"Joe, step away from the TV." That was a comment Heather Pritchett, a former co-worker, posted on Facebook back in December after reading a few comments I posted on her page referencing various television shows. Although I am 110 percent certain she was joking, I admit I was a little offended at first as she made it sound as though all I do on my time off is watch television when in fact, that's far from it. To be precise, ever since I got hooked up with AT&T U-verse back in 2007 my attitude has been that I've got 400 plus cable stations here (I don't have the movie stations) and I can't find ANYTHING to watch.
Truth be damned, I sit on my ass enough as it is between working in front of the computer and blogging and going to see movies that the last thing I truly want to do when I get home is watch television.
In fact, I am not the least bit sorry I haven't kept up with a majority of what today's viewing audience watches. I have no idea the dirty laundry the women of Wisteria Lane on Desperate Housewives have been up to for a few seasons now. I can't remember what the last episode of The Simpsons I saw. I don't know why viewers love Modern Family nor am I interested in finding out.
I am not sorry I missed the several train wrecks on Dancing With the Stars seeing various celebrities prove to audiences they've got rhythm. Though I did catch five minutes of reality star Kate Gosselin dancing last season and agreed she can't dance - this is coming from someone who has no rhythm either. Nor am I upset to have missed Simon Cowell belittle more than hundreds of contestants on American Idol now X Factor. I am literally bored to death (no pun intended) of all the Law & Order, CSI, NCIS spin-offs and forensics shows like Bones.
I am interested in seeing AMC's The Walking Dead one of these days but not now. That's what DVD/Blu-ray season box sets are for.
As I read through the list of new shows for the Fall 2011-2012 season, I can't say I am terribly excited about any of the major network's offerings either. NBC dropped Wonder Woman and the other two shows I have a vague interest in watching like Pan Am, a drama about female flight attendants set during the airline's early days and The Playboy Club, about the bunnies in their skimpy outfits back in the 1960s will be nothing more than eye candy.
The truth is television today has changed. There is no such thing anymore as "Must See TV" on Thursdays like in the mid-1980s when shows like The Cosby Show (1984-1992), Cheers (1982-1993), and Night Court (1984-1992) were on. There are no worthy dramas out there like Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) or Dallas (1978-1991). Most everything in terms of award winning dramas (and I can't really say any of them are "award winning") has gone to the cable networks, if for no other reason are that they are cheaper for the studios since they don't always have to churn out a full season of 20 plus episodes.
I got quite a few books and magazines all sitting in storage that I hope to get to one of these days. I have often considered just turning "The Boob Tube" off and doing just that. There lies the problem. I like to read where I know I won't have any distractions. I don't have that luxury right now.
Sitting in bed at night trying to read George W. Bush's Decision Points, I find it hard to not be drawn to picking up that remote on my nightstand. Like everything else, looking to see what's on television is like an addiction. No matter how much I complain about how there's nothing worthy of my time on, I just can't bring myself to leave that damn remote alone.
Excuse me now while I go look for something to watch.
