TV and Me

Sometimes I feel like a traitor to my generation. I used to live for the issue of the TV Guide that was the fall season preview. In it, I’d circle the new cartoons I just had to watch and schedule my Saturday mornings including them as well as old favorites I couldn’t miss. My parents weren’t concerned that I watched too much TV, probably because I spent so much time with my nose buried in a book. I didn’t have as many scheduled activities as my kids seem to have now, and definitely less homework. So while I was a voracious reader, I still put in plenty of tube time.

In college, I caught a soaps virus passed on by my sorority sisters, so while my evenings weren’t spend so much around TV, afternoons were for One Live To Live and General Hospital. Regis got me through some pretty boring baby-centric mornings, and I can sing almost all the Sesame Street Songs.

Then my kids went to school. And a funny thing happened. My older son’s grades in English and Social Studies appeared to be slipping, so we cut off TV. This went on for about five weeks, until we realized that the teacher had mistyped the student ID numbers into her computer grading system and that my son (near the top of the class) was mixed up with someone else (who was near the bottom of the class). But once the mix-up was detected…we didn’t turn the TV back on.

We’re a bit more relaxed now, but never returned to our prime time TV habit. So I’ve never watched a Survivor episode or Amazing Race and I caught only pieces of last season’s American Idol. I do watch some shows that come later on, after my younger one goes to bed, but I confess…we get up early around here and it’s hard for me to stay awake through a show that starts at 10:00 (and even 9:00!).

And heck, there’s always a fascinating Law & Order on somewhere in the cable channels, or a subject that catches my interest on the History Channel. Yet I know there are good things I’m missing. I watched House last season, but haven’t turned it on yet this fall. My friend can’t believe I’m not hooked on Project Runway.

What can I say? I have been reading a lot. And maybe there’s another time in my life for being up on prime time like I used to be. But I am watching Studio 60. It’s on late, and I forgot about the second episode until it was almost over…but as Susan pointed out, technology is a beautiful thing. I watched it on my computer the next day at nbc.com! The writing is fabulous—with great dialogue and plenty of conflict. So, there’s hope that I might add one new, not-in-reruns show to my television repertoire. Because I think I’m going to love this series

What about you? What are you watching and is there something I should try not miss?