I've always enjoyed cooking shows. I like finding new techniques or ideas of ingredients to pair together. Usually, it's not that hard to make a recipe healthier, so I don't mind shows like Barefoot Contessa, but cheap, gross, vulgar ones like Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, or Sandra Lee are not my thing. I actually find that the Cooking Channel has far superior programming compared to the Food Network.
I like French Food at Home with Laura Calder a ton - fantastic, light, lovely recipes and a very soothing host. Any of Brian Boitano's shows are hilarious, as is My Grandmother's Ravioli with Mo Rocco, which is more human interest than cooking. Adorable old ladies for the win.
Easy Chinese with Ching-He Huang is really great for lots of veggies, and her show where she whips crappy restaurants into shape is really funny because she is so blunt. I also like Jamie Oliver's show Jamie at Home (not so fond of the rest), as I like his focus on fresh produce and easy cooking. He has some great gardening tips, too.
The one Food Network show I like is Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. It's aspirational for me, as I like to entertain, and I hope to have a lot more dinner parties and whatnot. His recipes are classy, and don't start with a can of Velveeta (yes, I'm looking at you, Paula and Sandra).