The Strike and My Tivo
With the rate that this season’s shows are closing up shop early this year, it seems I’ll be really milking my Netflix account for some mindless entertainment value. My poor Tivo is going to feel quite useless in a few weeks at the rate new shows are drying up due to the strike. All that effort to pack my Season Pass schedule to the max will now fall short of all the available mind numbing television.My current schedule I believe consists of:
Monday:
Chuck – It’s entertaining. I know it’s not the funniest program out there, but the characters and writing are enough to make me look forward to another episode.
Heroes – Yes, I’m a big fan, but haven’t crossed over to fanatic just yet. This season is somewhat more confusing than the first, and what’s with those two from Mexico? Seriously, that plot line needs some serious tweaking aside from two Mexicans striving for the border as they stop off and kill people whenever she has an emotional moment.
CSI: Miami – I’m wondering about the writing this season. This in addition to all the personal commentary I have while I watch at what some of the team wear to a crime scene. The crime lab special effects are somewhat comical at times. Doesn’t anyone just have a standard flat panel monitor? It’s no wonder the police can’t make a decent salary when the lab people are driving around in Hummers and every computer display is some hybrid touch screen- motion sensitive-holographic projector.
Tuesday:
NCIS – I think I enjoy it cause it seems somewhat (emphasis on that) more realistic then the labs found in the other CSI series. Do you ever see their computer displays? The holographic imagery and HUD and the futuristic 3D imagery used when they “hack a system” — *laugh*. NCIS at least makes it look believable when they do something technical. As much as a television show can possibly hope to be.
House – I just can’t get enough of House’s lines and the supporting characters just add a nice touch to the show. House is the “Ying” to the Politically Correct’s “Yang”. It’s all about the balance.
Boston Legal – Think I started watching this after my mom started mentioning it. The characters are done well and I haven’t found an episode that didn’t have something to laugh about in it. Just to listen to some of the closing arguments alone makes it worth watching at times.
Miami Ink – I started to watch it again after I saw the LA Ink series. Some tats are better than others, but all in all it’s a nice show to check out original artwork.
Wednesday:
Kid Nation – Don’t laugh, it’s the only show I can watch where kids are living in the virtual (reality show based of course) rough life and no one is being sued, brought up on child abuse charges, or some doctor is stating how harmful and shocking it is for children to do things aside from breathing, eating, and watching TV and video games.
Bionic Woman – Hmm, it’s “okay”. I guess I’m still stuck with some relation to the original show and even if the special effects are decent (when she actually does something bionic) the filler of her life and relationships are borderline soap opera like in nature.
CSI: NY - You probably find it shocking I watch this CSI show too. The NY version seems to be a bit more down to earth when dealing with the technical / futuristic special effects balance. Though if memory saves me right the coroner with the 3D image scanned from the victims makes me wonder just how real that device is considering the usage of it on the show. If anyone know for real please let me know.
Thursday:
Smallville - Still watching this and still wondering why he can’t seem to fly yet. I think that’s going to be the last scene of the series – him finally flying when not possessed, under some control or affect of some foreign device, radiation, etc. The writing isn’t bad, but the soap opera-ness of the relationships does tend to distract from the plotline when they actually introduce one that doesn’t just revisit how sneaky Lex can be.
CSI – Yes, I watch this one too. I wonder about the writing and general plots they are using lately. It’s enough to make you not watch your recorded episodes in a timely manner.
I use to record “Without a Trace”, but that show just put me into a coma last year, or what it the year before. Long story short I nuked that from the Season Pass and never looked back. I rarely remember to record it when there’s a two part show that crosses over from CSI. Is that sad or what.
Friday:
Flash Gordon – I’m not quite sure while I’m still recording this to tell you the truth. It has some (few) redeemable qualities, but all in all the “Where is Flash’s Day?” story line will soon delete it from the Halls of the Season Pass list.
Stargate Atlantis – It’s still running pretty strong, for a spin off show, and the writing hasn’t gotten to the point where I don’t care what happens next. I do wonder how the “stargate” isn’t the focal point of the show versus its parent show SG-1 which if you didn’t see the gate room at least once per show you knew something was wrong with the very fabric of reality itself. All in all I enjoy the characters, but I’m glad they replaced Dr. Weir since her character just seemed so pointless at times. She should have been demoted to the intergalactic negotiator, instead of base commander if you ask me. She was much better as a replicator infected host, if that’s not being too harsh.
Saturday:
Torchwood – Initially caught wind of the show via watching Dr. Who on the SciFi channel. So far it’s a decent show, but time will tell and the season finale is in a week or so. It’s a nice contribution from our friends at BBC America.
Sunday:
Family Guy – thank you Seth for creating Family Guy, but I’m not too sure about American Dad, so the jury is still out on that one.
Shark – I’m a big fan of James Woods, and this character seems to suit him well.
In closing, yes I know I watch too much TV, but I want to make sure my TV feels wanted and loved.
My goal is to upgrade my entire entertainment systems to the glory of HD, but working at the details (see $$$) of getting the new TV, then the new Tivo box, etc. etc. I must admit l love to research electronic reviews on TV and other devices so the hunting down of the right system is half the fun of getting it. If I’m going to spend the money I want to make sure I buy a great system that has all the perks I want, need, have heard about, will need in the future, and etc.
