With all of these current comments about television shows, I decided to share a little about what I do each year at this time.
Every new fall television season, I tape all of the new shows and watch them. (We have a Sage television recorder which is fabulous – although “extinct”. It enables us to record a lot of different shows at the same time.) I actually go through the television roster and pick out all of the new shows. I then record and watch them, to determine whether they are keepers or not.
You might think that I must devote hours and hours to watching all of the new shows the four major networks have to offer. Actually, I wish that were the case! Unfortunately, I usually don’t last more than ten minutes for most shows. I try to “force” myself to watch at least ten minutes, but sometimes I don’t even last that long. I can usually tell if the show is something that will “last” for me rather quickly. Some of the time, all I need to see is a “funny” sex joke. If a show’s writers think they have to rely on a “funny” sex joke within the first ten minutes to catch the viewer’s attention, then they are looking for a different type of viewer than me.
Another thing that tells me the show isn’t for me is when I see a cute, angelic, little child doing quick double-take looks at the parents. That or the “always funny” same sweet child rolling his/her eyes at something one of the parents said. Relying on that is a definite turn-off to me. I guess I just don’t agree with the laugh-track technician.
Let’s see, what are some other pet peeves of mine… (I think I’m on a roll!!!)
How about doctors and lawyers on these shows who look like they are nineteen years old? >>> And I’m not talking about Dougy Hauser, MD! What happened to all of those years of college and then medical school, interning, residency, etc.? At least give me a lawyer with four years of college, followed by three years of law school, I’ll give it a break and not put in the LL.M.s!
Here’s yet one more thing that will determine if I’m able to last longer than ten minutes watching a new show: Give me some actors who are not “generic” looking actors. I’d like to be able to differentiate between the actresses and actors. I mean, do all of the actors have to be buff, Chippendale looking men? Do all of the actresses need to look like they all received the same cosmetic surgery upon graduating from high school? And, when I say I’d like them not to all look alike, I don’t mean throw a blonde in amongst the brunettes!
Yes, I know, I’m a tough crowd!!!
So far, this season, I have two possible shows that I will continue watching. Two out of the entire new television roster for all three channels. That’s pretty telling, isn’t it? But, at least I have two possible shows. Some years I don’t even have one!
How about you? How do you find new shows to follow? Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to finding a new show?
ginger says
yes i see a show i might like and critics say it won’t last. Like CSI they said it would not make it through and it did
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, funny how critics don’t seem to know what the American public will want…
linda c says
Ginger, I hardly ever make my choices of what I am going to watch on TV, what movie to go see, what book to read based on what the critics say!! The New York Times best seller list means nothing to me . Just as wanting to wear the trends in fashions mean very little to me. If I don’t like something, I don’t like it. It just seems to me that when a “critic’ puts his/her 2 cents worth on something, that something just has a higher price tag.
Shanna Kaye says
One of my pet peeves is actually with shows I’m already a long term fan. I get so disappointed when they take a beloved character and completely change their personality for the “shock” value, ratings, etc. If a character is a family first, moral, upstanding citizen please don’t have them cheat on their spouse, or asks for divorce, or lie in their business.
There is nothing with a character/tv show with moral fiber and integrity! Furthermore, not every parent needs to be divorced nor children need to be having sexual relationships at 14-15 yrs old.
With new shows, especially reality style ones, I think it’s sad that they all require indiscriminate sex, yelling and physical fighting, and extreme alcohol abuse. I just don’t live in a reality like that.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I agree with you about shows changing characters mid-stream, Shanna Kaye. Years and years ago, there was a show that featured four sisters. One of the sisters was always the constant good girl: perfect children, perfect husband, baked cookies, etc. Then, for some crazy reason, they changed her character. She had an affair and left her husband (I think, since it really has been years and years.)
I guess shows with children who belong to the Honor Society and who volunteer at senior citizens’ homes wouldn’t be as much fun for the public to watch as shows with children whose problems are way beyond what their chronological ages should dictate.
Alexis says
I usually do not watch TV but someone told me Once Upon a Time was worth our time, and it is well done. Other than that no, between the foul sex talk, the bad dialogue, the advertisements, laugh tracks that make your teeth hurt,actors that look the same and like teens, I cannot stand the sound of the TV on. I leave mine off and only watch 1 movie at night from 8-10 if I have time and can force myself to relax long enough. I usually do not watch, I am up doing other things or reading!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Alexis, we watched the first season of Once Upon a Time. Unfortunately, we lost track of it.
Kathryn says
Danna, I’ve found in the last few years that my tolerance level for gratuitous violence is at an all-time low. Sometime ago USA Network started airing summer replacement shows that were pretty good like “Psych”. The shows had interesting premises with very good but not big name actors. One of the first was “Burn Notice” with it’s stunning backdrop of Miami. This was a novel premise of a CIA agent who moved back home to figure out why he was “burned”. The first few seasons were interesting. The agent, his FBI buddy and his gun wielding girl friend were helping the little guy get out from under some criminal bind in clever ways. Then I noticed that by the 4th season that it was getting to be non-stop shoot-em-up, blow-em-up and no more clever con jobs. I stopped watching then.
I love “White Collar” and “Royal Pains” on USA but even that show about a concierge doctor in Southampton had the doctor blown off his feet by a bomb in the season finale.
In comedies, I hate shows that write men as idiots. Their mothers or wives talk down to them as if they are children and can barely tie their own shoes. Denigrating men is not funny to me.
Julia says
I’m with you on the comedies – one very successful sitcom quickly lost me as a viewer when I realized the running joke was basically that the husband was an overgrown child and his wife and mother treated him as such. Yuck!
linda c says
Julia, There was this one particular TV sitcom that had a mother who seem to only love her younger son to the point of almost neglecting the older son. The mother was a terrible mother-in-law to her younger son’s wife. Most of the canned laughter seemed to be centered on this mother’s nasty remarks to her older son and her daughter-in-law. The younger son just ate that up. To me he seemed like an over grown sissy! He seemed not to mind that his mother was neglecting his older brother and being entirely nasty to his wife. To me this was a form of mental abuse. Not too many wives would laugh at this behavior.
Could not stand the show. I watched about 4 shows and the theme seem to be the same thing in each episode. I cannot see where being nasty to anyone at anytime is funny!! There is too much of that stuff in real life and it is not funny!!
linda c says
Danna, My family all get together quite often throughout the year. Sometimes our conversations will be where my sisters and I talk about long ago popular singers and actors and actresses. Several nieces and nephews will state they never heard of any of these people. In all honesty to these kids, I know very few of today’s singers, actresses and actors either.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kathryn, I’m with you about gratuitous violence. Except, for one show that I really like. This show is more like an action-type movie, which I really dislike. (The action movies, not this show.) It really doesn’t make sense (even to me), because it has at least two violent scenes per show. I’m talking about Person of Interest (CBS). I find myself still watching this show, in its second season.
linda c says
Kathryn. I can’t stand shows that try to get laughs out of down grading anyone. I can’t stand shows that try to get laughs out of people being nasty or sarcastic or by someone being hateful or by trying to make someone as being dumb or naive. I am not a cynic, or I don’t think I am. I like to laugh as much as anyone else. But some things just aren’t funny to me. Some things that some writers think are funny, to me, are just down right hateful and mean. When these things happen on TV, then, to me, some people think this is approved behavior, when in truth, this is people bullying others.
linda c says
I also cannot stand commercials that try to make out somebody being dumb, stupid or naive. I will not by that product!!
Nikki says
You found more than I did worth watching. The only thing I watch on commercial tv is Castle. And if past history proves true, the writing will fall apart now that the lead characters are together. Hollywood doesn’t seem to know what to do with couples. Divorced moms, divorced dads, singles — the get. No happy couples since Hart to Hart. Thank heavens for Acorn tv. All the British and Canadian shows in one place.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nikki, I left Castle a couple of years ago. I had no idea they are now a couple. Recently, that’s been the sign of a show’s ending. You are so right about Hollywood’s idea of couples!
Donna says
The first few episodes of this season’s Castle have them together as a couple (finally!) and so far it has been wonderful! Lots of fun, like the first season, and it reminds me of Hart to Hart, with a happy, loving couple. Let’s hope they don’t ruin it now by having them break up or cheat or something silly like that.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Donna, for filling me in on Castle. The end of season cliff hangers always suggesting that they would be together just got to be too much for me. I mean, really! Telling her he loved her while she was frozen solid? I’m glad it has all worked out… as you said “finally!”
Ann H says
Amen! You said it all. I would add that I prefer the English shows on public television, as those actors look and act “real”. I too am quite weary of the too, too physically beautiful people on TV. Thanks for your blog. I rely on it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann H, I love that the British shows have “real” people in them.
I’m glad you enjoy the blog!
BB says
I’ve previously watched a couple of shows mentioned by Kathryn – “Psych” and “Burn Notice” – and liked them pretty good, along with “Monk” (which is no longer running – funny and a great love story [with his deceased wife]), but I’ve really gotten out of watching much TV. I’d mentioned elsewhere that I mainly view the news and “Wheel of Fortune.” I also like “Chopped” on the Food Network and “House Hunters (International)” on HGTV but haven’t been able to see them in awhile.
I miss the family shows of yore: from “I Love Lucy” to “Little House on the Prairie” to “The Cosby Show.” Hollywood producers are wrong to think there’s no market for family shows like that. Although I never watched it, many were surprised at the popularity of “Touched by an Angel.” That was just a few years ago.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
BB, I have to admit that the Food Network’s Chopped is on our weekly roster. We especially like it when Ted and the judges aren’t particularly mean. We watched the first school “lunch ladies” Chopped a while ago, where the judges seemed to be extremely nice, which had us thinking the same would happen with this last “lunch ladies” Chopped. Not so!
BB says
Oh, I didn’t know they had a second lunch ladies episode. The first only one I’ve seen was the best of the whole show. The only “Chopped” where I had a lump in my throat afterwards and the ladies were supportive of each other (kudos to the one who remembered a molecular gastronomy trick, too).
Another memorable episode was the one where a female chef wanted the prize money to visit her grandmother in Thailand, Singapore, or somewhere like that. She and an extremely competent male chef were the finalists. In the end, he deservedly won, but gave the prize to her! That was so cool!
I have to admit that I sometimes wonder if the producers don’t allow certain contestants to continue because of what they claim their playing for. Yeah, I’m a little jaded.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
BB, the second Chopped episode aired recently. The first one we watched was about six months ago, and the judges were sooooo very nice.
linda c says
One episode of “Little House” that I loved the most was the one where Little Sister Carry fell into the well. The one that turned off the show was one where “Laura” was in “Mr. Olson’s” General Store staring into his candy counter case like she hadn’t ever had any candy ever in her life. I just couldn’t see Laura’s mother approving of Laura doing that and then not letting Laura getting away without some sort of reprimand!! I don’t know why but that made me angry so much that I never watched the show after that!! Cannot stand to watch the reruns either because of that one episode!!
Laurel says
If the obvious theme of the show is sex, I’m done with it even before I’ve seen it. Not a big fan of violence, either. I want something that’s interesting and relies on good acting and a good storyline to carry it through.
I love Once Upon a Time and Grimm (who doesn’t love fairy tales?). Grimm gets a bit violent, but I’d rather see fantasy violence then reality. And surprisingly, I’m liking Elementary (a modern day Sherlock Holes/Dr Watson). Once I got used to Watson being played by Lucy Liu, I really enjoyed it. I’m intrigued enough to keep watching it to see where it goes.
But, my 8-yr old daughter asked me what my favorite day would be and I answered honestly. A cold, winter day cuddled up on the couch by the fire reading a good book. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laurel, your response to your daughter sounds like a great way to spend a day.
linda c says
I agree, Laura. Add a pot of coffee with a container of french vanilla creamer, a pot of vegetable soup cooking in a crock pot, the house straightened up, the dogs taken care of and I have a perfect winter day. A book by someone like John Grisham just sweetens the day perfectly.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Interesting. I don’t watch TV, but I found myself thinking many of the same things … about books! I get annoyed when an author relies too heavily (or quickly) on a juvenile sex joke. Or such joking between the characters. Same with the shock value that someone else mentioned. There are a few series I read where by the 4th book, the violence has to be SO MUCH MORE violent…as though it can’t just be an adventure. The ante must be upped each book until I can’t read them anymore!
We do watch sports and I am often heard complaining about how the “bars” and restaurants on tv have only young people, 2.5 non-whites, EVERYONE dressed to the nines…where are the fat people? Where are the older people? Where is the drunk guy that sits at the end of the bar (every bar has at least one!) Why isn’t there a single person in a tee shirt??? I mean, seriously. There’s no one in these shots older than say…24.
Hmph. I guess I’m a curmudgeon who is older than 25, wears tee shirts and jeans (when I’m dressed up!) and has forgotten how to apply makeup. There goes my chance at stardom!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, you aren’t joking about the bar and restaurant scenes in television shows! When we watch true crime shows that have reenactments in those setting, the people are far different than the prime time/prime channel scenes with svelte women in clingy dresses and GQ looking men!
linda c says
Danna, have you ever dissected any commercials? There is a beer commercial that has a woman setting at a bar giving a guy who just walks in a come-on look. He takes her up on it. Then her boyfriend, husband, whatever comes onto the scene, madder than a hatter at the guy. To me he should be just as angry at the woman. But then, maybe he should try to control his temper. Maybe his temper is what is causing the woman to give another guy the come-on.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I don’t watch live television… ever. Everything I watch is recorded so that I can zap through the commercials. However, after reading your description of that ad, I would think the husband should only be mad at his girlfriend/wife. How was the come-hithered man supposed to know she’s not single?
linda c says
My goodness Danna!! By not watching live TV you have missed out on all the thousands of political commercials that the country has been swamped with!! How in the world have you gotten by!! Just teasing.!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I guess I’ll just have to rely on a novel idea: Read up on the candidates and make my own choices, rather than believe the advertisement written by their mud-slinging ad executives!
BB says
Ahh…if only EVERYONE did this!
Susie says
I think we tend to netflix shows that have stayed around for a while. For me, its like reading a series when I know there’s at least a few written or at least planned. If a show has more than one season I might give it a go. Like Laurel, I like Elementary but you’d have to get through those first 15 minutes. I really like the modern version of Sherlock Holmes called Sherlock on BBC. It’s a really great modernized version of the famous sleuth.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susie, I have written about this before, but here goes. I am in the minority when it comes to television shows that modernize Sherlock Holmes. I’m like an old dog, with new tricks.
Julia says
In television, as in books, I’m usually all about the mystery so my biggest pet peeve is a weak or forgotten plot. Sometimes the writers seem to get so carried away with trying to create ‘witty’ dialogue they forget that there really should be a reason for their characters to be talking in the first place (like, maybe something just happened to one of them?).
I also dislike long-term story arcs that seem to have no purpose other than to say ‘look, we have a long-term story arc!’ Those tend to be the ones that run out of steam long before the conclusion of the arc, and you’re left either wondering why they bothered or troubled by the fact the denouement makes no sense.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, as much as I enjoy the Midsomer Murders series, there was one episode in which they forgot about a corpse! Talk about a “forgotten plot”!
(I also dislike long-term arcs. In my opinion, they are usually the worse part of most series’ episodes.)
Donna says
So glad you posed this question, Danna – it makes me realize I’m not the only one who feels the way your readers feel about modern TV and books. I agree with all the comments above. The few shows I watch are Castle, Psych, The Middle, and sometimes Person of Interest, although Castle and POI can be a bit gruesome/violent at times. Nothing excessive and usually very, very brief. Those shows are clean and well written, smart programs. Everything else is just too dumb and immature for my tastes! I also watch a lot of retro stations like ME-TV and Antenna TV. They are free, over the air channels, and air programs like Columbo, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy, Twilight Zone – all the great shows from a bygone, but better, era!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, I agree that person of Interest can sometime be “a bit gruesome/violent at times”>>> That’s why I can’t explain why I am a fan of the show! I usually hate all of that fighting action, but it doesn’t seem to bother me in this show.
Donna says
Me too! I tend to avoid action flicks unless I want a good laugh, because most of them have terrible plots and awful actors. But PoI is a bit different; the stories are very good and the characters are interesting. They could drop the action sequences and it would still be a great show, even better, in my opinion!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, years ago (1996 – 2000) there was a show called Early Edition that I watched with my son and daughter. (Perhaps not my son, but it’s a little foggy for me.) It had the same premise. >>> The main character had to alter things in the present in order to block bad things from happening, and thus becoming the main story on the Early Edition of the newspaper. I loved that show! It lacked the action sequences of Person of Interest, but had the same type of thing going… saving innocent people from bad things.
linda c says
Danna, I enjoyed “Early Edition” too. I thought this was a very good show. Although I can’t recall the actor’s name off hand, him being good to look at helped to sweeten the show. I think this actor went on to play in “Friday Night Lights”. I love highschool football but couldn’t stand this show.
linda c says
Harper’s Island was so gruesome from the first episode that I couldn’t watch any more of that series.
Kalena says
I really miss The Closer but decided to give its stepchild, Major Crimes, a chance and much to my surprise I am enjoying the show very much. I also am a fan of both the BBC Sherlock and the new series with Lucy Liu. Modern Family is also must-see TV at my house. Grimm is also way better than I expected. It has an original concept, compelling characters and every week it seems to get better and better.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kalena, I, too, miss The Closer. I tried to stay with Major Crimes, but simply didn’t like the whole story arc about the kid witness living with the captain, etc. It was just too much for me.
Julia says
I’m also a fan of “The Closer” who just couldn’t make the jump to “Major Crimes.” For me it was the premise – that they catch the bad guys and rather than get them to confess to the crime, plea bargain them down to whatever will buy them at least a little jail time. Considering the storyline on “The Closer” that led to Brenda leaving and Raydar taking over Major Crimes revolved around an ill-advised deal made by the district attorney’s office…you would think they would have learned it was better to just solve the case and nail the bad guys to the wall.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh, and that, Julia, is another one of the reasons I simply couldn’t stay with Major Crimes.
Donna says
I’m like a lot of you. I am not a prude but if there is too much sex or sex talk then I’m done. Give me a story to grab hold of. I have watched The Big Bang Theory since day one and love this show and Mike and Molly as far as comedy. Castle is another that I watch. I started watching Hawaii 5-0 because I grew up watching the old one and I really enjoy it. I find that most shows get old after watching a few times or I lose interest. As far as new shows Elementary and Perception are both good and I’ve watched a new show called Arrow which has kept my interest because of the storyline. Very interesting.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, I’ll have to take a look at Arrow. I haven’t heard of that show. Thanks for the heads-up!
linda c says
Danna, I seldom watch much major network TV. None of the shows look interesting to me. The stars all look alike. The plots are all the same. The comedies all have the same kind of jokes. I do like Blue Blood though and I will more than likely watch that now that baseball is almost over. (Darn my Cincinnati Reds!!) We do like some of the reality shows like “Storage Wars”, “American Pickers”, “Pawn Stars” and “American Restoration.” But there are getting to be so many shows like these three that are coming out now that they all tend to be the same old, same old. Even some of those that I just mentioned are just getting to be filled with nasty talking people. Doesn’t anyone like anyone at all any more!!
I am already missing basesball but college basketball will be starting soon, so all isn’t lost!! I just don’t care for all the shows on the Networks. There just isn’t much original in any of the TV shows.
Good thing I like to read!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, from the roster you mentioned, I can see where you don’t have any interest in the four major networks. Good thing you enjoy watching sports. The only time I have a game on is when we go out to dinner at places that have those big screen TVs continuously on sports. (I have a figure-ground auditory problem, so those games make it sort of unpleasant for me to attend to what people at my table are talking about.)
linda c says
Danna, One of the reasons I don’t watch much network TV is because of darling hubby’s habit of abusing the TV remote. We would be watching one show, a commercial would come on, DH would flip to another channel, then forget to flip back to the previous show. THIS DROVE ME NUTS!!!. But, except for right now with all the political ads, he doesn’t seem to do that as often while there is a baseball , football or basketball game on.
Now that he is interested in reading though, he tends to stay with only one show. Had I known this would be a solution to his channel flipping, I would have tried to get him interested in reading a long time ago.
Right now he is interested in the Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford. He will read the Lucas Davenport series but he says Virgil is different. He has read all of the Sherrif Dan Rhodes that have been on the library shelves. He really likes that series. I have tried to get him interested in Robert Parker’s Jessie Stone series but he says since he has seen some of the movies and he knows how the mystery ends up, he just isn’t interested in reading the books.
I hope he will take an avid interest in Lucas though because there are quite a few ” Preys” for him to read. Just maybe I will be able to control the remote from time to time. I am not going to hold my breath on that, though.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, if you’re looking for a series that has a lot of books (thus enabling you to watch a show without your husband surfing the channels) – I remember my husband and son really enjoying the novels by Patrick O’Brian.
1. Master and Commander
2. Post Captain
3. H.M.S. Surprise
4. The Mauritius Command
5. Desolation Island
6. The Fortune of War
7. The Surgeon’s Mate
8. The Ionian Mission
9. Treason’s Harbour
10. The Far Side of The World
11. The Reverse of The Medal
12. The Letter of Marque
13. The Thirteen Gun Salute
14. The Nutmeg of Consolation
15. The Truelove
16. The Wine-Dark Sea
17. The Commodore
18. The Yellow Admiral
19. The Hundred Days
20. Blue at the Mizzen
21. The Final, Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey
linda c says
Danna, I got my hubby a large print copy of Patrick O’ Brian’s “Treasure Harbour.” I had told him your suggestion. He said he would try it. I hope he does like this series because I found quite a few books from this series in the Large print section.
One of the downsides to having my hubby starting to read, I have started him off with some of my favorite authors. I picked up John Sandford’s “Mad River” yesterday for ME to read. When hubby saw the book he says HE intends to read it first. I told him that since I was the one to go to the library all by myself to get the book that I should be the one to read it first. But he informed me that I had plenty of other books to read.
Huh. Imagine that!! But I will be the big person here and allow him to read the book first.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, after I told my husband you got the first book in Patrick O’Brian’s series he told me that although he liked them a lot, they aren’t the easiest books to get into.
Ann says
What about the tv shows based on book characters? I watch Bones most of the time, but can’t believe how she is supposed to be the same character from Kathy Reichs books. No comparison. Also Rizzoli and Isles are nothing like the characters in the books. As long as I forget who or what they are based on, I guess they are okay.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, that’s the way I feel about Sgt. Havers in the Inspector Lynley television episodes.
Ann Philipp says
At our house:
My husband and I watch a comedy that has mostly 20 somethings in it, and we don’t laugh.
My husband: That wasn’t funny.
Me: We’re outside the demographic – like way outside.
My husband: I don’t find that funny either.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I agree with your husband, Ann, it’s not funny when we no longer fit in the demographics!
linda c says
One thing I have seen is that a lot of people in real life will try to imitate the actors and actresses in these TV shows as well as several commercials. These people fail to distinguish between what is the fictional way to behave in real life from these TV shows and commercials. Then these imitators do not come off as real themselves.
Regina V says
Danna I finally obtained the DVDs of “Murder in Suburbia”, but I could not watch it. They did not provide close captioning and with the British accents I could not understand a word. Too bad as it looked like a show I might have enjoyed. My television tastes are eclectic to say the least. Crime shows on Investigation Discovery, Hospital shows on Discovery Fit and Health. War shows on the Military Channel, and there is always old comic shows like Mash on TV Land. I find many true crime shows seem to be skewed against such states as Texas, California, and Florida. Very interesting say what?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I’m sorry, Regina, that you weren’t able to understand their accents, especially after what you had to do to track the series down… Sort of a much-to-do-about-nothing situation.
linda c says
Regina, because I can only hear out of one of my ears, I have become very dependent on close captioning. This has sure helped me a lot because I too cannot understand a whole lot of what some actors who speak in American English are saying let alone what people with some of the English English people are saying.
marion says
I must admit I gave up on practically all commercial TV ages ago. Just does not interest me and I don’t try to keep up. I just pass. I watch plenty of TV but generally just DVDs which I own or get from the library. I sometimes check YOUTUBE or other websites for old programs that come to mind. I wouldn’t refuse, on principle, to watch a program if one came along that seemed interesting but that hasn’t happened in about twenty years. I used to watch a lot of commercial TV but that was in the 70s and 80s when I didn’t have other entertainment options aside from books.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marion, I am currently making my way through a BBC television miniseries called Edward the King, which I find a whole lot more entertaining than most of the television shows that are airing today. And of course, I watch a lot of old movies that were actually made before I was born. I absolutely love movies from the 1940s, and late 1930s. (Your library must have a lot of those, also.)
marion says
Hi, Danna. I didn’t know about ‘Edward the King’ but if they put it out on DVD maybe I can get it at the library. They have DVDs of many fine British and American shows. I adore old movies too and there are many other interesting fiction and nonfiction DVDs as well. Thank heavens for well-stocked libraries!
linda c says
Marion, I do watch a lot of the TV shows that are on rerun especially during the winter afternoons. But some things I find that can do while watching some of these movies are to either read, clean house, plan supper or take the dogs outside. Often it’s because a lot of the commercial breaks for these afternoon shows are so long that I can do these things.
Colleen says
I love PBS and watch (or should I say DVR them??) shows like Doc Martin (my fave right now), Masterpiece Mystery, History Detectives, Antiques Roadshow, As Time Goes By…well, you get the idea.
I DVR a few network shows like Once Upon A Time, Grimm, Castle, CSI (the original), and NCIS.
I don’t like the new Sherlock on network but love the PBS version. I also don’t like HGTV any more. It’s not what it use to be. I don’t like the “comedy” shows because…well…they’re not funny. My DH says I’m just getting old…maybe he’s right 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Colleen, you sound like one of the lucky people in a PBS zone that shows Doc Martin. I’m pretty sure my PBS has never done that. However, they are very good about showing the same British sitcoms over and over, and over again.
linda c says
I used to watch “Jag” quite a bit. I still sometimes watch this show on afternoon TV. I have several family members who are now serving in the US Navy and several who are veterans of the US Navy, so I am just drawn to that show.
One thing that always moderately confused me is when “Harm” would have people, especially teenagers to his apartment . They would automatically ask for the TV. “Harm” would say that he doesn’t own one. He never watches TV. Kind of a weird statement from a guy who was making his livelihood from TV!!!??
Sometimes on TV shows some actor will make the comment that some people think that crime solving is not like what people read in mysteries. Then sometimes some character in a book will say that too many people think the way crimes are solved on TV shows is how it is done. Weird, huh!!