TV Shows You Should Be Watching [VIDEO]

If you are like me, you are tired of all the "reality" shows on television and are looking for some great shows to watch. Although I have my favorites on the mainstream channels, ABC, NBC and CBS there are some terrific shows on cable channels that I have found. AMC, FX, HBO and SHOWTIME all have some terrific series that shouldn't be missed.

Cable channels have a little more leeway with their programming and they come up with some pretty terrific shows. They aren't "reality" based like Housewife's of (wherever), Jersey Shores, Bachelor, Mob Wives and more. They aren't all about crying, cursing, hooking up, stabbing each other in the back and pulling hair. Although most of that is covered in these shows in one way or another, there is a little more meat to the stories. There have been some great shows like Deadwood, True Blood, Dexter, Weeds, and Oz that made you want to watch television again. There happen to be some more of those great shows currently running, at least in my opinion, so check out these new favorites of mine.

Last night was the beginning of the new season of "Justified" starring Timothy Olyphant as Rylan Givens on FX. I also loved Olyphant in HBO's series "Deadwood". He has a great gift for these dramatic roles he's taken on. Justified is based on the crime books by Elmore Leonard about US Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens and takes place in Harlan, Kentucky. This season will have Givens up against the outlaw drug runners, dirty politicians and even an outside pain in the butt from Detroit. Givens has his own way of doing things and justice is always served to those who deserve it. You can check out the show Tuesdays at 9pm/central on FX. This original trailer from season one sets the stage for the show. I promise it's worth watching.

"Hell on Wheels" featured on American Movie Classics (AMC) just wrapped it's first season and was such a hit it has been given the green light for a second season in 2012. The show is about the building of the railroad following the Civil War. It features several story lines from the railroad developer who gets killed and his wife continuing his dream to see the railroad built, to a down and out soldier who can't seem to find peace since his wife was brutally killed, to blacks trying to find their way since the end of slavery, Indian relations and everything in between. The show is just really well scripted and is 1 of 2 great shows you will find on AMC (we will talk about the other one next).  The cast includes Anson Mount, Common, Colm Meany, Dominique McElligott and more. You can catch the show at 9pm/Central.

"The Walking Dead" is also found on AMC and has new shows beginning February 12th at 8pm/central. The show is based on a comic book by Robert Kirkman and is about the dreaded "zombie apocalypse". It follows a group of survivors who have to defend themselves against the zombies but even more so, the other survivors. Yes it is a show that's a little bit "out there" but it is a good show that shows the trials of surviving each persons personalities and gut instinct to fight for yourself and trust no one.