As Napalm mentioned the other day, we have Cable. Not just boring old humdrum 72-channel cable. We have TechTV! We have SciFi! We have Discovery Health!
Yeah, that last one, it just doesn't sound as exciting, and I really didn't think it would be. But the other night I lucked up on an episode of Body Story. This is a series by Channel4 about things that go on in your body, but it's not like "The Amazing Body" or similar shows. With the exception of the one about the maturing brain of the baby, each episode follows a sort of plot in the lives of the people who are under the microscope, as it were. (I wound up watching all of the episodes save the 1.5 that had elapsed before I made the discovery.)
For instance, in Bad Taste, not only do we know what's going on in Mike Small's intestines, but we also see what it's like to be a small-time photographer trying to make a decent living, despite the fact that a full service branch of the giant Fotographix chain is moving into town.
In Allergy, not only do we see how people develop potentially fatal allergies, but we also see Phoebe heading off on a Florida vacation to stay with an old "friend" from college, who seems ready to move on to some deeper relationship.
These episodes don't just have clever graphic representations of the workings of the human body, interspersed with personal drama; they also have a great deal of wit and humor.
Then again, whaddya expect? They're British. *wink*