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Kaba Modern is going straight to the top.

Despite being the shortest month of the year, despite having a reputation for brutally cold and snowy weather, this February has been particularly hideous.

First it snows, then it rains, then it's cold as hell, then it snows -- a short pause this weekend for gorgeous weather -- and today back to snow again.

Then there's all the illness. Just when I got over my brutal cold last week, all of my friends were laid out with a similar ailment. This week, I hear the flu is going around. With that news, I grabbed a respiratory mask and headed for the couch.

Between the weather and the constant need to blow my nose, I've been watching a lot of television. Typically, I've struggled to keep myself entertained past the usual fare of Law and Order re-runs and cable news, but I've recently discovered a number of shows that have reinvigorated my love for television.

Breaking Bad
Sundays 10 p.m. on AMC

The premise: Walter White, a 50-year-old chemistry teacher finds out he has terminal lung cancer. As to not leave his growing family in financial straights after his demise, White cooks up the idea of selling meth with the help of a delinquent former student. The twist? His brother-in-law is a ball-busting DEA agent.

Talk about starting out with a bang! This series launches with a plot line dark and gruesome and twisted enough for a deep season three episode of the Sopranos. The way the complex main character Walter White snaps into sharp focus so quickly will surely make the most astute short story writer jealous. The surprise of the show is the comedic timing of White's son, Walt Jr., played by RJ Mitte. It takes a lot of guts to make the comedic relief of a show the physically challenged teen and if someone pitched it to me, I'd would have certainly said HELL no, but the writers make it work.

This show is not for the squeamish, but if you love dark humor, this is the show for you.

Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations
Mondays 10 p.m. Travel Channel

The premise: Chef, writer, world food connoisseur Anthony Bourdain travels to strange lands and eats weird foods so we don't have to.

There is something addictive about watching a chain-smoking, booze-swilling curmudgeon in exotic locales eating and drinking the most authentic local fare. Head cheese? The Berliners do it best. Wanna eat an egg with a half-formed chicken in it? Bourdain shows you where to go in Vietnam. Ever wonder what to do with those pesky pig knuckles? You'd be surprised how many countries have whipped up dishes featuring funky pig parts. Bourdain, who has a proclivity toward pork, has eaten pig products of all kinds across the globe.

The best part of the show isn't really the food, it's Bourdain's desire to get to the heart of the local culture through food. He is constantly pushing producers to stray from the tourist spots and is always picking the brains of regional chefs for secrets into local food traditions. The best part of traveling, for me, is the unique food I get to sample wherever I go. Finally, someone does a show about it.

Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew
Thursdays at 10 pm on MTV

The premise: When I first heard about this show, I rolled my eyes. Oh geez, not another dance show. But then I saw the commercial (which was really eye-grabbing and cool) and thought, well if they take different styles of dance crews and challenge them to incorporate foreign styles into their routines, that could be be really cool. Well, that's exactly what it is, but so so so much better than I ever imagined.

You have BreakSk8, a crew of Midwestern boys who bust hip-hop moves while on roller skates. There's Status Quo from Boston who quickly became one of my favs because 1) they're so cute and 2) one of the dancers performed some of the sickest moves and flips I've ever seen, all with a sprained ankle.

My absolute favorite thus far are Kaba Modern, a group of cute-as-hell Asian kids from California. The 3 girls, 3 guys mix adds to the group's appeal, but I think what sealed it for me was the complexity of their dance routines. Sure the flips are tough, but coordinating all the jerks and swirls like they do is an amazing feat. You may be mocking me for picking this flash-in-the-pan television fare, but everyone I know who's seen this has fallen madly in love with the show. View at your own peril.