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The Arizona Daily Star

By Albert Ching, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Apr. 19--Nielsen Media Research, the same group responsible for TV ratings, last month released a report saying the average American home receives 104 television channels.

That's all well and good. But how many of them are you actually watching? According to that study, not very many -- most viewers watch only 15 percent of the stations available to them for any reasonable amount of time. And there is a lot of clutter out there -- whole channels dedicated to golf, soap operas, game shows, a couple dozen Discovery Channels and maybe 200 ESPNs (ESPN 47 really has the market cornered on the tetherball circuit).

So we've combed through those obscure cable networks and found some shows worth DVRing.

"Attack of the Show!" (7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on G4). Billed as "TV's only source for all the stuff you care about," which is pretty much true provided you're a male in your 20s who likes video games and comic books. Hosted by the photogenic but nerdy Kevin Pereira and the seemingly out-of-place attractive woman, Olivia Munn, this live talk show is plugged into the latest Internet fads more than anything else on TV -- YouTube star Jessica Rose, aka "lonelygirl15," even guest-hosted recently. Also worthwhile on G4 is the video-game review show "X-Play."

"Quiznation" (midnight to 2 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on GSN). Another live show, this one is an interactive game show where you, the viewer, can join in if you want -- and if you have a pulse. On a recent edition on Easter Sunday (that part's key), viewers were challenged by finding the one common word among these three -- "basket," "bunny" and "Sunday." Hmm. The fact that the hosts, including recently ousted "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shandi Finnessey, have to ramble on and on to fill time adds to the train-wreck appeal.

"Pants-Off Dance-Off" (10 p.m. Tuesdays on Fuse). Depending on whom you ask, this show is either campy fun or proof that society is slowly eroding back to the days of Caligula. Wannabe ecdysiasts of all genders, shapes and sizes from all over the nation -- the show calls them "pancers" -- take off their clothes (all naughty bits are censored with black bars) for fun and fame or maybe just because they didn't get enough attention growing up.

"Degrassi: The Next Generation" (various times throughout the week including Fridays at 6 p.m. on The N). As if all of the different cable networks weren't confusing enough, by day this is the educational children's channel Noggin, and at night it's the teen entertainment channel The N. Yeah. You might remember the original "Degrassi Junior High," and this critically acclaimed series brings the Canadian teen drama into the present, with new kids and some old cast members returning as parents and teachers.

"Reality Remix" (8:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and throughout the day on Fox Reality). If you're of the opinion that there's not enough reality TV, Fox Reality is the channel for you. And this daily show, hosted by Kennedy, a former VJ on MTV, offers recaps of all the big reality shows and juicy, exclusive tidbits. On a typical episode, you might get, say, an interview with the latest contestant eliminated on "The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll." Philo Farnsworth should be proud of how far his invention has come.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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