confessions of a t.v. addict

not sure what it says about me when the high-light of my weekend is the first episode of the new season of "doctor who".  and then, we follow that up with the return of "game of thrones".  t.v. geeks of the world, REJOICE!! when it comes down to it, this has been a great season for fans of all genres; granted, not for everyone, but the new shows run the gamut from weird to strange to OMG!!  and some of my favorites haven't returned yet, so there's more to look forward to.                                                                                   thinking back to when t.v.'s were considered pieces of furniture and sometimes required the whole family just to move it from one side of the room to another, anything new on air was considered AN EVENT!!  black-and-white was the only thing available, but strangely i remember b&w shows primarily as re-runs, shows i had to watch because i wasn't able to afford a color set of my own.  and, of course, even if the sets received color, not all shows were "made" in color.  thus, when any show made the transition, they were suddenly "new" shows, so if you watched a color show in b&w, you had to watch it when it was re-run just because you could see it in color.  well, you get my drift.                                                                                              i've always liked t.v.  not because i had anything to escape from, but, even with what i consider a vivid imagination, t.v. took me to places i thought i could never go.  i "met" so many interesting people that made me feel things i couldn't explain at the time.  yes, it was, for the most part, a great big game of make-believe (unless you were watching an early pbs documentary or a wide world of disney nature documentary on a sunday night), every show stirred something inside...at least for me.  and news was news, not a bunch of fluff pieces tied together with snippets of substance.  9/11 was the first time since the assassination of jfk that the country was bound together by the feelings and images of an occurrung event.  but that's something for an entire piece at another time.                                                                                                                             anyway, there was a bit of excitement every time i lay on that big pillow on the floor, with my chin propped in my hands, waiting for whatever show was up next, to start.  if it was new...oh,boy!  if it was a returning favorite...there was some kind of comfort there, like welcoming an old friend.  i still get some of those feelings to this day.  a returning show brings back that warm surge of the familiar and a return to the comfort of a routine, unless they change the date or time, then i get momentarily pissed and have to go through a period of adjustment, especially if there's now a confliction with another show (thank god for the dvr!!!!).  doctor who's new season?  anticipation!!  "game of thrones"?  can't wait for what happens since i last watched.  a movie on hbo i 've been waiting to see?  popcorn ready and PLEASE!  no inerruptions!!!  reality?  put on hold!!  and then there are the new shows; ones that LOOK good but will they live up to the hype.  ones that star a favorite actor, but will i come away asking why in hell they took that role.  and the biggie...HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?  will there be enough people like me who turn in every week to warrant keeping the show on the air.  can't count the number of shows i've liked that get canceled because of "numbers", critical darlings that nobody watches, except for, apparently me.  so, anticipation level....set, and i return to my reviews of the new and returning shows.                                                                                                                                                                     let's start with the new.  in the comedy field i really haven't found many that WOW me.  "the new normal" (i know.  not that new, but i've been saving up) is one that, while not perfect, is a really nice mix of funny and touching.  along with "modern family", a relatively realistic depiction of modern relationships, a tad stereotypical but relateable. and often leaves me a little verklempt.  didn't initially think it would last, but it does serve an audience without being condescending.  "2 broke girls"...brash, crass and often has "i-can't-believe- they- said-that" moments, but very funny.  my usual string of monday's on cbs and wednesday's on abc are must-sees are all familiar "friends"                                                                                                      there are many new ones in the drama arena, starting with "the following".  definitely NOT for everybody, but an edge-of-seat thrill ride that is gasp-producing and never fails to get your heart racing.  and kevin bacon?  he's terrific.  "elementary"  is a great re-interpretation of the holmes/watson relationship and a fun procedural.  "the bates motel" is another that redefines a familiar subject, and, so far i find very intriguing.  am looking forward to "defiance" on syfy, but i've always been a nut for the "after-the-invasion" scenario.  like "revolution".  no invasion here but visions of what could happen i always find intriguing, if not always plausible.  "falling skies", again not really that new, is coming back, and i'm looking forward to that.  and "grimm"  and "once upon a time" are two of my must-see programs, combining and modernizing genres.            reality shows?  BLECH!!  never got into "the amazing race".  dropped "idol" long ago and "dwts"?  it's amazing what they consider stars these days.  they should pretty much change the name to "dancing with WHO?"   kardashians?  WHO THE HELL CARES???  housewives?  WHY????  jersey shore?  WTF??     and so many of them depict people just for the sake of exposing them to ridicule in the name of entertainment.  really are most vomit-inducing.  the only one i watch, though not religiously, is "rupaul's drag race" and mostly because i worked with people like that for years and it is very true-to-life.  not always pretty, but VERY real.                                                                                                                                 i didn't make any lists before hand, so there are probably shows that i'll remember later and wish i'd included, but i just wanted to, for whatever reason, put it out there.  whatever it says about me...meh!!  probably just that i spend too much time, sometimes WAY too much time, in front of the boob tube.  but i have to admit, i LOVE my t.v.  so sue me.