Tivo Travails

 

I don't know about you, but when I first got TIVO it was liberating. I could watch what I wanted, when I wanted to. Skipping the ads of course, and saving time. My TV habit went from around 10 hours of programming a week down to maybe 6 or 7 -- nicely squeezed into two sessions or tube time a week.

However, I now find myself enslaved by TIVO. I can't keep pace with it. TIVO records things faster than I can watch them, 2 shows at once even. And there is no way I can just erase shows without having viewed them. The OCD freak in me won't allow for that.

In any case, the programs are accumulating at such a rapid pace I'm afraid I may FILL UP MY HARD DRIVE! All 35 hours of HD/250 hours of non-HD memory. With the new fall season, especially, I find that my TIVO has been pushing me to try every show at least once. "Bones", "Head Cases", "Just Legal", "Twins", you name it, my trusty TIVO has recorded it (thankfully some of these shows have been cancelled already). It even convinced me I had to give "Joey" another chance. What this adds up to is far more than the 10 hours of week I once indulged in. Let's say 20 to be conservative.

TIVO is pushing me to not just dabble in TV but to become a TV expert. Well, addict is probably more apt. And as any addict not yet ready to go cold turkey and get off the sauce might do, I have decided to just cut back a bit. I've begun this process by purging several programs from Season Pass status, and I thought you might be interested in what and why.

1. "The OC" - let's face it. Seen one episode, seen them all. Ryan and Marissa have trouble communicating, Seth and Summer exchange rapid fire flirtatious quips, Seth's dialogue clever, Summer's cute. Parties, fights, blah blah blah. Much more satisfying (though perhaps faltering slightly in its second season) is "Veronica Mars", similarly set in a posh Southern California enclave but with far more complexity and intrigue than "The OC" could ever hope for. It's "James at 15" for the 21st Century (see photo, right). Please, folks, WATCH "VERONICA MARS"!

2. "Survivor", "The Amazing Race", and pretty much all other reality fare. What can I say? My tribe has spoken, and it's putting an end to Jeff Probst et al (though I am curious how the former show will address the catastrophe in Guatemala, where it was allowed to film in ancient ruins in hopes of boosting the tourism trade, something that will likely continue to elude the country).

3. "Everwood" - should I even be admitting that it was once on my season pass? I don't even know what night it's on anymore. I can't stand to watch Ephram get any more greasy looking from season to season, Bright and Dr. Brown get any chunkier, Amy continue to say "aboot" and "oot" like she's just off the bus from Toronto, and Scott Wolf fail to live up to the promise of his "Party of Five" days. I am not sure why I ever watched this. Oh, I know. A friend of mine was on a few episodes way back when.

On the edge of TIVO-extinction are the following:

"Nip/Tuck" - we all know that smarmy new doctor is the Carver, and having Dr. Troy thrown in jail for an episode or two is just delaying the inevitable. Plus, the cases each week are getting more and more on the nose (or should I say, on the 'nose job'?)

"The Real World" - since its inception, I have been a fair-weather fan of this series, watching New York and San Francisco, skipping London and Chicago, coming back for Hawaii and Seattle, abandoning Boston. Austin is barely holding my interest. Maybe I'm just getting old, but these kids seem more hard-bodied and more retarded (or as Danny might say, 'retahded') than ever. It's getting too painful.

"The Apprentice" - similar to "The Real World", anybody who would want to compete on the the show is pretty much 'retahded' (though a contestant from last season has joined the law firm where I'm represented, which is a somewhat scary thought). Donald is really annoying, especially with his fake business transaction phone calls. I wish George and Carolyn would stage a coup. And enough with the product placement. I'm sure Lamborghini will make tons of sales from its hour of free advertising on the show. Not.

"Rome" - I tried. I really tried. Then I fell asleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

"Malcolm in the Middle" - I really really really like this show. A lot. But its unibrow plagued midget star, Frankie Muniz, is starting to creep me out. I think this one is past its prime.

"ER" - two seasons ago the show had real life in it, but then most of the veteran actors and characters were either written off the show or quit. Last year, the stories were anemic and cast unseasoned. I was ready to call it quits. But the show, on life support, seems to be pulling through and I can't cut it just yet. Especially since they hired my friend for a couple of episodes. Yup, the same one who was on "Everwood".

Shows I will never give up include "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Arrested Development", and newly added "My Name is Earl" and "The Office". I didn't want to, but I quite like "Grey's Anatomy". A contender for season pass status is "Everybody Hates Chris". And when the brilliant "Kath and Kim" shows up on the Sundance Channel it will definitely get a berth. It's the bees knees. That should leave me with about 15 hours a week, give or take.