Five Reasons To Turn On Your TV In 2007

[December 27th, 2006] 1. Ken Burns Goes to War

Come September 2007, master documentarian Ken Burns turns his skillful eye and archival prowess to one of America's most played-out subjects: World War II. In a seven-part series, Burns and co-producer Lynn Novick will examine the lives of 50 men and women who were forever changed by the second Great One. Is there any aspect of the Second World War that has not been thoroughly examined by now? No. Nevertheless, the man who so skillfully brought The Civil War to the public airwaves is sure to put together a fascinating look at America the Heroic.

2. NBC Thursdays: Feel the Funny

The once-beloved network of Seinfeld and Friends has decided to brush the dust from its shoulders and get back into the funny business. It recently cemented its Thursday-night lineup with the only four half-hour comedy shows worth watching: My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock. And while the rest of NBC's lineup may be a joke, these folks are actually trying to make you laugh.

3. HBO Goes Common

Have you ever wondered over the past five or six years what the hell your co-workers were talking about when they made reference to Wee-Bey or the Bada Bing? Now's your chance to find out. HBO, royalty of pay-channel programming, will be syndicating more of its much-talked-about series on basic cable channels. Everybody's favorite gangster soap opera, The Sopranos, premieres on A&E Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 9 pm, while The Wire, the critically acclaimed Baltimore crime drama, premieres on BET the same night at 9:30 pm. But one question remains unanswered: Can America fall in love all over again without graphic language and gratuitous nudity?

4. WWSDN? Or, What Will Survivor Do Next?

Amid this year's controversy of racially segregating the competitors on CBS's Survivor: Cook Islands, we can only wonder how the producers will choose to top this publicity-gathering divide in its 2007 incarnation. Gay vs. straight? Sunni vs. Shiite? Red state vs. blue state? We can only hope they go straight for the heart: CSI: Miami vs. CSI: NY. David Caruso will eat you all alive.

5. More Celebrity Meltdowns!

If the ass end of 2006 has taught us anything, it is that all celebrities are but a breathalyzer away from publicly losing their minds. Watch for the trend to continue in 2007. Will Matt LeBlanc throw down in a Cleveland Wal-Mart? Will Rosie O'Donnell consume the flesh of her slain enemies? Will Lindsay Lohan take to the 12 steps before we know how she really feels about the war in Iraq? Just tune into CNN for updates—24 hours a day, all year long.