I've been grabbing spare bits of evenings when I can and putting them to good use: sitting on our couch, covered in animals, knitting, watching television. I've been so busy for so long that I was behind in everything I liked (which wasn't much, granted).
So now I'm all caught up on my guilty pleasures: Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model, the Vampire Diaries (the latter hasn't really caught me this season yet — should I keep watching, you think?).
And I hear the Amazing Race just started! I didn't know, so it's not on the TiVo yet, but it certainly WILL be.
On Netflix, I'm watching season three of Dexter — oh, that show is good, and way bloodier than anything I usually watch, so it's rather intense. I don't always enjoy intense, honestly. I just finished The Hunger Games, and I have to say, as I turned the last page, I was satisfied, but unsure if I can read the next two books. I think I'll take a break and perhaps one day I'll be brave enough.
So the question is, what wouldn't you miss on TV right now? What makes you smile when you see it on the DVR? What makes you grab your knitting and head for the couch?
(Don't you love fall? While, yes, we in the Bay Area ARE having our traditional fall heat wave, something about the shorter days make me feel like I have more time: to hang out at the house with La, to relax, to watch TV, to bake, to cook. I don't think that's actually true, and indeed, this week I'm working 88 hours (transitioning back to day shift soon – woot!), but the time is there somewhere, and I'll grab it.)
There is so much junk on the TV, I’ve finally begun the process of cutting the cable and going the TiVo/Netflix route (local TV networks only). For sure, I’m going to miss some cable shows (though many current episodes are available online after the fact, at least for a time) — but I have seasons worth of some of those shows to catch up on (it’s new to me!), even though I’ve HAD cable. It’s been less than 24 hours, but I think I’m going to be happy with the change!
Sons of Anarchy.
White Collar. (summer, season 2 just ended.)
Dark Blue. (summer, season 2 just ended.)
Chuck.
The Good Wife.
new shows I’m auditioning right now are Chase and Hawaii 5-0 both of which shockingly had solid premieres.
Mad Men, Mad Men, Mad Men!!!
Project Runway, especially in the new 1-1/2 hour version! Love watching that creative process. And Dexter is so creepy good! HAve you read the books? I’ve read the first one, and have the other two. And Brothers and Sisters I love, love, love! And Hoarders is like a train wreck I have to watch. Those people are so sad and usually have no hope! And any movie with Katherine Hepburn!
We just finished Lost. And we need to get back to Buffy (we lost steam in Season Six). But our recent favorite was Long Way Round. Have you seen it? Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charlie Boorman go ’round the world on their motorcycles. It’s great. It’s only three DVDs, so it doesn’t last long, but I think you’d like it.
I hate to plug a very popular sitcom, but I do love The Big Bang Theory. Smart, funny, sarcastic, bloodless, comic-book-y.
Sons of Anarchy, Hawaii Five-O, Big Bang, Hoarders…. My name is Ms Diva and I am a TV addict.
We actually got rid of cable about 2 years ago. Watch everything on either Hulu or Netflix. The thing I miss most is Mythbusters, but fortunately they put most of their best pieces into collections and put them on Netflix.
Big Love, Nurse Jackie, Mad Men, Nip Tuck. I don’t do cable anymore either, so I’m waiting with baited breath on new seasons on Netflix!
We don’t have cable either, but watch The Office on the internet, to name a few sitcoms. I really love knitting while watching movies, and the best movie I’ve seen in a long time is Sherlock Holmes.
We bought a TV when DD got chickenpox back in, um, 1997. We watched for a few months. Years later we realized we hadn’t turned it on, in years. No TV anymore. We read instead(!). Walked past the neighbor’s house the other evening and heard someone shouting and I freaked out and started running for her door to save her, then a commercial came on… She was watching TV! Strange world, to invite a shouting man into your living room?
(Man, I haven’t left a comment here in about a million years!)
There’s six people who live in my house, total, only one of whom watches the TV very much, and that’s my husband. If I watch the TV at all, it’s usually reruns of Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU or Criminal Intent, Cold Case, or Dirty Jobs.
I have, however, gotten one of my housemates hooked on Bones. It’s one of the only shows besides House that I watch at all regularly, and mostly via DVD. I’m not even watching the current season of either yet, because we like to snuggle together and watch a few episodes at a time. I’ll knit, we’ll watch, and occasionally pause the screen to talk about something that the show has made us think of.
Mostly, though, I read, sometimes knitting and reading, sometimes not. It’s my loafing sport of choice. 😀
We just finished watching Buffy all the way through on NetFlix. Now we’re starting on Angel. Also big Top Chef and Project Runway fans!
Oh, I love an insane amount of TV. But some faves are “Community”, “Chuck”, “Project Runway” and “Lone Star”.
Chuck! Chuckchuckchuckchuck. The only absolutely-can’t-miss tv show I watch. I adore it. (On tonight, Monday, 8:00 on NBC)
My favorite new pilot of this season is for Terriers on FX. A cozy take on an edgy procedural which is a new mix plus very smart dialogue. And I think you know I watch 30+ simultaneous shows so I’m not effing around here. 🙂 This week I’m auditioning Lonestar, No Ordinary Family, Outlaw and a few other pilots, but Terriers definitely stood out from last week’s batch. In related news, my favorite show of Winter season was FX’s Justified, but that could be my love for Olyphant talking.
Love Bones
Love, love looooove Castle!
Big Bang Theory makes me laugh out loud.
Jon Stewart/The Daily Show also just cracks me right up (plus he’s a wicked good interviewer).
Anything on the Food Channel.
I like my television in DVD form, so I can be instantly gratified when I want to watch the next episode. Ditto on Mad Men!!!!, and I have just discovered Glee (via Hulu). It’s so ridiculous and campy, I laugh out loud. I’m woefully behind, though, so now I have to go back and rent the first season.
Watching the 6th season of Buffy from Netflix, Glee, V, Brothers and Sisters. At the moment, I am in the middle of an interstate move and don’t have cable or Intervention, Hoarders, and The OCD Project would make the list.
no movie channels anymore…so we’re going to miss the next season of Dexter til it comes out on DVD (or) we get a free weekend of Showtime.
Project Runway, Top Chef (and now Top Chef Cupcakes (oops, Desserts)). Hubby still loves Survivor.
We’re catching up on Californication on DVD/netflix instant streaming. I recently caught up on True Blood through a free HBO weekend.
Community! Community! Community! Hands down the sharpest, funniest show on TV.
I also recommend Better Off Ted via Netflix Instant Watch, particularly if you were an Arrested Development fan. I know a lot of shows are all “This is for the Arrested Development fans” but THIS show really is.
And of course Mad Men and Rubicon, but I’m guessing you knew that one already.
My must-see shows are:
Top Chef
Project Runway
Other than that I pretty much use the TV for movie watching. Just re-watched Repo Man (the original – Harry Dean Stanton can do no wrong) AND Repo Men (omg – just … wow).
Oh, and did you watch Firefly? I loved that, too.
Hmmmm… seems I am in the minority here, but football games on Sundays make me grab my knitting and not budge from the couch for hours. That’s the only thing I watch regularly on TV, though if there’s nothing else doing on I will watch NCIS.
Modern Family. I don’t even know if it’s happening again this year, but not one single episode went by without me laughing at least once – usually more often. I’m going to have to check my TiVo…
Oh, I loved the Hunger Games, it’s one of my favorite books of the last few years. It was hard to get through (I get kind of emotional with books. And movies. And everything else. bah)
I don’t think #2, Catching Fire, is as good, although other folks would disagree. It was easier to get through, though. I think I didn’t get so wound up in the story, although it was still compelling. The focus in this one is wider.
I just bought #3 and I’m psyching myself up to read it. It’s supposed to be really good. But the way she writes, even if things turn out well, they’re not going to turn out well. You know? I really like how the series is so much more complex than about 99% of all “hero save the day” stories.
Hawaii 5-0 which I like for itself and because I lived in Hawaii for a few years as a kid and once watched them film a scene from the original show (we just happened to be in the right place at the right time and Jack Lord and James MacArthur- McGarrett and Danno- both came over to say Hi, shake hands and sign some autographs) and it’s fun to occasionally catch a glimpse of a familiar landscape- “oh look, I’ve been there!”. I also like The Good Wife, the NCIS shows and a few others but my viewing is kind of hit or miss with my daughter’s erratic hockey schedule and the kids use the DVR more than I do so by the time I remember that I’ve DVR’d something it’s usually recorded over by something sci-fi or a Disney movie.
NCIS, because Mark Harmon floats my boat. What can I say. Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen and Amazing Race. Somebody above mentioned Long Way Round. They also did the same thing from the northernmost tip of Scotland through Africa, called Long Way Down. Both are fantastic.
I don’t go for “intense” much, either. I watch TV or read to relax, not to sit on the edge of my seat for an hour. I’m big on escapism so on the current TV schedule I look forward to Glee every week.
Mad Men in the Tivo queue always makes me happy. Sunday is the season finale and that makes me oh-so sad. Dexter much too intense for me.