TV and me

The only time I was ever consistent about watching TV was when I worked in an office and succumbed to a form of peer pressure: the so called “water cooler” effect. If I didn’t watch TV, I didn’t know what people were talking about and couldn’t participate.

Once I was free of corporate overlords, my TV viewing tapered off. I still watch The Young and the Restless–a habit of 30 years is hard to break–but I tape it so I can watch it when I’m eating dinner. It’s a multitasking thing. And I’ll always turn to the TV (though never Fox) when politics heats up or there’s a big news event. Generally, however, I get my news online now.

I don’t know if my lack of TV viewing is a commitment problem or a control issue. I do like to manage my own time. I usually only watch a show that has an end point, like Survivor, or something that will be on when it’s supposed to be, like Queer as Folk, instead of jumping all over the place. “Must See TV” got annoying when, in spite of a hit show actually staying in a specific time slot on a specific night, NBC repeated episodes of the hit in other time slots on other nights, bumping shows or moving them around until watching practically required an Excel spreadsheet. It’s supposed to be entertainment, not work. And at some point over the years, it became impossible to know when a season began and ended. A month after Fall’s season premieres, the networks would start showing reruns.

So I confess: I was surprised to read that this is the last season of Will and Grace. I thought it was already over. The show annoyed me in the beginning, then I got fond of it, mostly because of Karen and Rosario, sometimes because of Jack, rarely because of the title characters. I know in some ways it was groundbreaking, and I applaud it for that. If it sometimes seemed to feed into the same old stereotypes, that’s pretty much the nature of the sitcom. Even the innovative ones outstay their welcome and become tired.

That’s not exactly an informed opinion, however, since I’ve already admitted I’m a non-viewer. I promise, however, that if TV ever buys one of our books and slaughters it for television (or cable), I’ll watch every episode. I can be bought!