The year 2012 has set in, and chances are most of our resolutions haven’t been realized yet. Only three weeks into the New Year and the gym is empty, that novel isn’t finished and almost everyone has forgotten about ‘being a better person.’ But there are some self-improvement opportunities that you won’t even have to leave the house for. Here are some TV resolutions for 2012:

1. ‘I want to try something new.’ —’Archer’ —Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX

There are few shows on TV as consistently funny and thrilling to watch as FX’s animated series ‘Archer.’ The show follows the exploits of the International Secret Intelligence Service’s arrogant, self-centered top agent: Sterling Archer. And that’s about as far as the premise goes. Some weeks are confined to the ISIS office while others take place in exotic locales around the world, but ‘Archer’ never lets up on the hilarity. The chemistry, interplay and timing of the voice cast is perfect, the animation can be stunning and the jokes make good use of the show’s mature audiences only rating. In short, ‘Archer’ has a look and feel all its own: something truly unique and definitely worth watching.

2. ‘I want to try something new that takes place in a medieval fantasy realm with lots of characters for me to relate to. And also dragons.’ —’Game of Thrones’ —season two premieres April 1 on HBO.

‘Game of Thrones’ is a television epic, and it’s astounding how much effort it took to make this show as spellbinding as possible. HBO spent a lot of money bringing George R.R. Martin’s fantasy realm to life. And with its cinematic-quality CGI landscapes, ‘Game of Thrones’ is always a pleasure to look at. Granted, the show is certainly not for everyone. There are a myriad of characters to remember and the pacing of each episode can be slow. But for anyone looking to get truly lost in an imaginative world, this is the show to watch.

3. ‘I want to shut up that pretentious friend of mine who will not stop talking about ‘Breaking Bad.” —’Mad Men’ —season five premieres March 25 on AMC

‘Mad Men’ might just be the most ubiquitously appealing show on TV. It has period commentary and strong themes for the esoteric TV viewer, and enough sex and yelling to make it appealing to everyone else. At times, the show’s plot feels like a soap opera that snuck it’s way onto prime-time television. But that shouldn’t be held against the show, as that pulpy storyline has brought a lot of casual viewers to one of the most important shows since ‘The Sopranos.’

4. ‘I want to abandon a sinking ship.’ —’The Office’ —Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC

It’s just not the same. For weeks there was a collective hope that maybe, just maybe, ‘The Office’ could soldier on without Michael Scott. Well, the experiment is over. And sadly, it cannot. With new episodes resorting to out-of-office gimmicks like trivia contests and pool parties, it feels like this once great comedy is ready to be laid to rest. It’s time to let go.

5. ‘I want to support Rob Schneider’s career because I’m still holding out for that ‘Hot Chick’ sequel that everyone has been asking for.’ —’Rob’ —Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Here’s the premise: Rob Schneider marries into a Mexican family. He no comprende. If that sounds enjoyable, I have a fork you might want to stick in your eye.

jswucher@syr.edu

Published on January 22, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jeff: jswucher@syr.edu