I used to work non-stop, all day and until very late at night, never leaving the computer or drawing table except to eat and sleep. So self-control whatsoever.
Recently, I've been trying to be more sensible, setting work hours for myself so I can live like a normal human being for once in the last decade. I start work at 8am and generally finish around 6pm, if I'm not in any kind of deadline crunch. This leaves me the evenings to read, eat leisurely, and, also for the first time in a long time, watch TV. Here are some observations from someone who hasn't really watched broadcast television for years and years (I do see some of these on DVD, though):
24 - I sorta watched the first two seasons on DVD, but when the hell did this show become so right-wing? U.S. good, protesting bad, torture good (well, to be fair, not good, but clearly necessary and for a greater good), Arabs bad, and so on. Lucas Haas is cool, as he has been since he was the little kid in Witness. So far, this show feels like a cheesy Clancy novel, lite fare for fans of Rumsfeld and Gonzalez and so forth. Am I being indoctrinated subliminally? Maybe.
Alias - Also watched on DVD in the past. I fell asleep during the premiere, and it looked like the cast was ready to as well. Jennifer Gardner looks like a drag queen.
Amazing Race - This appears to be the closest to pure television entertainment out there. Five stars.
Nanny 911 - Hilarious. Parents are stupid.
Lost - Eh. When do we get to learn about the fat guy's history?
Extreme Makeover Home Edition/ and the plastic surgery one - I love watching the dentistry parts, seeing people with truly fucked up grills get $50k worth of free work. Its also fun to watch the new homes be built, and I know it has to be fun for us at home, but is it really smart to build these kids over-the-top "theme" bedrooms they'll outgrow in 3 months?
Wife Swap - The few times I've seen it, its been the same formula: strict uptight clean miserable repressed family vs. sloppy fun carefree HAPPY WELL ADJUSTED family. I get a warm fuzzy feeling from this, somehow, seeing the uptight moms come face to face with the other, happier family and realize how much they're screwing up their own kids lives. Is that bad?
The OC - Man, I really want to hate this. Why is Doug Liman producing it? That's the main reason I decided to give this a try - he's the man responsible for the brilliant film Go, and probably isn't an idiot or a hack. Anyway, its a soap opera, predicably, starring beautiful plastic people with too much money and fake drama. The actors all seem to be about 26 or 28-years old, regardless of whether they're playing teenagers or the parents. Peter Gallagher is the only exception (I like him). Why is Modest Mouse on this show? Huh. Why does the supposed "bad boy" from the "bad" part of town look like he walked out of an Abercrombie display window? Well, I'm confused, but the show is funny, well-written, and entertaining. What's happening to me?
Good news: I'll be able to watch season 2 of The Wire on DVD at the end of this month.
Recently, I've been trying to be more sensible, setting work hours for myself so I can live like a normal human being for once in the last decade. I start work at 8am and generally finish around 6pm, if I'm not in any kind of deadline crunch. This leaves me the evenings to read, eat leisurely, and, also for the first time in a long time, watch TV. Here are some observations from someone who hasn't really watched broadcast television for years and years (I do see some of these on DVD, though):
24 - I sorta watched the first two seasons on DVD, but when the hell did this show become so right-wing? U.S. good, protesting bad, torture good (well, to be fair, not good, but clearly necessary and for a greater good), Arabs bad, and so on. Lucas Haas is cool, as he has been since he was the little kid in Witness. So far, this show feels like a cheesy Clancy novel, lite fare for fans of Rumsfeld and Gonzalez and so forth. Am I being indoctrinated subliminally? Maybe.
Alias - Also watched on DVD in the past. I fell asleep during the premiere, and it looked like the cast was ready to as well. Jennifer Gardner looks like a drag queen.
Amazing Race - This appears to be the closest to pure television entertainment out there. Five stars.
Nanny 911 - Hilarious. Parents are stupid.
Lost - Eh. When do we get to learn about the fat guy's history?
Extreme Makeover Home Edition/ and the plastic surgery one - I love watching the dentistry parts, seeing people with truly fucked up grills get $50k worth of free work. Its also fun to watch the new homes be built, and I know it has to be fun for us at home, but is it really smart to build these kids over-the-top "theme" bedrooms they'll outgrow in 3 months?
Wife Swap - The few times I've seen it, its been the same formula: strict uptight clean miserable repressed family vs. sloppy fun carefree HAPPY WELL ADJUSTED family. I get a warm fuzzy feeling from this, somehow, seeing the uptight moms come face to face with the other, happier family and realize how much they're screwing up their own kids lives. Is that bad?
The OC - Man, I really want to hate this. Why is Doug Liman producing it? That's the main reason I decided to give this a try - he's the man responsible for the brilliant film Go, and probably isn't an idiot or a hack. Anyway, its a soap opera, predicably, starring beautiful plastic people with too much money and fake drama. The actors all seem to be about 26 or 28-years old, regardless of whether they're playing teenagers or the parents. Peter Gallagher is the only exception (I like him). Why is Modest Mouse on this show? Huh. Why does the supposed "bad boy" from the "bad" part of town look like he walked out of an Abercrombie display window? Well, I'm confused, but the show is funny, well-written, and entertaining. What's happening to me?
Good news: I'll be able to watch season 2 of The Wire on DVD at the end of this month.
HOUSE - By far my favorite new series on the big networks this year. The lead is such a sarcastic ass and his delivery is top notch.
You're right on 24, its still has excellent pacing, but this season's story is terribly cliche.
MEDIUM - I'm still up in the air about this, The quality and the cast are there, but I just feel that the 'psychic crimefighter' story is a little worn out. That and I feel the DEAD ZONE has been doing an excellent job working within the genre for some time now.
4400. Do not watch this. Ever. It had so many possibilities and could have been very original, but after 15 mins into the first season episodes, ALIENS DID IT! Fuck that.
I'm glad to see I've made the list of your top 5 SGs. If you come to the area again and refuse to see me again, I will kill you.