Anything Good On Tonight?

The Directors Guild came to an agreement with the AMPTP last week and some news sources reported the agreement as an indicator that the writer’s strike may soon be resolved.

Yes! Please let it happen.

As you’d probably guess, I’m completely with the writers on this one. I want them to get a fair deal. If their work is shown on the Internet, etc. they deserve to be paid for it. And, let me add, paid well.

But I’m also a TV viewer. I miss my Bones and Burn Notice. And even House, which I’d only started to watch and hadn’t even sorted out the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve watched my share of reality TV. I was hooked on the Amazing Race and I’ve watched American Idol, but I don’t want to see another game show with an annoying host. I don’t want to watch people batter each other with huge sticks over a pit of water. I don’t want to watch a mom-and-daughter beauty pageant. And I certainly don’t want to watch anymore dancing shows. (Sorry, Will.)

The rather sad thing about the whole situation is that the networks think some of the reality shows will be a hit and they’ll actually make more money during the strike. Here’s how Washington Post columnist Lisa de Moraes explained it in the on November 9, 2007. She quotes Peter Chernin (COO of New Corp and CEO of Fox) on the potential upside of the strike. “. . .Fox, like other studios, axed many of its overhead deals with producers. Chernin said the network would save more money on those axed deals and “story costs” and by not making pilots ‘than we lose in potential advertising.’ ”

Rather sad, isn’t it?

So, to fill my TV viewing void, I’m going with old movies and DVD sets of my favorite shows. So far, I’m working my way through Bones Season One. I had to take a break on House because I was beginning to think I had symptoms of each one of the diseases. (Yes, I’m a bit of hypochondriac.)

Has the writer’s strike impacted your couch potato routine? Are you watching the new unscripted shows? If not, what are you watching?

10 Responses to “Anything Good On Tonight?”

1. Biggest Loser because it makes me feel guilty about not working out rather than watching the show.
   Reruns of Bones. The new Mediums, although they are off for four weeks. Now I’m watching the movies I never saw. Like Weight of Water which is what I watched this weekend.

   But I’m trying to read more and have been retiring early to the bed and getting in at least a chapter in one of the current books I’m reading. My problem is as soon as I lay down, I’m out.

   by Lynn on January 23rd, 2008 at 7:06 am
   
   

2. Lynn, I know what you mean about watching the Biggest Loser–kind of ironic to sit there eating trail mix while watching them workout!

   by Sara on January 23rd, 2008 at 8:17 am
   
   

3. Okay, my life isn’t that sad, I have life beyond reality dancing shows and while I’m waiting for Lost to come back on, I usually turn to the Discovery Channel. Okay, maybe it IS that sad.

   Like Lynn, I have been watching The Biggest Loser. I have a variety of surgical tubes and bands that I’ve collected from physical therapy sessions and I use them to work on my bulging biceps while I watch. I can now lift 2 - 24 ounce cans of Bud Select AT THE SAME TIME.

   You know, as much as I’ve tried to watch Bones, the character of Dr. Brennan is so emotionless, I can’t get into it. I know they’ve tried to humanize her a bit, but I just don’t like the character.

   Well, Ladies, and visiting gentlemen, like Tasha, I’ll be taking a little break as I head so far east I’m going west to get there (actually directly north over the pole.) I’ll be in China for a couple of weeks on (day job) business. If I find time and a reasonable internet connection AND I’m not blocked by China’s internet censorship, I’ll try to stop by.

   by Will Bereswill on January 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
   
   

4. Impressive workout routine, Will!

   I’m not saying watching dance shows is sad. You can watch as many dance shows as you want. They just don’t do it for me. Anyone who can lift 2 - 24 counce cans of Bud Select at the same time, but be doing something right!

   I do like Discovery Channel and their reality shows. My whole family is hooked on Mythbusters, which at times can be a little hokey. The introductions to the shows are obviously staged, not spontaneous, but I can overlook that.

   Have a good trip! May all your flights be on time and your transitions through security be uneventful.

   by Sara on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
   
   

5. Reruns of some shows are good (why couldn’t they rerun Heroes - I missed a couple of those, but NOOO, it’s more important to have Howie Mandel and his money bimbos), but I have also been reading even more (and I do get to read for at lease two hours a day, although not all in one chunk, usually).

   Unlike Will, I love that Dr. Brennen is so analytical (I don’t think she’s emotionless, more that she doesn’t throw her emotions all over everyone else, which is refreshing). She’s such a beacon of reason and sense, instead of the (sorry to anyone who likes these ideas/shows) abject ridiculousness of Medium and Ghost Whisperer. I do like fantastical ideas (that vampire guy on Friday nights, who I don’t get to see much, is hot!), just not the suburban mom talking to the dead leaves me cold.

   by Kate Hathway on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
   
   

6. I don’t do reality TV.

   And holding to my contining resolution, I’ve been watching less news and listening to more music. The only TV show I watch religiously is The Wire.

   What I do watch are movies. In the past week alone I’ve watched The French Connection, The Bourne Identity and Ultimatum, Ratatouille, Terror Planet, Dead Man, Death Proof, Once, Eastern Promises, The Simpsons movie, Waitress, Superbad, and Live Free or Die Hard.

   I’m sure I’m missing a few. What I’m not missing is TV.

   by David Terrenoire on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:54 am
   
   

7. Don’t want to hijack the thread, but David, What did you think of Terror Planet and Death Proof? I have a copy of Terror Planet to watch on the plane to China. Thought about getting Death Proof.

   by Will Bereswill on January 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
   
   

8. Will,

   They’re stupidly fun. Lots of stuff blows up, there’s no character development, the plots are shot full of holes, there are buckets of screen gore and girls in short shorts and halters whose lipstick and mascara remain perfect even as they’re being thrown from cars and blown over walls.

   Terror Planet, with its pustule-faced zombies, is the better of the two. Way way way over the top.

   by David Terrenoire on January 23rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
   
   

9. Sounds like they’re perfect guy movies. I’ll skip them, but tell my husband about them.

   by Sara on January 23rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
   
   

10. Ok, I know it’s a guy movie but I really liked Live Free or Die Hard.

    I’m also 1/2 way through Sleeping Murder by A. Christie since Diana threatened bodily harm if I didn’t read it. (I know California isn’t really that far away…) And I have to say I love it.

    I sit with my hand weights and do curls but today my arms hurt so my inner Jillian must have been pushing too hard during Biggest Loser last night.

    by Lynn on January 23rd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
    
    

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