Dr. Leonard Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)
Putting aside the fact that Leonard is a full on genius, he is the kind of guy that young boys should aspire to be. He is respectful of women, a good housekeeper, a loyal friend and clearly has good study habits. More importantly, he gives young men hope of scoring chicks who are way out of their league.

Daryl Philbin (The Office)
Daryl is a true American success story. Going from a recurring character who runs a warehouse to a regular who manages the entire shipping division for the whole office. He’s also a single father who cares deeply about his daughter as well as a true friend. On top of all that he’s hilarious. Who says that working in an office has to be joyless?

Leslie Knope (Parks and Rec)
Despite Leslie’s personality quirks and innate awkwardness, she is a role model that any young girl can aspire to. Smart as a whip, honest to a fault and more driven that any government employee on or off television. If you can get past her constant weirdness, she;s pretty cute, too.

Ted Mosby (How I Met Your Mother)
There are some people who see Ted as a loser due to his inability to find love but I see him as the opposite. Ted is such a believer in true love that he is on a never-ending quest to find that one perfect woman to have his children and then build a show around her. Besides, being an architect is a pretty sweet gig.

Cam Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)
Since gay characters started appearing on television, very few of them have been more than horrible stereotypes. Cam and Mitchell are good parents, upstanding citizens and it’s no doubt that they are gay. I can’t think of two better examples of how it “gets better” for a young gay teen.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

1. Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) – Taxi
What could make a young Ivy League undergrad from a rich, influential family become a burned out reverend/cabbie with questionable judgment and a terrible memory? I doubt that even Jim could compile a complete list? At least his driving isn’t any less safe than most New York cabbies.

2. Otis Campbell (Hal Smith) – The Andy Griffith Show
If only all drunks could be counted on to walk themselves into a police station and sleep off the night’s festivities, the world would be a much better place for us and them.

3. Barney Gumble & Otto Mann (Dan Castellenata & Harry Shearer) – The Simpsons
What is more disconcerting? A stoned bus driver in charge of the lives of young children or a blackout drunk driving four hours to New York City?

4. Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) – WKRP in Cincinnati
When you’re entire life exists in the middle of rock and roll culture it’s difficult not to imbibe. Although it must be great not to have to shave ever.

5. Foster Brooks & Dean Martin – The Dean Martin Show
All the biographies say that their drunkenness was an act. I suppose that’s what Lindsey Lohan’s biography will say as well.

6. Manny the Hippie – The Late Show with David Letterman
Although his fame was short-lived, I was a huge fan. Never have I seen someone so unabashedly proud of their burned out, skeevy, conning persona.

7. Nigel Wick (Craig Ferguson) – The Drew Carey Show
I always wondered why he was such a terrible boss. Eventually we found out why. You’d have to be “chasing the dragon” to continue to employ Drew and Mimi.

8. Larry Finkelstein (Alan Rachins) – Dharma & Greg
How the tight ass from LA Law became burned out Dharma’s dad I’ll never know. Even as the series started to get lame, Larry always made me laugh.

9. John Hemingway (John Larroquette) – The John Larroquette Show
The best part of Hemingway was that even though he was a recovering alcoholic, he was still paying for the mistakes he made while drinking.

10. Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) – 30 Rock
I’m not exactly sure what Dr. Spaceman has prescribed for Tracy but whatever it is, it makes him funny for the first time in his life.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

As many of you know, in the year 2000 I was crowned TV Land’s Ultimate Fan. It was a great experience that I will always remember. I got to visit New York in the Fall and, again the following winter, I won a bunch of prizes and I also got to meet a lot of cool people. The coolest by far was Mr. T.

I met Mr. T before the competition started at a mall in Orange County, California. I decided to drive out there to audition for the show and, once there, I discovered that the celebrity appearing that day was Mr. T. Before the competition, Mr. T signed autographs for people and once that was done, he got onstage and answered questions. Many of the questions were typical; “Will there be an A Team reunion? How did you beat cancer? What projects are you working on?” But I will always remember the question asked by a young man in the front row.

I couldn’t see the young man because I was standing in the back row, so when the young man raised his hand, I thought nothing of it. However, when he stood up, I realized that he was not a young man but a very large child who was suffering from Down Syndrome.

His question was this… “Mr. T, why are you so mean to Murdoch?”

The entire mall went silent. The Sunglasses Hut, The Hot Sam … even over at Baby Gap people stopped what they were doing to hear his answer. Does he explain that Murdoch is not a real person? Does he politely ignore the question? Does he go off on a rant about how he doesn’t like to fly? We all watched with baited breath to hear his response.

Mr. T looked the boy straight in the eye and said, “Because he’s a crazy fool!”

The crowd went wild. The reaction was amazing. People were cheering and shouting catch phrases. “I pity the fool!” and “No time for jibba-jabba!” At that moment I realized why Mr. T was the huge celebrity he was, because regardless of the era, the setting, or the audience Mr. T treats each and every fan like they are his biggest fan.

I am often reminded of this day when I see other celebrities treating their fans poorly and like Mr. T himself, I often am forced to pity the fools.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

I watched American Idol in the first season and have been a loyal fan ever since. Like many Americans, I get sucked in by the hilarity of the bad auditions and the honest talent of the good ones. The next thing I know, I’m watching the finale and enjoying the hell out of it.

The X Factor is similarly addictive. The show parades a collection of hopefuls, some good, some bad, some atrocious and we, as fans, pick a favorite and settle in to root them on. However, if The X Factor is, in fact, too similar to American Idol, it’s the few differences that make it truly engaging.

Unlike AI, anyone over the age of 12 can audition for The X Factor, that means that not only do old people like me get to see their peers compete but the untapped talent pool of people over thirty finally have a place to show their talents.

The other big difference is that contestants can audition in groups and duos as well as by themselves. This is especially good for true music fans because it opens up the field of songs to more interesting arrangements than the usual simple ballads on Idol.

Sure, the audition process is a grueling exercise in manufactured drama and overproduced emotional outbreaks but isn’t that a small price to pay to see Paula and Simon reunited and doing the only thing they were ever any good at?

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

“Yes, but I will never watch it because it sucks.” (America’s Got Talent)

“No way. That show is too stupid for anyone.” (Jersey Shore)

“Sure, but they won’t be interested.” (Men of a Certain Age)

“Yes, too bad, it’ll be canceled in a month.” (Flash Forward)

“No, that’s a little inappropriate, but I’m going to watch the hell out of it. (Breaking Bad)

Finding stuff to watch with your kids can be a daunting process. The only thing worse than having to watch some dumb show that they like is watching one of your favorite shows while they constantly talk about how dumb it is.

The good news is that as my kids get older, our taste in television get closer and closer. The weird part is how often I find myself enjoying shows that are made for people as stupid as them. I started watching Storage Wars because I thought it was an interesting show about businessman and treasure hunters, but after my kids watched it with me, I realized we were both enjoying a reality show about a bunch of dumbasses who argue over abandoned junk. Don’t even get me started on how much we both enjoy American Dad.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

Buddy & Buddy

Even Coach Eric Taylor and his family have left the great state of Texas, there is still plenty of story to be told. Follow the adventures of Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) and Buddy Garrity Jr. (Joey Truty) as they live the life of a single father and his wise-cracking son. Laugh and learn as they sell cars, sell beer and try to sell new ideas to their marketing manager, recent MBA graduate, Landry (lance) Clarke (Jesse Plemmons) and his doting wife Doreen (Amy Sedaris).

The Pizza Bowl

Thirty years after Frank DeFazio closed Milwaukee’s most popular bowling alley/pizza joint, the new owner is ready to open it back up to the public. Gordon McKenzie (Norm MacDonald) is a newly naturalized American citizen with a dream to own his own business and start a family. Unfortunately, his new wife Angela (Shannen Doherty) has an aversion to hard work and would rather go shopping with her daughter from her first marriage, Deena (Ali Lohan). Can a Canadian ex-pat with a dream and pizza cutter make it in Wisconsin?

The Horshacks

Ever wonder what became of sweathog Arnold Horshack? Really? In that case, check out this new show from the producers of 704 Houser St. It’s 1982 and little Arnold (Ron Palillo) is now a widower trying to enjoy his new retirement after a long life of teaching high school and raising three kids. His oldest Gabe (David Henrie) is fresh out of graduate school and is constantly coming to his father for advice on his new career as a college professor. His twin daughters Robin and Rachel (Alicia and Annie Sorell) are boy crazy high school seniors who leave Arnold in a quandary on how to manage their dating habits. Luckily his longtime friend and ladies man Beau DeLaBarre (Stephen Shortridge) is always happy to drop in and share some advice.

The Face Squad

Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit, these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Eventually these men grew old and were forced to retire, giving up their lifestyles as soldiers of fortune and disappearing inbto a life of anonymity. Luckily for the denizens of Los Angeles, Face Man (Dirk Benedict) was reunited with the son he never knew he had. Dack Peck (Zac Efron), a decorated Marine yearns to follow in the footsteps of his infamous father. Along with his friends; Raj (Dev Patel), Craig (Kyle Massey) and Jukebox (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) the team serves those Los Angelenos who need their particular brand of help. If you have a problem – If no one else can help – and if you can find them – maybe you can hire the Face Squad.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

The premise is a twist on The Prince and the Pauper. Twins are separated at birth. One is adopted by a rich family and the other grows up in a foster home. They find each other and the prefab poop hits the poorly constructed fan.

The worst part about the show is that it doesn’t even have a chance to be good. From the very beginning, it’s made clear that the poor twin, Emma, is in such a terrible situation with her creepy foster brother that it strains credibility. On the other hand, the rich twin, Sutton, leads an idyllic life and still yearns to find out who she really is. So much so, that she resents her adoptive parents for not being honest about her birth. I know about a thousand kids who would gladly trade places with little Miss Ungrateful.

The show begins it’s wackiness when Sutton goes to LA to track down their real parents, while Emma takes her place and lives her life. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, and by the way, this all happens in the first fifteen minutes.

This show has all the makings of a crappy teenage drama; one dimensional characters, bad acting, twenty five year-olds playing high school kids (the guy playing her boyfriend is twenty four) and to make things extra sad, the cast includes Adrian Pasdar in a role that is so far beneath him that it makes Miracles look brilliant.

I don’t know what constitutes a decent show over at ABC Family but what they’re offering these days, make me long for Kyle XY. That show was supposed to be science fiction.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

In less than a week, I will no longer have to drive anybody to swim class, make anybody clean up their dishes from lunch or answer endless strings of inane questions. Most importantly, however, I will be able to watch whatever I want on television with no interruptions.

No longer are the days of waiting until the kids go to bed so I can watch True Blood. Gone are the afternoons of pretending to care about what my kids are watching so they can think I’m interested in their lives. Banished are the constant interruptions caused by one child “looking at” the other one.

I don’t expect everyone to understand what this freedom means. There are few of us who truly understand how valuable peace and quiet can be. After spending the entire summer trapped in a house with my kids, the mere thought of being able to watch TV, take a nap or even poop without fear of interruption, makes me so excited I can hardly contain myself. Add in the fact that the new fall season is only weeks away and I feel like I’m on top of the world.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to cut this short and go reprogram the remote.

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

The New Improved Jordan McDeere
Due to the cancellation of the long-running sketch comedy show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Jordan’s tenure at the network is considered a complete failure. She is forced to leave LA with her newborn daughter in tow, leaving her fiancee, Danny Tripp, and Hollywood behind. She ends up getting a new job teaching video production at a community college in New Mexico. Helping her along the way are the idealistic young English teacher (Adam Brody) and her thrice-divorced hard drinking next door neighbor (Katey Sagal).

The Nelsons
WNYX employees Lisa Miller and Dave Nelson have gotten married and decided to raise a family. In this hilarious sitcom set ten years after the end of Newsradio, Dave is now the editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia Gazette (inexplicably located in Altoona). Lisa Miller-Nelson is now the head of the local PTA and full time Mom to her and Dave’s three children, Jimmy James Nelson (Erik Per Sullivan), Billy Matthew Nelson (Nathan Gamble) and little Beth (Brenna and Bronwyn Tosh)

The Becky Chronicles
After the accidental death of her husband, Mark, Becky Conner moves to Chicago to “find herself.” Unfortunately what she finds is a job waiting tables at Hooters. Hopefully with some help from fellow waitress Donna (Drea de Matteo) and her night school professor (Christopher Lloyd reprising his role from Stacked), Becky can find a career and a successful love life in the windy city.

Zuckercorn & Loblaw & the Law
Barry Zuckercorn and Bob Loblaw, the former attorneys for the Bluth family team up and open a firm together. Watch them struggle to run a profitable firm with a collection of wacky clients and even wackier paralegals. Allyce Beasley reprises her role as Agnes Dipesto the receptionist who nobody remembers hiring.

Niles & Daphne
After Frasier leaves Seattle, Niles and Daphne are forced to take in Martin and Eddie. Daphne has to deal with Martin’s new and more protective physical therapist (Patti Labelle). To make things worse, Maris moves in next door with her new husband (Jeff Goldblum).

Hear more from the King of TV on The Paul Goebel Show podcast and at his website, www.TheKingofTV.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter @PaulGoebelShow.

Whenever I am on the fence about seeing a family friendly movie, I ask my kids if they want to see it. When they say no (which they often do), I decide there’s no reason to go and look for something better to spend my $36.00 on.

Now, of course, this sometimes backfires on me. There was the time they both wanted to see Hotel for Dogs and when they really wanted to see Nancy Drew but those events are few and far between.
I think the reason behind these decisions have more to do with time management than anything else.
My daughter has a friend who’s mother wouldn’t let her see any Harry Potter movie until she read the book first. What a bad idea. Not only does this spoil the movie for everyone but it takes the fun out of seeing a movie when said movie becomes a reward for spending too much time and money on a hard cover book that will eventually end up taking up valuable DVD space.

It’s with this in mind that I am proud to announce that my daughter has started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Teen Nick. They started airing the episodes of the series in order a couple of months ago and she loves it.

There are so many reasons that this is great, I hardly know where to start.I suppose the best part is that from now on, she and I have a common interest and will always have one. That’s pretty cool.