TV ain’t what it used to be. The days of limited selection, poor quality production and less than popcorn-worth stories are gone. Now you can watch TV ad nauseam, the selection so broad, it could take you hours if not days to make your selection. Watch by a TV listing scheduled time, no more. Now you determine which shows, which series, which movies you want to watch, at which time you want to watch them. All commerical free but not priced at ‘free.’ To watch TV the modern way, at your choosing and choice, you pay, subscriber fees. You subscribe to particular networks for fairly reasonable monthly fees and watch TV as it should be watched.
Spend a little time learning about these streaming video provider networks, companies like NETFLIX, HBO, CRAVE, and SHOWTIME, for example. The old networks still broadcast but they are loaded with commercials, so much that a half hour of viewing turns into less than 20 minutes of actual show time.
How to deflect viewing TV commercials
TV commercials can be avoided somewhat, by use of a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) device. TV cable network providers such as BELL MEDIA and ROGERS TV include PVR capability with their cable viewing devices and learning how to use the PVR capability will greatly enhance your TV watching pleasure. For one thing, you can record a show, and then watch the recording, but when you reach a commercial, you speed up the play rate of the PVR at a touch of a button and zip through all the commercials until you are back at your show watching point. Bingo, no more commercial watching.
Is there anything worth watching on TV
TV is a subjective passive pastime. One person’s gem of a show is another’s lump of coal. Sports for some viewers are a waste of time. For others, news shows. And for others, talk shows. TV producers are inhaling tums like a skunk sniffing his family’s scent as they try to create shows to attract new viewers. The depths of their inanity or is that insanity, are limitless. The only material carefully circumvented and navigated with extreme care is anything dealing with hard core pornography, seriously extreme violence and libellous slander. There are government regulatory bodies in Canada and the United States monitoring TV broadcasts. Foul language, for years strictly controlled and forbidden from TV, is eroding regulatory lines as our society tolerates it more and more. But shows which challenge the mental capacity of the viewer seem to be pushing the envelope more and more each viewing season.
Yes is the answer to the posed question if there is anything of value on TV. Arguably TV may be an absolute waste of time in many ways from many people, but as a form of entertainment, escapism and visual engagement, TV’s only challenger is the Internet and the latter is clearly winning that battle as more and more people become adept at surfing the net.
Shows we like, reviews and evaluations to follow
Bluebloods: a large family’s membership in the NY Police Department; excellent actors in excellent stories.
All Rise: a mature aged black woman portrays her trials as a judge; well acted with well written stories.
Stumptown: an example of escapism that is entertaining; a young woman portrays being a private detective and living with her younr brother who has Down’s syndrome. Worth watching as TV deals with people challenged mentally. We long ago surpassed the physically challenge with Ironside.
EVIL: TV is searching for its boundaries and today’s audiences seem increasingly attracted to spiritualism or dealing with matters in the other world. Rooted in The Exorcist movie from years ago, this TV series titillates the superstitious, likely tantalizes them and makes them wonder. A borderline time waster but well produced. Plausible plots, errrr, the jury is still deliberating.
Rookies: a 40 year old man joins the LA policeforce and has numerous challenges each week as he tries to become a full-fledged TV cop in LA. Good cast, particularly, lead Nathan Filion, in entertaining stories. Importantly, the episodes are like the other well known Dick Wolf series finding basis for their episodes in real life. TV makes one think this doesnt happen in real life, but this is false. The episodes use real life as source for their TV stories.
Madame Secretary: the series began with a woman acting as Secretary of State…eventually she become the first female president of TV USA. Solid cast playing out stories which come from the news and from the real world of politics. Believable stories much of the time, along with explaining political dynamics and situations plausible and credible.
BULL: a doctor of psychology develops courtroom strategies based on computerized and channelled jury panels in order to win court room cases. A stretch for believability but the story lines are very current with real life facts and data incorporated into the shows to add to the attempt at authenticity. An interesting time waster.
Bob❤Abishola: comedy escapism of a obese owner of a sock manufacturing company who has a crush on a female Nigeriannurse working in a hospital in which he was a patient. The laughter comes from the stereotypical portrayals and demonstrations of cultural contradictions as displayed by Abishola’s family and friends and their views of American society. Interesting comedy.
Carol’s second act: comedy; former teacher, Carol, finds retirement boring so she launches her second career in life, becoming a doctor. Lots of fun with the age and empathy between Carol and her much younger medical colleagues; pure comedic escapism.
