What to do if you're not in the mood to watch the Olympics? Below are a few programs you may want to check out if you aren't obsessed by the doings in Vancouver.

Actually, regardless of the Olympics, these are just a few overlooked gems (and one revitalized veteran) you may find entertaining:

1. "Life Unexpected," 8 p.m. Central Monday (reruns 7 p.m. Central Wednesday), CW: This freshman drama is doing all right by the CW's standards but it still needs (and certainly deserves) an assist. The premise has teenager Lux reuniting with her birth parents, who gave her up for adoption in high school. Ignore the fact that Lux (Brittany Robertson) is so adorable you can't believe no one ever adopted her and instead, focus on the fact that, like the best WB dramas of the yore, this winning family drama has a very talented cast, a good deal of wit and a great deal of heart. If you've missed "Gilmore Girls" and "Everwood," this promising show could well fill that gap in your life. In Monday's episode (which is not a repeat), Lux's father, Baze (Kristoffer Polaha), is a guest on the radio show hosted by Lux's mother, Cate (Shiri Appleby) and her fiance, Ryan (Kerr Smith).

2. "Archer," 9 p.m. Central Thursday, FX: Four episodes of this animated spy comedy air Thursday -- it's a great way to get acquainted with "Archer," which could be described as the polar opposite of "Life Unexpected." The mother and son at the center of "Archer," Malory and Sterling Archer (the wonderfully deadpan Jessica Walter and H. Jon Benjamin, respectively), are constantly sniping at each other as they carry out spy missions for an espionage agency called ISIS. That's one of the central jokes of this wonderfully twisted show -- the Archers and the other ISIS employees are far more interested in office politics, one-upsmanship, drinking and sex than they are in being good secret agents. Though not every joke hits home, at its best, "Archer" combines the demented inventiveness of "Arrested Development" with the goofball workplace comedy of "The Office."

3. "RuPaul's Drag Race," 8 p.m. Central Mondays, Logo: I can't think of anything more fun than spending an hour in the presence of RuPaul, who radiates delightfulness and diva charisma as the host of this drag-queen competition. In its second season, this show's microscopic budget appears to have gotten a boost, but as the competitors demonstrate week after week, money doesn't really matter as much as inventiveness, attitude and style. Add guest judges such as Kathy Griffin, Cloris Leachman, Debbie Reynolds, Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Collins, Henry Rollins, Kathy Najimy and Terri Nunn to the proceedings, and you have all the makings of delicious drag drama.

4. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," 9 p.m. Central Fridays, Starz: When I tell people who've seen the "Spartacus" pilot that I'm enjoying this Starz gladiator drama, they look at me as if I might be insane. But I contend that people who bailed after the pilot are missing out on a pretty enjoyable swords-and-sandals melodrama, one that is not nearly as derivative and clunky as the show's first couple of episodes. Yes, it's violent, sex-drenched and looks a lot like a budget version of "300," but "Spartacus" is also a sexy, canny soap about the travails of Batiatus (the wonderful John Hannah), the desperate but cunning owner of the gladiator school, and his scheming wife, Lucretia (the always enjoyable Lucy Lawless).

Spartydown It may all be an escapist romp about naughty Romans and fierce warriors, but it's an increasingly well-written and assured romp. My favorite character may actually be the fearsome Doctore (Peter Mensah), the head instructor of the gladiator school, but star Andy Whitfield is doing a credible job as the title character, who has a quiet nobility, not just rippling abs.

5. "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains," 7 p.m. Central Thursdays, CBS: It was smart of CBS to schedule a new season of "Survivor" against the Olympics -- and an all-star season at that. I used to be addicted to this reality warhorse but grew tired of it after a dozen seasons; all the scheming started to feel rote and predictable. But this outing, which collects some of the best players from the show's past 19 seasons, is all about pure game play and strategy, and the personalities and machinations are interesting enough to keep me watching -- for now, anyway. We'll sees if "Heroes vs. Villains" keeps me glued to the set when Thursdays are crowded again with fresh episodes of scripted comedies and dramas.

A note: Check the video player at the right side of this page for clips from these and other programs; new clips are added daily.
Finally, I asked readers for their suggestions for overlooked gems that people should be watching, and here were their nominees (and feel free to leave more suggestions in the comment area):

• "The Venture Brothers" (I've just begun watching this animated show and find it entertainingly twisted. Having just watched all of the episode of the animated "Tick" with my son, "Venture Brothers" is filling my need for eclectically weird and intelligently funny animated humor.)
• "Caprica" (I'm cautiously optimistic about this show and will have more to say about it next week; my original review is here.)
• "The Inbetweeners" (A BBC America show that I never got around to checking out, sorry.)
• "Greek" (This is a show I usually enjoy when I check it out, but for whatever reason, I haven't been consistent about watching it.)
• "Human Target" (This action-adventure show has a good cast but it's a little samey for me week to week. I haven't checked the show out lately, perhaps it has improved.)
• "Southland" (Soon I'm going to watch the Season 2 episodes that will begin airing on TNT in March. In its first season, I found this cop drama worthy but a bit stodgy and overly earnest.)
• "The Vampire Diaries" (It's not really my cup of tea, but Ian Somerhalder's having a high old time hamming his way through this teen vampire soap.)
• "Men of a Certain Age" (I've watched and enjoyed this show from time to time but it's not must-see TV for me -- my original review is here. Still, many readers seem to absolutely love it, and the cast -- Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher -- is undeniably great.) chicagotribune