one of the most story-now). We are still searching frantically for a successor. Since she doesn’t like Sci-Fi, I won’t get her into Battlestar Galactica or Firefly (which I think are both truly awesome). I used to like Star Trek TNG and DS9 a lot, but not any more (too much Sim…) I also think Touched by an Angel is a very good show, from the few episodes I’ve seen, but it’s certainly not “my poison”.

Like others here, I don't watch TV directly, but rent DVDs to watch when I can find time.

Comdey-wise I go for british stuff.
Black Books is superb closed-box situation comedy.
Spaced (by the Shaun of the Dead crew) was for some time my Monty Python - so many gems in every script. And totally cinematic TV.
Peep Show is twisted humiliation TV a la Office, but IMO better.
Like much of my generation, my brain was anti-damaged by the genius that is Chris Morris: On The Hour, The Day Today, Brass Eye, Blue Jam. Beyond comedy.
Other than that, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Drama I get from the other side of the pond.
West Wing I've been into for a while, though it has lost its edge. Soon watching season 6.
Buffy - introduced them to my girlfriend (not a fantasy/scifi/horror fan at all) and rewatched to end of series 6. Neither of us have seen the last series! Which is exciting.
Twin Peaks, for the first time - this is what you call coming to the party late. Regardless, exceptional TV.
Also came late to Firefly and Band of Brothers, both terrific in different ways.
Riget - the original Kingdom Hospital. I love, love this show. The mixing of humour, drama and horror was so fluid, the characters so involving, the acting stellar, and the direction spot-on. I think it achieves what Twin Peaks does, to some extent, but from the perspective of an utterly different vision. I watched each episode knowing that it finishes uncompleted, but even so when the music came up the last time it was a punch to the gut.
The Wire (season 1) was tre-mendous. Really, one of the best things I've ever seen. I've heard that it loses something in season 2, but I'm willing to give it a shot.
6 Feet under is great.

Riget utterly rules, and if anybody disagrees, ask Graham Walmsley what will happen to you. 

I also really liked both League of Gentlemen and Little Britain.

Television? No. I don't even know if my TV can pick up any stations.
I used to watch a lot of cartoons - Simpsons, Futurama, Adult Swim Sunday.

I will probably just wait 'til summer for new Dr. Who on DVD, or get it smuggled in from Canada. (Because BBC One hates America, or something.)

I don't watch much TV at all. But here's what I do try to catch:

The Wire (Alex, I don't know who told you that it lost something in season 2, but they're wrong. It gets better with every season. I'm chewing my fingernails waiting for season 4).

Big Love (this show has surprised me...definitely worth watching if you play Dogs)

Family Guy (nuff said)

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Meet the Press

The McLaughlin  Group

Thor wrote:
The Wire (Alex, I don't know who told you that it lost something in season 2

Avatar! This is like the awesomest cartoon ever.
Ben 10 Fun so far.
Coupling Britcom!
I'm trying to watch Firefly.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends If there were only one comedic cartoon on the air, it should be this.
Gilmore Girls Obviously.
My Family Britcom about a dentist!

various food tv I'm starting to actually care what these people are making and try their recipes. Alton Brown's are the best!

Six Feet Under  It's long over, but I'm thinking of knuckling under and buying it on DVD.
Greg the Bunny  I was barely able to catch the aired episodes before it was pulled.  We do own the one season on DVD and watch it (and inflict it on others) regularly.
The Shield  Gobbled up the first 4 seasons on borrowed DVDs while the 5th season was airing, now I'll have to wait to watch season 5.
Rome  I was surprised how quickly I got sucked into this show; I can't wait for the next season.
Scrubs  Current tv fare.
Father Ted  Recently finished watching this (again on borrowed DVDs).
Law & Order  Usually as re-runs.
Project Runway  Egad! I can't believe I just admitted that I watch a reality show.

Julie

For once I'm able to edit for my wretched spelling!

I filter-feed and wait for my friends to find the good stuff, then rent or buy DVDs. So some of these are kind of old, some aren't.

Cowboy Bebop
Foyle's War
The Forsyte Saga
The Shield
MI-5 (Spooks)
Chef
Father Ted
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

As you can see, I like my episodes very punchy, no matter whether they're short or long. Firefly and Deadwood are waaaaay too slow, per episode and per storyline, for me to invest an hour per unit "event."

Best, Ron

Ron, if you like Father Ted then Black Books may appeal, as they share a co-writer. Good sumamry of the show here - link

We don't get cable and didn't want to spend the money for Direct TV, so we get PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC.  The shows we (SO and I) watch are:

Trump
My Name is Earl
The Office
Boston Legal
Nova
Sienfeld

Shows I love that Ilena doesn't:

McLaughlin Group
Smallville reruns late night
SG-1 reruns late night

On DVD:

Northern Exposure !!!!!
Clerks the cartoon

I'm very jealous about everyone that has seen the new Dr. Who.  I love the old ones and have probably seen 80 to 90% of all the old episodes, and I really want to see the new episodes.  Hopefully, they haven't screwed it up.

My wife & I are huge CSI fans (but not Miami; David Caruso makes me want to punch the TV). Other notables stuff:

* Battlestar Galactica
* Lost
* Deperate Housewives
* Medium
* 24
* Deadwood
* My Name is Earl

We also enjoyed Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Spaced & Family Guy when they were on too.

Invader Zim
Six Feet Under
Oz
Riget (The Kingdom)
The Crow Road
Firefly

And I have to reconsider The Shield since Ron a.o. are recommending it so strongl :)
(but Spooks? I don't get it.)

Per

I have no cable (and no cellphone! I know what you're thinking!) And because of interference, barely any broadcast reception, so some of the tv I watch is borrowed: new Dr Who and Battlestar Galactica are the best. Who is better, and not just because I'm an old Who fan; it just has a really powerful consistence message, whereas sometimes BSG becomes "who can we kill/threaten/pair up for sex next?" especially in the middle of the second season, which started to piss me off. (The last couple BSGs redeemed it for me, though.)

I've been watching Smallville, another show that started to piss me off, although it's starting to look promising again. I'm not really much of a comic fan and was never that into Superman, but I like the reimagining of the mythos here, until they started becoming lazy.

I've been watching Supernatural from the get-go, but it's just entertainment right now. I can't say there's anything that special about it; hell, they keep changing the characterization. And really, there needed to be two more regular characters so that they could kill one.

Even though I'm not normally into relationship dramedy, I've been watching Related and Gilmore Girls regularly now. Funny, this started *after* I wrote Darling Grove. I actually tried to watch Gilmore Girls one or two times over the past couple years and couldn't get it, but now I'm enjoying it.

The Wire: My favorite television show of all time and I don't even really like cop shows.

Sopranos:  It thas its ups and downs but all in all, a great show.

Deadwood:  I really loved and own the first season but couldn't get into what I saw of the second season. 

Veronica Mars:  Fun, not great but great fun, if that makes sense.

BSG:  I get my TV fix from DVD's, so I haven't seen the last bits of the most recent season but I'm sold on this show.  It stands as my favorite sci-fi show ever at this point.

Six Feet Under:  I only saw the first two seasons but would like to continue.  I thought it was a classy show, particularly the first season.

HBO shows. They are allowed to be artistic, and not cater to the least common denominator. And, lo, it sells. This is about the most healthy thing I've seen I've seen in our culture in past memory. I mean Six Feet Under is about death in a completely unadulterated way. That's supposed to be one of the things you stay away from in TV like the plague.

The difference between Ron's preferences in RPGs and mine can be summed up by the fact that I love Deadwood, and he finds it too slow. I just can't get enough of watching the language roll on by. Being brain damaged and all. There's a plot to Deadwood? Darned if I can figure out what it is. But it sure is purty.

I've watched a lot of Dr. Who. For the moment, I'm watching to see if the new show captures the magic of the old one. Right now, I have this feeling that the low budget effects are an homage to the original show - but that would be missing the point. Then at times they do turn on the new effects, and concentrate on fun twists. So I have hope for it. Just not sure you can make lightning, mostly you just have to wait for it to strike. Nostalgia alone certainly won't cut it.

Mike

LOST, totally.
We watched Season 1 on DVD, then, thanks to the glory of the internet, downloaded this season. Sun, Jin and Mr. Eko are my favorites.

House was good on DVD, I'll rent the next season too.
Veronica Mars, ditto.
The Job is really funny, and Arrested Development is hilarious!
Coupling is a Brit-com that is a must-see, IMO.

Mike wrote: I've watched a lot of Dr. Who. For the moment, I'm watching to see if the new show captures the magic of the old one. Right now, I have this feeling that the low budget effects are an homage to the original show - but that would be missing the point. Then at times they do turn on the new effects, and concentrate on fun twists. So I have hope for it. Just not sure you can make lightning, mostly you just have to wait for it to strike. Nostalgia alone certainly won't cut it.

Meguey wrote:
LOST, totally.

Mike wrote:
I've watched a lot of Dr. Who. For the moment, I'm watching to see if the new show captures the magic of the old one. Right now, I have this feeling that the low budget effects are an homage to the original show - but that would be missing the point. Then at times they do turn on the new effects, and concentrate on fun twists. So I have hope for it. Just not sure you can make lightning, mostly you just have to wait for it to strike. Nostalgia alone certainly won't cut it.

I was interested in Lost for much of the first season. But then it became obvious that they're just making the plot up as they go along. It's no-myth TV writing. Real easy to recognize, when you've done the same thing yourself as a GM. At that point I lost interest in the plot per se -- I no longer care about the characters'  fates or whether I can spot the clues and figure out what's "really" going on. But I remain interested on the technical level, just catching an episode from time to time to see how they're keeping the plot going. (Which they can do indefinitely, just don't expect everything -- or much of anything -- to be resolved coherently. Remember X-Files?)

I'll fess to reality shows in which the contestants are doing something skillful: Top Chef, Project Runway, even The Biggest Loser. (I miss Junkyard Wars.) The Apprentice should fall into that category but the social evil of it is just too painful to watch. I'd watch America's Next Top Torturer or Project Hooker if someone were to produce them, but The Apprentice fails my morality filter.

Monk
House
Turner Classic Movies

- Walt

Hi!
  Most of what I like is not popular:
24
Joey (RIP)
My Name is Earl
Teen Titans
Simpsons (OK, that's popular enough)
Next Food Network Star
Ellen DeGeneres
Venture Brothers
FarScape
Family Guy

Mike wrote:
I've watched a lot of Dr. Who. For the moment, I'm watching to see if the new show captures the magic of the old one. Right now, I have this feeling that the low budget effects are an homage to the original show - but that would be missing the point. Then at times they do turn on the new effects, and concentrate on fun twists. So I have hope for it. Just not sure you can make lightning, mostly you just have to wait for it to strike. Nostalgia alone certainly won't cut it.

OK, I really don't catch much on live TV. I tune in Cartoon network on occasion, and I must say Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited are both fucking awesome. I thoght TT seemed too trite when it first aired, but it matured like crazy and has me totally sucked in when I can catch it.

And Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is supercool. I can't express enough what a work of perfection it is.

on the "caught it on DVD" list are:

Firefly, love it, wish there was more. Never got the Buffy appeal, but this and Astonishing X-Men have me kissing Joss's feet. Dunno what Ron's on about, by the way, doesn't strike me as slow. Haven't watched Serenity yet, looking forward to it.
Smallville. When this show is good, it is GOOD. I've only seen the first two seasons, but there are a bunch of Season 2 episodes that had me stunned. Lex is the shit. I want him to grow up to rule the world.
Alias. OK, actually I was following this one o TV for its first 3 seasons; I need to get the DVDs to catch up. The spy stuff is formulaic, sure, but the character dynamics are off the hook. Jack Bristow is also the shit.
on the lighter side, The Tick and Greg the Bunny. Both woefully maligned shows, as in cancelled in their prime. And though they ARE "light" in tone, I daresay they do better character development than many serious shows (Tick especially). Hell, I'd say they're perfect PTA models of issue-driven storylines, puppets or tights notwithstanding. Same goes for Foster's, now I come to think of it.

OK, that's all I can think of. I'll shut up now.

Shit, my poison list these days is short, but only due to lack of cable/Sattelite(due to my evil sister).

I love any and all comedies, ALL of them, seriously. Scrubs, Just kill me, King of Queens, Everybody loves Ray, Friends, whatever.
I love almost all cartoons, Freakazoid, Oggy and the Cockroaches, The Tick.
Good shows I actually get on the two channels that are My Soul, as in, disturb me in watching them and DIE!:
CSI, I hated Miami but I grew to like it, NYC is only in its first 5 seasons, so undecided yet. Grissom is GOD.
Law and Order and Special Victims Unit.
Las Vegas.
And yes, that channel keeps giving us law stuff. Also BBC things and miniserieses when they're on.
The West Wing(I adore it).
Sopranos.
StarGate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, we're lagging behind the USA. I love how the show rewards those that watched all previous episodes and even makes referances as far back as season 1.

I love Anime.
Naruto(Till it got to the Filler junk).
Bleach(Oh fuck yes!)
There are many limited shows that I like, but well, they're really short, I also have about 200 unwatched episodes of anime.

I also have a vast DVD collection, thanks to mom and Amazon. Also, got stuff off the net, half of it I didn't have time to watch.
Did you notice how easy and fast it is to get stuff? So much that you actually do not have the time to watch it all.
Gilmore Girls I loved when it was on TV, we have up to season 4 but I don't have time to watch it.
Firefly is good clean fun.
Got Buffy 1-7, didn't have time to watch 4-7 yet.
Deadwood, didn't watch yet, wanting to real hard.
Arrested Development.
Lost.
Need to get Futurama.
Need to get mom to buy Nikita. I will kill for this series, abso-fucking-brilliant and keeps you in, if you can watch the whole episode and not get tired in the middle.
Need to get Angel now that I've reached season 4, let's be honest. I love Angel a lot more than Buffy, it's like Batman and Superman.
Monk and House intrigue me.
Got the first season of DP9, used to love this show on TV so much.

I'm sure I forgot a lot, yes, I'm a very poisoned boy.

HBO has most of the best shows--Rome, Deadwood, Sopranos, in that order of goodness. Though Sopranos has lost most of its appeal. There's no reason to watch shows about assholes if they don't have redeeming qualities, and Tony's lost his.

Speaking of, Lost has lost its appeal, too. The characters are now inconsistent and badly written to fit the plot (Locke especially). Too much stuff that was thrown in for kicks never turned out in any meaningful way.

Veronica Mars, though, still kicks ass. One of the best second seasons of any good show.

BSG, yes, of course, though they took some turns that were too easy.

Used to watch 24, but was never as into it after season 2.

For comedy that kicks my ass, Bill Maher leads the pack, followed by the Colbert Report and the Daily Show.

And thanks to Aidan, I get to see Blue's Clues, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Teletubbies. I actually enjoy the old Blue's Clues episodes with Steve; he's great at slipping in expressions and little jokes that only the adults will get.