Addiction is a strong word, yes, but can it be implied to watching TV shows? I guess it might, if you are watching TV too much, whatever that means. If it can and if I count the last couple of years, then yes, I am mildly addicted to TV shows, as I am only doing it a couple of days of week. Every week. Except for the summer. Hmm, maybe even in the summer. Lightly. Ok, I need help.... :)
From time to time I am wondering why I like watching TV shows that much, and the answer is simple really: I need something to distract me from my regular daily routine, and I always feel it's a good thing. After an hour or two of entertainment, I always feel refreshed for the rest of the day. In the past I was enjoying movies in theaters, VHS tapes, and DVDs, but they are short and don't give you much to think about later. In movies you always have closure of some kind. TV shows are different. It's like an ongoing movie happening every week, and I always have some thoughts and questions after it. What is going to happen next? If I were writing the script, how would I invent a twist for another season? Who is the bad guy here? Not only plot-related questions bother me in recent years. I found myself thinking (and even signing petitions) of whether or not the show is going to be renewed for the next season and why on earth I don't have the regular taste of scripts like an average TV viewer. That way I would enjoy TV shows even more.
That said, I thought of writing a post regarding my current and past habits in hanging around the box. I thought first to share about former shows I was watching and enjoying very much, and yet they are all canceled due to poor ratings after the first or a couple of seasons. Some of them include Vanished, Caprica, Star Gate Universe, FlashForward, The Event, Defying Gravity, Human Target, Dead Like Me, Jericho, etc. I guess from this list you can say I am one of those sci-fi freaks, but I also watch all good shows with strong characters in lead roles, like Fringe, House, The Mentalist, Terra Nova, or Castle... I also like sitcoms for triggering good moodiness and among others, I enjoy watching The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Outsourcing (also canceled), etc.
Even though it requires time, I am always trying to do this in the spare hours, always when my free time lets me and never at the expense of my work or family time. It would be wrong. Just to add, I am not one of those wearing costumes or collecting action figures or worshiping the items you can buy on eBay or at ComicCon-like festivals. It would be hugely wrong. But on the other end, TV is not as bad as massively propagated; actually, there are scientific papers that suggest this is not entirely a bad habit for your brain's daily exercise. Like everything else, it is good in small dosages, and triggering some laughter or sadness or learning new stuff from time to time is just a good thing. At least for me.
Watching TV shows is also connected to the piracy issue, and I wanted to give some thought about that too, so here it is in a completely separate post related to the never-ending anti-piracy war:
Anti-piracy War vs Politics vs Digital Pirates
Well, ok, this is about it, and just to finish this short post, I can only add that adding proper technology to the habit is not that bad either. What I mean is that adding HDTV and surround sound to your living room is another dimension to the whole experience. I have no neighbor complaints filed. So far. :-)
From time to time I am wondering why I like watching TV shows that much, and the answer is simple really: I need something to distract me from my regular daily routine, and I always feel it's a good thing. After an hour or two of entertainment, I always feel refreshed for the rest of the day. In the past I was enjoying movies in theaters, VHS tapes, and DVDs, but they are short and don't give you much to think about later. In movies you always have closure of some kind. TV shows are different. It's like an ongoing movie happening every week, and I always have some thoughts and questions after it. What is going to happen next? If I were writing the script, how would I invent a twist for another season? Who is the bad guy here? Not only plot-related questions bother me in recent years. I found myself thinking (and even signing petitions) of whether or not the show is going to be renewed for the next season and why on earth I don't have the regular taste of scripts like an average TV viewer. That way I would enjoy TV shows even more.
That said, I thought of writing a post regarding my current and past habits in hanging around the box. I thought first to share about former shows I was watching and enjoying very much, and yet they are all canceled due to poor ratings after the first or a couple of seasons. Some of them include Vanished, Caprica, Star Gate Universe, FlashForward, The Event, Defying Gravity, Human Target, Dead Like Me, Jericho, etc. I guess from this list you can say I am one of those sci-fi freaks, but I also watch all good shows with strong characters in lead roles, like Fringe, House, The Mentalist, Terra Nova, or Castle... I also like sitcoms for triggering good moodiness and among others, I enjoy watching The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Outsourcing (also canceled), etc.
Even though it requires time, I am always trying to do this in the spare hours, always when my free time lets me and never at the expense of my work or family time. It would be wrong. Just to add, I am not one of those wearing costumes or collecting action figures or worshiping the items you can buy on eBay or at ComicCon-like festivals. It would be hugely wrong. But on the other end, TV is not as bad as massively propagated; actually, there are scientific papers that suggest this is not entirely a bad habit for your brain's daily exercise. Like everything else, it is good in small dosages, and triggering some laughter or sadness or learning new stuff from time to time is just a good thing. At least for me.
Watching TV shows is also connected to the piracy issue, and I wanted to give some thought about that too, so here it is in a completely separate post related to the never-ending anti-piracy war:
Anti-piracy War vs Politics vs Digital Pirates
Well, ok, this is about it, and just to finish this short post, I can only add that adding proper technology to the habit is not that bad either. What I mean is that adding HDTV and surround sound to your living room is another dimension to the whole experience. I have no neighbor complaints filed. So far. :-)