Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I like TV...

I dislike commercials. They eat up too much time. When you consider the fact that a 30 minute time slot only contains 22 minutes of show time and a 60 minute time slot will contain only 42 minutes, it's obvious that be removing the commercials one could actually watch more TV and thus be more productive.

And by "more productive", I really should add the phrase "at watching more episodes of select TV shows."

As such I rarely watch live TV unless it is for sports or just having some background noise. For the most part TV viewing in our house comes in 3 forms:
  • Internet - There are countless websites that will provide TV for free via downloads or online viewing. Some provide better quality than others, but for the most part if you know which rocks to look under, you can find most shows on the web.
  • DVR - Record it and watch it later. I have even been known to record my favorite sports teams in action so that I can actually get a few more hours of sleep on a weekend. (Some will question whether I am a true fan, but I state I'm a better fan when I'm not grouchy because I've lost precious sleep.)
  • Library - So much stuff for free! The major drawback to this system is that most shows have a waiting list that puts you under a time constraint for actually viewing the whole season. With some proper time management (otherwise known as procrastinating things that you should actually be getting done) you can overcome this complication.
I'll highlight just a few of the shows that have received my viewing attention as of late. I'll make the obvious disclaimer that not all of the shows on this list are, um, family friendly. Don't judge me too harshly.
  • Justified - This is hands down my favorite show of the past couple of years. A US marshal returns to his hometown in Kentucky to battle the redneck criminals. (This is a gross simplification of a fairly elaborate and draw out storyline.) If I had to recommend one hour long show for you to watch, it would be this one.
  • Community - Funniest. Show. On. TV. Witty, original and always good for some classic pop culture references.
  • The Walking Dead - Zombie survival story. How can you go wrong?
  • Miranda - A little British comedy of a woman awkwardly looking for love.
  • The Killing - A remake of a Danish show, this dark crime drama based in Seattle is an attempt to uncover the complex back story of a recent murder. Season 2 starts next month.
  • Whitechapel - A 3 episode British show about the hunt for a Jack the Ripper copycat killer. I just realized this was only season 1 of 3. Back to the library...
  • How I Met Your Mother - This show has been a staple for us but I admit I'm growing restless with their inability to actually progress with the overall storyline. I think they are past due to introduce the actual "mother".

1 comment:

Tammy said...

I was surprised to see Walking Dead on your list. We are HUGE walking dead fans. :)