I'll come clean right now. I like TV. Well, some TV. I am rather choosy, actually. I don't have much to choose from, either, given that we don't have cable and all we get is ABC and a very snowy public station out of LA. We mostly watch ABC. Much of it is crap, in my opinion. But there are a few worthwhile shows. Some have even proven to be downright addictive. My 3 favorites are, in order of preference:- Grey's Anatomy: Hospital soap opera/drama with a cast of hotties, compelling stories, engaging characters, and interesting medical situations. Missing this one is not an option. We even purchased a VCR recently (no TIVO here) to record it when we're gone. (Thurs. 9pm)
- Pushing Daisies: Surreal, hilarious, adorable comedy/drama about a man who can bring people back from the dead. It's as sweet as can be. Really well done. Not morbid at all. (Wed. 8pm)
- Private Practice: Spin-off from Grey's Anatomy. The main character, Addison, goes into private practice in a sort-of coop with 5 other doctors. Like Grey's Anatomy, it's a nice combination of medical scenarios and character development. I'm not in love with it yet, but it's growing on me. (Wed. 9pm)
Nowadays, though, you can easily watch TV shows on DVD, especially if you have Netflix, which we do (hooray!). Alex and I got completely hooked on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Las Vegas, the original) a few years ago and have viewed all of the first 6 seasons on DVD. We are eagerly awaiting the release of season 7 next month. That show totally rocks! And now, we've seen almost all of season 1 and 2 of CSI: NY, which is just about as compelling as the original. (Unlike CSI: Miami, which totally sucks, in my opinion, because David Caruso is creepy and can't act.)
What are your favorite TV shows? Least favorite? (I forgot to mention that my least favorite show is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition because it makes me cry. Alex loves it for the same reason.)
6 comments:
Actually, ABC put on what I think was the best 30 minutes of television, ever... WHOSE LINE IS IT, ANYWAY?, the comedy improvisation show hosted by Drew Carey.
I get internet from my cable company or else I wouldn't have cable tv at all. (It costs $2 more per month to get the most basic cable, so I do, just in case I get really sick some day or the housesitter wants it.) It's only because of Netflix that I've even seen recent (meaning in the 2000s) tv shows... The Sopranos (I'm still 2 years behind) and a few other very popular HBO productions.
All the super popular current shows... Something Idol and Dancing Stars and whatever, I've never seen. Life without commercials is wonderful and I really recommend it. You do have to be patient to do the "DVDs only" thing, though... for example, I'm still 2 seasons behind in The Sopranos. On the other hand, I'm not chained to the cable bill or the time schedule. (Love Netflix)
I do sometimes watch tv when I'm in a hotel room, especially if I'm killing a half day in the airport hotel after a week long meditation retreat. In descending order of preference, I'd watch a BBC/Masterpiece Theater type piece, Law & Order re-runs, a Lifetime movie or a Disney Channel movie. If I can't get 1 of those 4 I'll probably turn it off.
I must admit I watch more tv now than I ever have - There was a good 4 year run where I did not watch tv at all (law school and transitioning had a lot to do with that) - I made a conscious decision NOT to watch, which means I had no favorite shows or actors. Since I began working full time as an attorney - I needed a punctuation between work and play and tv has provided that.
The shows I currenty watch are:
Grey's Anatomy (this season is just not cutting it for me - way too whiny)
Heroes - fabulous story telling in my favorite genre - but suffering from a sophomore season slump - lost the edginess.
Boston Legal - the best damn show on tv now for my money - smart, funny, sincere and the love story between James Spader and William Shatner is poignant.
Modern Marvels - great show from the History Channel (which I lobbied Cox to bring to SB years ago). This show explains how things are made -
-I am aware my list is getting big which means too much tv!
Law and Order - the original and SVU - great formula and compelling characters.
Weeds - also a pretty smart show about a suburban widow selling pot in her little ticky-tack community. Mary Louise Parker is poetry in motion.
Having a tivo means I don't have to be married to the tv. I can watch whenever I need to - my Sunday afternoon ritual is to catch up on my modern marvels.
Okay, so I love TV (a little too much), and I always have since I was a child. There are shows that I love and cannot miss such as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, CSI (the original), 24 and Lost, but I also regularly watch Cold Case, Cane (a new show with Jimmy Smits that is great), Criminal Minds, CSI Miami (even though David Caruso and the autopsy lady are so annoying) Jericho, Notes from the Underbelly (very funny), and ER. I think that's it. (scary, huh?) As for reality shows, I have watched all seasons of American Idol and almost all of Survivor. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition makes me cry also, but it's pretty good.
Add to this list a few shows my husband watches that I do not watch--NCIS, The Unit and Shark, and it's a wonder how we get anything done watching all these shows!
I also tape my favorite soap opera, The Young and the Restless, every day. I desperately need TiVO.
With the list of shows I/we watch, do we really need cable? The answer is "NO!" Some people look at us like we are aliens from another planet when they find out we do not have cable, especially since one of us works in the television business.
And I just have to add that if anyone is a fan of Santana, there's a song I just discovered that was played at the end of the last episode of Cane (on CBS) called Into the Night performed by Santana and Chad Kroeger (of Nickelback). It is so good that I cannot stop listening to it. They play a lot of Santana on Cane, which is a show about a Cuban family in the sugar cane business in Florida. Really good show.
I have to chime in. Nancy AH forgot to mention that we are longtime fans of Boston Legal but we miss a few episodes from time to time. For me, Private Practice has risen to the top. Grey's Anatomy is mostly frustrating though it comes in second with me. CSI LV and CSI NY rentals are awesome, just can't get enough. If we had cable TV, I would watch those home improvement channels and the Monster Garage and American Choppers type of shows. I wish basic cable TV was as cheap here in SB as it is in Oregon. Just $2/month beyond the internet cable bill? Wow!
Double checking my facts, it looks like the price difference now is about $5.
High Speed Internet alone: $55
What I pay for HSI + Limited Basic Cable: $60
Before you get your drool on, know that limited basic cable includes public tv + the "crap channels" like public access, shopping, and weather.
It does NOT inc. the "good channels" like A&E, TNT, HGTV, HBO, E!.
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