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5 shows to help with New Year's resolutions

Look, we get it. You had a little too much champagne at the New Year's party. Even the idea of getting off the couch is daunting. So don't. Sure, your New Year's resolutions are looming, but why not let television assist you in achieving your goals? Here are five shows that might help:

Look, we get it. You had a little too much champagne at the New Year's party. Even the idea of getting off the couch is daunting. So don't. Sure, your New Year's resolutions are looming, but why not let television assist you in achieving your goals? Here are five shows that might help:

Be more politically active

The show: Making a Murderer

Where to watch: Netflix

How it will help: This 10-episode true-crime doc elicits one common emotion from all its viewers: outrage. Steven Avery, a man with an IQ of 70, spends 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit only to be arrested for murder shortly after he's released. Did Avery commit the second crime, or was he framed by police and prosecutors embarrassed by the miscarriage of justice from Avery's first jail stint? Either way, it will make you want to get off the couch and protest . . . or at least air your grievances on Twitter.

See also: Let Leslie Knope inspire you to be civically engaged by revisiting Parks and Recreation.

Be nicer

The show: Difficult People

Where to watch: Hulu

How it will help: Billy (Billy Eichner) and Julie (creator Julie Klausner) are terrible human beings. They have a rare combination of narcissism and fragile egos and are wholly obsessed with pop culture. When Julie wonders why she is not as successful as she should be, Billy responds: "Because our lives are garbage and it's the world's fault." That pretty much sums up the tone of the show. It's caustic and witty, and Eichner and Klausner have the chemistry of people who act like their characters in real life. Get all your nasty yah-yahs out by reveling in Billy and Julie's delightful awfulness so you don't do the same.

See also: Catch up on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

's first 10 seasons before the 11th starts Jan. 6. Showtime's Shameless starts its sixth season Jan. 10, and the Gallaghers' refusal to be redeemed will surely inspire sweet thoughts in the new year.

Be more culturally literate

The show: The X-Files

Where to watch: Netflix

How it will help: Come Jan. 24, everyone will be talking about the return of the beloved sci-fi show that is being rebooted for a miniseries on Fox with original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Don't you want to be a part of the conversation? We suggest skipping Season One and heading right into the heart of the mythology in Seasons Two and Three.

See also: Gilmore Girls will get a Netflix reboot come 2016. All seven seasons are streamable.

Be a better significant other

The show: Catastrophe

Where to watch: Amazon

How it will help: There are few shows that capture the natural awkwardness inherent in romantic relationships, in a person going from a "me" to a "we." None do it better than this British import about American Rob (Rob Delaney), who, on a London business trip, has a weeklong tryst with Irish Sharon (the fabulous Sharon Horgan) that results in an unexpected pregnancy. Suddenly Rob and Sharon are a family and must navigate issues of cohabitation and preparing to co-parent before they even get to know each other. Catastrophe is sweet and deep where other romantic comedies are saccharine and shallow. It will make you want to hug your partner, no matter how long you've been together.

See also: Please ignore the title of Netflix's Scrotal Recall and watch it anyway. Catch up on FXX's You're the Worst on Hulu.

Be a better parent

The show: Jane the Virgin

Where to watch: Netflix, The CW

How it will help: In this loving satire of telenovelas, the virginal Jane (Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) is accidentally artificially inseminated with the sperm of her hotel-magnate boss, something her boyfriend is none too happy about. Meanwhile, she finds out her father is a telenovela superstar, all while a mysterious crime boss named Sin Rostro leaves bodies in his wake. It's purposefully crazy, but what makes this show great is the lovely familial relationships, especially between Jane and her mother, grandmother, and newly discovered dad. Each relationship features a give and take, with both parties learning how to be better and more loving parents along the way.

See also: Transparent, on Amazon, is a brilliant treatise on how to parent, how not to parent, and how to learn from the mistakes of the past.

meichel@phillynews.com

215-854-5909 @mollyeichel