What is it with TV these days? A couple of years ago I switched from cable to satellite TV. Every channel in the universe was at my command, or at least at my remote control (see that play on words, there? If I'm in control, how can I be remote? Ha!)
But so what? There's still nothing on. Especially now - between summer's end and the beginning of the new television season which apparently stretches anywhere from mid September to well into October. I've already seen every repeat of Two And-A-Half men...at least three times. And if I have to watch one more edition of House Hunters on HGTV I'm gonna not only lose control but throw it at my television screen.
To paraphrase a rock group from my generation (another play on words!) The Who, it's a tee-vee wasteland.
So as I wait for the return of my favourites like House, Heroes, Flash Forward, Two And-A-Half Men and NFL Football *grunts, snorts, farts* what's a boy to do?
Well, funny you should ask. Oh, yeah, you didn't ask, I did. Well to answer my own question, I've been spending more time with my wife...watching TV. How can that be I hear you say. I heard somebody say it. Well we've been watching a couple of great series on DVD.
First up was Battlestar Galactica. Not that crappy original version with Lorne Green. The one with Edward James Olmos as Commander Adonis and that hot blonde chick who plays the cylon. We got hooked. Four seasons. But we had to watch them in spurts because we borrowed them one season at a time from my wife's son who lives in Montreal. Each visit between them was infrequent so we've spent the better part of the summer watching this great series in fits and starts. Not unlike the storyline, if any of you have seen the series.
The other series we've become addicted to is the mid 70s BBC comedy The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. This one's a hoot. It's about a guy, fed up with work who fakes his suicide; comes back; starts up a business of his own that becomes wildly successful; whereupon he goes through the same ruse he undertook previously. One of the comedic devices is every time his wife mentions her mother Reggie visualizes a trotting hippopotamus. Another is the chairs in the boss's office that when anyone sits in them or stand up from them they emit a sound like a fart. Well, it worked for me. I guess you had to be there.
The third series waiting in the wings is the original British Life on Mars series. We watched the American version, which ended abruptly after one season. We liked it so much I bought the series it was based on.
If we time things just right, we'll wind up our DVD viewing in time for the fall season, or when the NFL season starts.
For some reason the wife's not as interested in the latter as I am. I don't know why.
Comments
I just noticed that you are reading a Dennis Lehane book. Funny Man loves his stuff. (By the way, he always laughs at the funny comments you leave. When he reads my blog, he likes to read aloud the really funny comments and I always say,"Oh yeah, that's Nonamedufus!" My husband loves a good pun. - G
I've seen so much of nothing that when I say "nothing" is on tv I mean the usual summer fare is playing. Junk.
(And the only exception to the summer rule I so far have found is "True Blood". I love it.)
i do like a fun bbc mid 70's comedy, i'll check it out.
(Hey, and thanks for dropping in again. I really appreciate it.)
Whee!
And you are correct sir, there is definitely a t.v. drought.
I recommend Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Billy The Exterminator (KIDDING!).
Hmm. Yep, thank goodness for Netflix!
Hey, so if you find out when the House Hunters Anonymous meetings are, let me know. Total addict here.
"Oooo! Granite counter tops! Tray ceilings! We'll have to fence in the yard. Love the stainless steel appliances. This is a small master. This kitchen living room combo is perfect for entertaining."
Does that about sum up every episode?
We live on BBC shows. Just finished watching as much MI-5 as we could and want to see Life on Mars too.
Battlestar Galactica: Oh, yeah. One of our favorites too. TV? Sure, I could talk about it for a bit too. ;) Okay, I'll stop now...let you get back to watching your own.
I just ordered the Jeeves and Wooster series from Amazon with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Comes highly rated Looking forward to seeing House with a British accent.
I remember being jazzed because I didn't pay attention to what they were saying. Then when I watched the show I was pissed off that it was just a rerun.
They I realized they were shucking it as "new" if you missed it the first time. From a marketing point of view that's a clever tactic.
As a TV viewer I found it annoying. I guess it depends on which side of the screen you're sitting on.
I think I liked it better when there were only three channels (yes, I'm that freakin' old). Oddly, there was almost always something good on to watch.
I just noticed that you are reading a Dennis Lehane book. Funny Man loves his stuff. (By the way, he always laughs at the funny comments you leave. When he reads my blog, he likes to read aloud the really funny comments and I always say,"Oh yeah, that's Nonamedufus!" My husband loves a good pun. - G
I think I liked it better when there were only three channels (yes, I'm that freakin' old). Oddly, there was almost always something good on to watch.
I've seen so much of nothing that when I say "nothing" is on tv I mean the usual summer fare is playing. Junk.