Every year, there are new series that we always say we want to watch, but we never get around to. Maybe it’s because the shows are not really up our alley; maybe we are just sick of hearing our coworker/mom/friends go on and on about how wonderful they are. I have a feeling that maybe I have been that person for a few people about Community or Game of Thrones. I know, I know, I should just shut up about them already! But I can’t. My love is too strong.

Anyway, this year I have made a resolution to watch some of “those” shows that I’ve never got around to before. My reasoning for not watching them in the past is, I just don’t have time. Now I realize that when I am “busy” messing around on the Internet  or watching a South Park rerun for the zillionth time, I could be watching one of these shows instead. If I am going to sit around a melt my brain in front of a screen during my down time, it might as well be something I’ve never seen before.

Here’s the list, in the order I hope to watch them:

-Downton Abbey – I don’t usually do Masterpiece Theatre (unless it’s something like Sherlock), but Abbey is, from what I understand, not upper crust and educational, but instead soapy and bitchy, just like I like it. A good amount of catty, scheming characters goes a long way with me; that’s why I watch shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Glee and Degrassi. I actually began this series last night and if the first two episodes are any indication, I will enjoy this series quite a lot.

-Modern Family – This is one that gives me pangs of guilt every time it pops up on hulu.com’s main page because I haven’t watched it yet. I don’t generally love shows about family and family problems, but after watching their Golden Globes acceptance speech last night, I have to accept that the cast of this show is having the most fun of anyone on TV right now, and there has to be something to all that magic. I resolve I will catch up with previous seasons of this show and see if I like it enough to continue with it.

-Homeland – This is a new show, and it’s rare that I want to watch something so out-and-out dramatic as this Showtime counter-terrorism show. But it seems to have come out strong, right out of the gate, and since I did really love the first season of 24, maybe this one will be a keeper for me.  I will definitely watch this show and hopefully I will enjoy the drama.

-Justified – So technically, I’ve been watching this show, on and off, for a while now. It’s right up my alley – Southern accents, crazy plots and a badass lead character – but I still have not gotten around to watching all of the critically-acclaimed second season. Before getting into season 3, I promise to finish watching all of season 2.

-The Good Wife – Believe it or not, I am actually considering watching a CBS series that doesn’t end with “-et your mother.” I hate CBS and everything it stands for, but dammit this show looks just as good as its title would have you believe. This year I might check out some new episodes before diving into the old, but I promise to at least try.

-Misfits – My sister told me to watch it, and I would like to support a show that’s only available on a streaming service. This one I definitely have no excuse not to watch, because most of my TV downtime seems to get sucked into hulu anyway. So I will try this one, too!

-Any anime series – When I was a kid I loved anime. And I’ll admit, I watched it all the way through high school. But now I’m a grown up and it all seems kind of stupid. Every once and a while, though, I’ll hear about a series that’s really great and check it out, like “NANA” – a show about two best friends, one of which is in a struggling indie rock band. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one I liked, so hopefully this year I’ll find a new one to watch.