Manjula Stokes has twice sworn off television, once throwing a set off her deck in a fit over an ex-husband's sports obsession. Now she's a devotee of programs like Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Survivor and Masters of Sex.

The US teacher from Santa Cruz, California, illustrates a subtle change in society's attitude toward television. The medium is growing in stature, propelled by both art and technology. More worthy programs are available at a time when viewers are becoming more comfortable setting up their own schedules to watch.

"I feel it's more like reading a good book," Stokes says. "The acting is better, the direction is better. I think it's more serious as an art form."