TV

As regular readers of this blog know, I didn't have a TV for like a year and watched everything exclusively on Netflix -- which limited my viewing. But then I met CH and I got re-addicted. His upgrading to HD the first winter after we started dating didn't help matters much. And soon I started watching way too much. I watched at home. Then after I got my office, I started watching any show that was broadcast on the Internet by ABC, NBC, CBS, and CW and when I say any, I mean ANY -- yes, I know how the first and last season of Daybreak ended. But I knew that I had hit rock bottom after the normal television season ended, and I found myself watching ABC's "The Ex-Wives Club" and the CW's "Hidden Palms." Trust me, if you've seen even a minute of these shows, you would not understand how a person could sink so low. I feel filthy just thinking about it.

So for the metaphysical part of my 21 days I decided to give up TV and video all together. I usually try to do something practical and something Lent-y for these 21 days. For example my last 21 was writing my pilot script and not spending any money on anything that wasn't for survival (food for cooking) or for the wedding. I thought not spending any money was very hard, and it was very, very hard.

But I miss TV. I miss it so much, even though I know it's no good for me -- especially in the summer.

Still, not everything about my descent into total TV Junkiedom was bad. Here are some of the great programs I would never have discovered if they hadn't been streamed on the internet:

1. Friday Night Lights: Now, I actually went to school with and genuinely like and respect Gaius Charles, the actor who plays the ridiculously cocky Smash Williams in this outstanding drama, but I swear I barely remember I know him when I'm watching this. I'm so engaged, I really don't understand why this program is having ANY problems with ratings.

2. How I Met Your Mother: In another strange coincidence, one of the writers for this show, Kourtney Kang graduated 2 years before I did from the same writing program, and is one of the first people my class met when we came out from L.A. In another strange coincidence, my sister and I discovered this program seperately, and both LOVE it, especially Barney. The only downside of it is that almost everyone -- including the guest stars -- are more interesting than the main character, which is why I almost resent any storyline that actually revolves around him, because ironically, I've ceased to care how he met his kids' mother.

3. Jericho: I loved watching a town get built from nothing during the first season of Deadwood, and I enjoyed watching a town disintegrate in the first season of this show. Hope they do wrap everything up with a 6-ep stint as is being hinted around.

4. Dancing with the Stars: Laila Ali doing the Mambo. I don't think anything else need be said.

5. 30 Rock. The only thing better than Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin, I've discovered, is Tracy and Alec in a scene together -- especially if Kenny the Page is involved.

Have I mentioned that I really miss TV? This is going to be a long 21 days.