As students, watching TV for hours on end comes naturally to us, and now that exams are over we can max out our TV time. With lectures starting next week though, it will be necessary to find new pick-me-up evening shows to come home to after a long day at uni. One channel that never lets us down is e4, with some great hit US shows airing throughout the day and evening. I’ve done some research to find out which shows started this month, and what we have to look forward to, so take note and make sure you’re not missing out on any of these up-and-coming sitcoms.
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1. How I Met Your Mother
Something people always say about this show is that it’s very addictive – watch a few episodes and you’re hooked, mostly because every episode is an amusingly complicated story and, frankly, we need to keep watching right until the last episode just to find out who Ted marries. For me personally, the show fills a void that Friends left all those years ago. The penultimate series, season 8, starts on Thursday 31st January at 8.30pm. Hint: the first episode includes a sneak peak into Barney and Robin’s future wedding day…
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2. The New Normal
Written by Ryan Murphy, the man behind Glee, Nip/ Tuck and American Horror Story, The New Normal tells the story of gay couple Bryan and David who decide to have a child, and follows the life of their surrogate mother/ waitress Goldie, who is their chance at the plan coming to life (no pun intended). The show puts a spin on the standard boy-girl couples we so often see in comedy dramas, and hopefully Murphy does the story idea justice, if his previous shows are anything to go by. The sitcom started airing on January 10th, so catch it on Thursdays at 9pm, with episode 4 being aired next week.
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3. The Big Bang Theory
Arguably TV’s favourite character, Sheldon Cooper is back with the rest of the nerdy cast in tow for an unforgettable series 6. I’ve yet to watch an episode of this show that hasn’t made me laugh out loud, so I won’t be missing any of the new episodes. (Note that several episodes from other series are played throughout the day and early evening too..) If you haven’t watched The Big Bang Theory before, I highly recommend that you try an episode and see what all the fuss is about – especially with the gorgeous Kaley Cuoco playing their lovable neighbour Penny. The show’s new episodes air on Thursdays at 8.30pm, with episode 7 playing this week (likely to change once the new season of How I Met Your Mother starts). Watch the previously shown new episodes on 4oD.
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4. The Cleveland Show
Straight out of Family Guy, the highly entertaining Cleveland Brown has his own series à  la Joey from Friends, in which he heads back to Virginia with his teenage son to renew the romance with his high school love Donna. Series 4 is now airing on Tuesdays at 10pm, with episode 4 showing next week. We can’t argue with an easy to watch comedy churned out from the brilliant writers of Family Guy.
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5. New Girl
New Girl is a hit US comedy featuring Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a girl who moves in with three single guys she doesn’t know after splitting up with her boyfriend. On my study abroad year in Illinois, USA last year I luckily had the chance to watch the pilot episode of this show at a Fox screening on campus. Whilst not convinced right from the first episode, I have noticed that the show has gotten indisputably better with time and is packed with cleverly thought out cringe-worthy, satirical humour. Series 2 is set to be even better, being ranked number 5 on BuddyTV’s list of 2012’s Best New TV Shows. e4 has yet to confirm a date, but rumours suggest it will arrive on our screens during February. Watch this space.
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6. 2 Broke Girls
A light- hearted, enjoyable US comedy about two girls from different sides of the social spectrum, 2 Broke Girls tells the story of Max, a girl hailing from a poor working-class family, and Caroline, a millionaire whose family recently became bankrupt because of her father’s involvement in an economic scandal. The girls are trying to save money to open a cupcake business and leave their jobs at a shabby cafeteria in Brooklyn, New York. Each episode follows the misfortunes that the girls run into, and concludes with a tally of how much money they have made towards their goal of $250,000 needed to open their cupcake business. Catch the show on Saturdays at 12pm, with replays throughout the week.
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7. Revenge
Not all the new shows are constricted to comedy – Revenge is a fast-paced US drama following the life of Emily Thorne who is pursuing her affluent enemies in the Hamptons, New York. She is seeking revenge for those she knows are responsible for the death of her father and wrecking of her childhood. Each episode follows her journey to retribution as she slowly worms her way in to their lives and uncovers the secrets and lies that her enemies hold. Catch Revenge on Mondays at 9pm, with episode 4 of series 2 playing being aired next week.
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If you don’t foresee having time to watch these shows, or have missed the first few episodes, head to 4oD – http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4od – and catch up from the comfort of your bed!