Honest to God, I was just looking at the Fall lineup and checking out the dates for premieres, and it's just pathetic. I have an Excel spreadsheet that has the whole fall schedule on it, and I've marked the shows I'm definitely going to watch and the ones I'm going to at least take a look at, and there's way too much shading.
Sunday night is actually clear for me, which is pretty amazing. Medium is supposed to be moving to Sunday nights, but they don't have a premiere date set yet, so I'm not counting it.
Monday nights. I have Chuck at 7 on NBC and The Big Bang Theory at 7:30 on CBS (first conflict). Then there's Heroes on NBC at 8 and possibly Journeyman on NBC at 9. Basically, NBC owns me on Monday nights (unless Journeyman sucks, which is possible, since the pilot hasn't been leaked). I'm also intrigued by Samantha Who?, which had formerly been entitled I Am Sam, a half-hour on ABC at 8:30.
Tuesday nights. Fox has moved Bones to 7 on Tuesdays, right before House at 8. Which conflicts with Chuck at 8 on the CW. And then I have Boston Legal at 9 on ABC.
Wednesdays. Thank God Lost isn't starting until January. I have Kid Nation at 7 on CBS, Bionic Woman at 8 on NBC, and possibly/probably Life at 9, also on NBC.
Thursdays. I'm hosed completely at 7. Smallville on the CW and Ugly Betty on ABC. But at least that's it for Thursdays. Scrubs would be on the list, but I generally wait until the end of the season and then just watch it through, so I'm not counting it.
And Friday nights I'll be taping Ghost Whisperer at 7 and Numb3rs at 9, both on CBS.
That's 15 hour longs and 1, maybe two, half hours. Not counting Medium and Lost and Battlestar Galactica, which all start in January. That's obscene. But I want to find out what happens.
So... anyone here have any suggestions about how to cut back?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Spend so much time online that you don't have any left to watch TV.
Worked for me.
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
Hi, Lisa. Would you believe I already knew what this thread was going to be about before I clicked on it? It does sound like an addiction. No real advice to give, mostly because I will be glued to the TV during Lost, Scrubs, and Heroes.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Read instead.
Or write about not watching television.
I need to STOP watching shows I hate. So far I have stopped watching- King of Queens According to Jim Scot Baio ended, but the ending was so bad so it made him look a bit better. Dharma and Greg
In fact, I need to get rid of my cable in October, but there's Ninja Warrior to consider which has so many handsome good looking sexy men.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
What happened in Scott Baio? I had to stop watching because it made me try to asplode my television with my brain.
-pH
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
Get DVR or tivo so you can fit teevee into your schedule as opposed to fitting your schedule around teevee.
If you already have cable it, it usually isn't that much more. In fact, if we didn't have DVR anymore, I'm not sure if I would even want cable. If you don't have cable, eh, It is still a wonderful little tool to consider. I takes the panic out of the picture.
I can't wait for á la carte cable. I really don't need four ESPNs, and I never watch the Disney Channel anymore.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
You could always post on Hatrack instead, sort of like a nicotine patch.
Incidentally, are you allowed to watch TV on the Sabbath? Even if you are, conceivably you could use the Sabbath as a good way to enforce a break?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: What happened in Scott Baio? I had to stop watching because it made me try to asplode my television with my brain.
-pH
asplode
He ended up taking the plunge. Plus he's expecting a kid. I saw 3 episodes of that show and he was annoying me so much!
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Scott Baio: A Cautionary Tale.
...wait, how did she get pregnant if they weren't supposed to see each other while he was meeting with the life coach?
-pH
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I reckon it happened before hand.
Posted by SC Carver (Member # 8173) on :
Discovery of Fire... Agriculture… The written word...
One or two other things…
DVR
I had a tragedy this week the hard drive in my cable box died. I had to watch Dr. Who online and missed Feasting on Asphalt. It’s so bad I don't even know when some shows come on anymore so I don't know I've missed them until they don't show up on the recorded list.
I'm taking the box back in tomorrow to get a new on.
Lisa, at least with DVR you can FF the 20 minutes of comercials in an average hour long show.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by King of Men: You could always post on Hatrack instead, sort of like a nicotine patch.
Incidentally, are you allowed to watch TV on the Sabbath? Even if you are, conceivably you could use the Sabbath as a good way to enforce a break?
I'm not. So at least I have that break. And if I get itchy-scratchy, it's generally for the Internet, and not TV. So maybe I have two addictions.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I'm a fan of going cold-turkey. Get rid of your TV altogether.
In a few months you'll find that you don't even miss it. Plus you won't have to worry about every single afternoon being taken up with the goings on of fiction characters. Unless you fill that time with reading fiction, of course.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls are over. I have class that will just barely be over when Greys Anatomy starts. We don't get Fox well enough to watch Bones or House Probably won't watch anything this season.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Going cold-turkey is a good idea. I don't even think it'll take a few months—more like a few weeks.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Either that or sign up for a class or schedule a weekly get-together for one or two nights a week, thereby forcing you to miss several of your shows. Once you miss enough episodes you'll stop caring so much.
Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :
Lisa - you and are I almost completely opposite. I saw the autumn schedule for TV and was astounded that there was actually something I wanted to take a look at.
For anyone who has read Arturo Peréz Reverte's novel The Seville Communion, one of Spanish stations is doing a "mega-production" using the Quart character and a few others. It looks interesting.
Fortunately, if it sticks to the typical productions values of Spanish TV it will be dreadful beyond words, so if I miss the opening episode I won'te beat myself up about it.
The only TV I watch these days is CBeebies, the BBC channel for pre-schoolers. Now if you want to discuss the happenings in the Night Garden I'm your man... Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
The last time I watched TV was after 9/11/2001. I just found that every time I did watch it, I wasted hours of my precious leisure time and didn't even enjoy it. So I quit.
The internet, now, is somewhat of an addiction. I get itchy if I have to go 24 hours without getting online. I feel like stuff is happening that I'm missing out on, like life is passing me by. I don't like being without internet. But I can live with like only 1 hour a day if I need to. Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
I used to have atleast one show I watched every night. Then we changed our tv set up so the vcr doesn't actually work. Since we are poor and trying very hard to cut on everything, I can't justify buying a new one or getting dvr service. Before, if I needed to work or go out with friends, I would tape the show and catch up. Now I just miss the show or miss the activity (which with work or being a good mom is pretty hard to justify). It taught me that tv was not that important. And if there is a show I want to watch, eventually, it will come out on dvd and I can rent from netflix. Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
quote:I'm a fan of going cold-turkey. Get rid of your TV altogether.
I'd just cancel your cable, Lisa.
When I moved into my house I simply didn't get cable. That was a conscious decision. I called my TV a "VCR monitor." If we wanted to watch, we watched videos.
After about 10 years we decided we really wanted to see the Olympics, so we got an antenna. Now we can watch the big networks, and local channels, just like I did back in the '70s. I don't find myself watching much, though, it all seems so stupid now. My daughter liked Gilmore girls, and both my kids like Smallville, so that's all we really watch.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Zeugma: We just cancelled our cable service (and thus all TV) the other day, after 4 months of never turning it on. Wooo!
What worked for us, after years of wanting to stop watching TV, was the combined effect of replacing our TV set with a projector, which requires more effort to turn on and is expensive to leave on for no reason, and the introduction of the iTunes TV store, where we're able to buy all the shows we really want to watch as needed. So this season we'll be buying Heroes (if it doesn't suck) and BSG, and that's it.
We're certainly much happier without spending any of our time zoning out in front of the tube for no reason, we're getting a lot more done with our free time without it.
Good for you I miss not watching television. Back in college all we watched were X-Files and network movies, other than that, hardly anything. Whenever I'd go home television just seemed so inane and hokey to me. But then in 2002 or 03 I started watching again and I am full of regret about it. Though House is quite good, Bones scares me too much. But cable is so not worth it. The same show played over and over again. MTV and VH1 are now dumping grounds for lame reality shows instead of shows with music on it and Big Love is a good show, but not worth paying extra for premium cable. On demand is not so bad, but Netflix is much better.
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
Lately i've replaced the television in my day with voracious reading (paritially inspired by school), exercise, board games with friends, and if I have nothing else to do maybe watch some news, or a decent movie. Gardening? Writing letters, good activities also...
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
There is one alternative, somehow watch many shows that manage to get cancelled. Over the years, that has worked well for me...
For example, in this year, before the break, I was watching BSG, Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Rome, House, and Heroes.
SG1 is bye-bye, so is Rome, and BSG has been pushed back to January. Thats sort of a 33% or more reduction in my TV watching via cancellations alone.
At least Futurama is coming back eventually ...
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
Since I've come back, I've found that I can't really stand watching TV. There are a few shows that are good, but most of it makes me so freaking bored, I have to go do something. Also the commercials are really annoying. So I've decided that I'll never get my own TV, if there ever is a show or movie I want to watch, I'll just watch it on a computer.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I have no TV. To be specific, I have no TV service (cable, satellite, etc). I could put up rabbit ears and get, maybe, one station. I do have the hardware to watch TV, though, it's sitting in a box collecting dust.
Why? I looked at the cable lineup and decided it was too expensive for what I was interested in, so I didn't buy in. Honestly, TV is pretty mindless entertainment. At least when I'm online, reading news, I'm exercising some brain cells.
I am happily connected to the Internet, and even though I probably spend 10 or 12 hours a day online, I'm not addicted. I could live without it if necessary, but my current job doesn't make that likely. I don't feel a constant need to check certain sites. I do, about twice a day, make the rounds between various sites I'm interested in, but I don't crave the news...it's not going anywhere. I can read it now, or next week.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
We don't have cable, and can only get ABC and PBS with our rabbit ears. And that's good. TV is a big time-sucker.
Our compromise to cable was getting a Netflix membership, one movie at a time, and we usually watch about a movie a week that way. That's pretty much it.
I am always tempted during fall to get cable so I have ESPN, and I've come pretty close a few times, because I enjoy a good football game of a Saturday. But there's plenty of other things to do.
Now if I could only break my book habit.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
See, my problem - particularly in the fall - is that there are only so many football games which I can attend. Therefore, I need to watch copious amounts of television to see the football. Primetime television doesn't often appeal to me, though I shall carve 22 more hours out of my schedule to watch BSG. But considering that's 22 hours for the next 8-9 months, I'm alright with that.
I am, however, peeved with NBC. "Heroes" vs. Monday Night Football?! What is a woman to do? Thankfully that's only one night of the week - the rest I have open for homework and reading and more homework.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tstorm: I am happily connected to the Internet, and even though I probably spend 10 or 12 hours a day online, I'm not addicted.
Yeah. That's what I keep telling myself, too.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Tante,
When you consider that 8-9 hours of that is work-related, then I'm pretty confident in that declaration.
So, maybe I spend 2 or 4 hours online for personal stuff (it depends on the day). That's reading news and stuff related to my hobbies. Too bad my hobbies pretty much require it at this point...but I can't change what I enjoy. If only I'd developed an interest in restoring old cars or something...
Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
You know what Lisa?
Yeah, you watch too much TV, but you just made an Excel spreadsheet to plan your TV time.
I'm a TV hater, but I see it as something that's okay is there is a show that you like that you want to watch.
What's really bad is when you have nothing to do and spend two hours looking around to find something to watch. Also bad is watching whatever comes on after because you can't get off your butt. When you can't figure out any other way to entertain yourself, that's extremely bad.
I guess you could avoid watching TV at most other times.
If you want to cut down the number of shows you watch each week, there's always spoilers.
Posted by Qaz (Member # 10298) on :
quote:Originally posted by theamazeeaz: I'm a TV hater, but I see it as something that's okay is there is a show that you like that you want to watch.
What if you like everything?
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
Lisa...I've got the same problem as you.
Though, one way I have balanced things out is by using my Tivo. None of those shows play every week...so I just Tivo everything, and watch things as I get time. Some shows I don't finish until well into the summer...but that just gives me something to watch when the main TV season is over.
Of course, that caused problems this summer...with several good shows being on. Particularly Psych and Burn Notice. I still haven't finished with 24.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
The only shows I really "have" to watch on TV are Heroes and Smallville. The rest I just watch online, though if we got Doctor Who the same time as the Brits I would have to watch that on TV too...
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lupus: Of course, that caused problems this summer...with several good shows being on. Particularly Psych and Burn Notice. I still haven't finished with 24.
I love, love, love Burn Notice. I liked Psych when I watched the first couple of eps, but it didn't grab me enough that I wasn't able to break free. So I haven't been watching it. Also, I had a feeling I'd love Monk (I'm a bit OCD myself), so I made a point of not seeing it.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
All of this advice to cancel cable doesn't do me any good (or Lisa, for that matter). During the primetime year there is plenty to watch on the 5 fuzzy channels I get with my rabbit ears. It's a problem.
Definite shows: Heroes House Ugly Betty How I Met Your Mother
there are other ones I end up watching despite myself (*coughGrey'sAnatomycough*) but I can usually go without those.
Posted by Sala (Member # 8980) on :
quote: Medium is supposed to be moving to Sunday nights, but they don't have a premiere date set yet, so I'm not counting it.
According to my Dashboard Widget "TV Forecast," Medium will be premiering in January, and yes, on a Sunday.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I'm still not counting it, because some of the shows starting in the fall may be gone by January.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sala:
According to my Dashboard Widget "TV Forecast," Medium will be premiering in January, and yes, on a Sunday. [/QUOTE]
What's this Dashboard Widget thing?
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
I haven't seen TV at all in two months. I have the Internet... what do I need TV for?
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
So, you want to break your addiction. How about aversion therapy? 12 hours of Enterprise episodes back to back, followed by 12 hours of Montel Williams, followed by 12 hours of, oh, let's say whatever's on Court TV, and then throw in another 12 of some kind of televangelist programming. Would that do it? Maybe add another full day of whatever sitcom would really turn your stomach.
But I suspect you just want to talk about your addiction w/ fellow addicts, not cure it. ;-) Lost, anyone?
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Hmm...good idea. I need to watch a lot less tv. A couple episodes of Friends should probably do it for me...
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
asplode![[Wink]](wink.gif)
I saw the autumn schedule for TV and was astounded that there was actually something I wanted to take a look at.![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)