We've been cable-free since 2001, but when we reunited with our long-lost boyfriend TiVo (who left our lives about four years ago, along with a really great cat and a man on whom we will reserve judgment), we knew it was time to renter the Comcast fold. We're starting small, with the package that, when you go to order it, inspires everyone to double-check to make sure you know what you're asking for, like it's assisted suicide or something. Their dubious tone when we said "oh, no, thirty-plus channels will do me just fine" made us wonder, "do we need more?"

So far, the answer has been a resounding "no." We turn on the TV every night to see that TiVo has busily recorded all sorts of great programming -- both local and national. It's an embarrassment of riches, all these shows, somewhere between a comforting buffer between us and the unpleasantness of "live TV", and something that feels like homework. Here are some of the great Bay Area shows we've discovered, rediscovered, and are eagerly anticipating.

While SFist Rain vacations, SFist Eve does her best to fill the void. Come home soon, Rain!