My TV watching buddy and I came to a realization recently. Why It’s Worth a Watch has been going strong for quite some time. With so many posts under our belts, we thought now would be a good time to give you a full recap of what shows will be satisfying your entertainment appetite, and which dishes you should pass on.

Going from the worst to best choices, here are the shows I’ve reviewed. Be sure to check out Tiffany’s list for a full guide of what’s worth watching. First off, a quick recap of the Watchwed rating system:

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

I’ve only had to suffer through one Liver and Onions worthy show, Hawthorne. Thankfully, the show was not renewed for another season, so unless you run into it in syndication, it will be easy to avoid this awful dish.

I was a bit surprised that I only have one awful review, but don’t get too excited. This is less of a sign of better TV shows as it is my reluctance to give anyone a truly awful review, and Tiffany’s reluctance to make me watch something I already think I’m going to hate.

Which probably explains why I came up with Nyquil Induced Viewing. There are a few shows that fall in the “only when under the influence and trapped in bed” category. Sadly, both shows feature a female lead. Hollywood, please, I beg of you, write more quality roles for women. I know you can do it. The Protector and Body of Proof definitely are not evidence of that. (Incidentally, The Protector was not renewed for a second season. Body of Proof has been, but struggles in the ratings.)

When I’m looking for empty calories, my Junk Food TV shows were Chloe King on ABC Family and Harry’s Law. Being that I never returned to watching The Nine Lives of Chloe King, it was junk food that didn’t really grab my sweet tooth. This treat was discontinued (cancelled) in September, but others must still be looking for it, as ABC Family is in talks for a movie version. Harry’s Law sits in the DVR queue for weeks at a time and only gets a watch if there is nothing else around to satisfy my TV craving, but last I heard the network ordered six more episodes, so it’s still safe in the candy drawer.

Going back through the reviews, I noticed that one solitary show was sitting on the back burner still. Necessary Roughness caught my eye initially with Craig Bierko involved, but episodes without him didn’t hold my interest. It wasn’t bad, so it at least deserves to be tossed in the back of my junk drawer for later.

Now, judging by the amount of shows that fall in the MacTV and GTV rating categories, I love TV more than I care to admit.

While I haven’t watched the latest season, my very first #watchwed post fell between Junk Food and MacTV viewing, an impressive feat for a show on a network I never watched previous to this series. Switched at Birth, while predictable, was easy to watch drama on ABC Family. In the same category, a show I enjoy (but don’t get too upset if I miss) is Royal Pains, a light medical drama on USA. Also a simple, enjoyable watch.

Although blessed with a huge budget and substantial names backing it, Terra Nova only garnered a MacTV rating upon additional review. And that’s mostly because I kind of dig dinosaurs. I’m more excited about another newcomer, Falling Skies, set to return in the summer, as well as Once Upon a Time, a fairy tale based series created by the fellows that brought you Lost. Despite having somewhat favorable #watchwed ratings, sci-fi and fantasy shows don’t have a great track record lately, even popular ones, as I discovered when I went to review Eureka. We’ll see if Terra Nova or Falling Skies can break the trend.

That's the fear of cancellation in their eyes.

Comedy sitcoms have been pretty surprising this past year. With ratings ranging from the questionable macaroni salad that is Community to the gourmet mac that is Parks and Recreation, there seems to be something for everyone. Newcomers Suburgatory and New Girl have both been pleasant surprises, shows that I look forward to and even rewatch.

A Mac rated show I haven’t kept up with, but perhaps should, is Covert Affairs. With the soon to be absence of Chuck on my TV (::moment of silence: I could use something to fill the gap, and this just might be the right show. For now.

Pourin' a 40...

My favorite of my MacTV shows has to be Person of Interest. Great action, premise, and actors. I really look forward to settling in for this one, living up to its Gourmet MacTV rating.

So, what were my favorites of the “Why It’s Worth a Watch…” series thus far?

Initially, my Gourmet rating bore the kiss of death. Men of a Certain Age, a well written and acted drama, was too slow for the TV watching majority and didn’t survive. House, a show that I admit is probably MacTV viewing for most by now, but still held a special place with me, is also being considered for cancellation.

But the success of some of my other GTV shows gives me hope. The Mentalist continues to move forward with the Red John storyline, but in a way that keeps me interested. The Good Wife and Mad Men are proof that strong female leads can be written on TV (they have more female writers than most shows…take a hint TV). Castle continues to keep me and many others entertained, particularly with its winks and nods to loyal fans with inside jokes and Firefly references.

And Nathan Fillion, of course.

But more than all of them, the fanciest most gourmet meal on my plate goes to:

I just swoon.

Downton Abbey. Season two began last week and I am once more swooning over everything about this show. Originally a “Queue It Up!” selection in our series, it’s back on PBS in full swing and should not be missed. If you watch nothing else, watch this show. It is, without a doubt, absolutely delicious.

WATCH IT NOW!

Ahem.

If that’s not enough for you, Tiffany and I each gave a couple of our Netflix queue favorites in addition to our regular reviews. On my list was Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Sherlock, and of course, Firefly.

We’ve got more new shows coming, so many more reviews to come! What shows already in progress need to be in our list? What new shows are you looking forward to? 

Thank you to all of our readers for your continued support of the Why It’s Worth a Watch series. If you aren’t chatting with us about your favorites on Twitter, come find us using the #watchwed tag.