Thursday, October 8

TV Head

I know some readers and writers who disdain TV as an inferior form of entertainment. They say, rather snootily, "I don't watch TV," as though this puts them in the same socio-cultural stratosphere as Michelangelo or the guy who first performed open-heart surgery.

Me, I'm a TV head. Does that make me a moron? I don't know. I may be a moron, but not because I watch TV. In fact, I read more books than anyone I know and write three to four books a year. (OK, now I'm starting to sound like a socio-cultural status snoot. Sorry about that.) My point is that it doesn't have to be either/or. You can be a person like me who spends most of her hours staring at words that either I or other people have produced and still enjoy kicking back with a good show.

So what do I like to watch these days?

As aired on TV:

House
So You Think You Can Dance
Glee
Mad Men

Currently in progress on DVD:

Smallville
Battlestar Galactica
I Love Lucy
I Dream of Jeannie
Bewitched
Leave it to Beaver
The Addams Family
Doc Martin

Daytime TV:

Morning Joe (for politics fix while exercising)
The View (while answering email)
General Hospital (because I have to)

Late-night TV:

Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert
David Letterman

Honestly, it's amazing I get any writing or reading done at all! But yes, I really do write three to four books a year and read upwards of 250 books a year. Oh, and somewhere in there I even manage to do a few other things!

So how about you?

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS (ARE) YOUR FAVORITE SHOW(S)? AND/OR WHAT IS (ARE) YOUR FAVORITE EPISODE(S) OF ANY OF THE SHOWS I NAMED?

I'd like to stick around but I've got to get back to Morning Joe.

Be well. Don't forget to write.

21 comments:

Michelle said...

LOL I love the "because I have to" aspect of watching General Hospital. It compels me to ask why. Why do you have to?

I'm a big fan of television and would go out on a limb and say it's just a more visually stimulating way to read a book.

Adrienne said...

Hi, I'm Adrienne, and I'm a *total* TV head, too! Though I manage only to write half a book or so a year, but I am going to blame being a mommy and working full time for that -- it can't be the TV time, can it? Current obsessions include Mad Men and Curb Your Enthusiasm and, much to my husband's dismay, The Hills and The City. I tell him it's for research, 'this is my CAREER!' but he sees right through me. Also, Neil Patrick Harris is my boyfriend except he and his boyfriend don't know that yet. So I make due by visiting him weekly on How I Met Your Mother.

Melissa Walker said...

OOH, I love this! I watch sooo much TV and sometimes I feel sheepish about it, but if you do too, Lauren, then I'm in good company! PHEW.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Michelle, I agree that TV is stimulating, not nearly as passive as some people say it is. As a writer, I spend most weekdays alone, so TV is also research, a window into other people's lives plus culture and politics that helps inform my writing. Oh, and I have to watch GH because...it makes me happy! (Except when it frustrates me.)

Adrienne, you can tell your husband I said it's research too. And it does sound like you're very busy, so writing half a book in a year is a huge accomplishment - yea, you!!!

Melissa, BAA! Glad I made you feel validated!

Wendy Toliver said...

I've barely started watching Glee and love it. I like Mad Men too, though I enjoyed it last season more for some reason. Also love the Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. I tend to DVR everything so I can skip commercials and watch my shows whenever I please. However, as I'm a mom, I usually have Go Diego Go! or Spongebob on.

Gerb said...

I'd like to be more of a TV head than I am. Not enough time to watch everything! When I do watch, it's usually DVR'ed so I can zip through the commercials.

My playlist includes:

Madmen, Drop Dead Diva, Heroes, House, Lie to Me, Castle, So You Think You Can Dance, The Mentalist, and just started trying out Flash Forward. January-ish we'll be adding Lost.

I guess that really is a lot of TV, huh? Maybe I'm more of a TV head than I thought!

Kim Harrington said...

My favorites are Lost, Fringe, True Blood and the new show FlashFoward. I see a theme there. Sci-fi geek alert! :)

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Wendy, I remember when Dora was on here all the time and Spongebob still is! I did watch the first two Vampire Diaries and was enjoying it but then life got in the way.

Gerb, um, yes you are more of a TV head than you thought. But, you know, research, doll, it's all research.

Kim, I love True Blood too, but don't get HBO and season 2 isn't out on DVD yet, all that being the only reasons why I didn't list it.

Sara Hantz said...

I'm a total TV Head. I LOVE House, Mad Men, Idol, Masterchef, Criminal Minds, Eleventh Hour, The Mentalist, Greys, ER, Doc Martin (in fact so many UK dramas I love).I could go on and on......

We haven't had Glee over here, hopefully we will get it.

Gina said...

I admit it...I love my TV shows too! Alas, I am not home to watch most (okay, almost all) of them when they actually air, so I end up watching them online mostly (or recording them for later when I perfect that making time formula).

Favorite shows (currently):
Bones
Ugly Betty
Grey's Anatomy
Fringe
Private Practice
Glee (singing, yay!
Supernatural (eye candy..and good story lines!)
Greek
Vampire Diaries (I think...recorded, them but haven't had the chance to watch)

Okay..enough about me. Great post!

Amanda Ashby said...

Yay - let's hear it for TV addicts!!!!! I learn as much about writing from watching TV as I do from reading books, and while one will never replace the other, I make sure that I always have time for both!!!

Some of my favorite old shows are Friends, Buffy/Angel/Firefly, Dark Angel, Deadwood (possibly the best tv show I've ever seen)

Out of your list Lauren I've got so say Bewitched. That was such an amazing show - the writing, the characters and the original premise. Awesome.

My fav current shows are: House, Bones, True Blood, American Idol, Skins, Gavin and Stacey, How I Met Your Mother, and hopefully Glee (we're getting it soon. Yay!!!)

Julie said...

I LOVE TV.

Vampire Diaries
Survivor
Greys Anatomy
The View
Young and the Restless
Oprah
Ellen
The Bachelor/Bachelorette

Sigh. Amazing I write at all. :)

Alyson Noel said...

We are in the Golden Age of television--and those not watching are missing out on some really great storytelling--in my humble opinion of course . . .

My current faves are- in no particular order:

Mad Men, True Blood, Entourage, Big Love, Damages, Rescue Me, The Office, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Colbert Report, Daily Show, Letterman, Dexter, Psych, Monk . . .

Yup, lots of couch time at my house!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Sara, it's great to know another Doc Martin fan! Have you seen William & Mary too with Martin Clunes? I love it but can't seem to find the last season over here.

GMR, thanks for the "Great post!" It's funny how a post about TV on a writing blog has generated so much commentary!

Amanda, you're so right about Bewitched. Oh, and I love Friends too! Favorite episode? THe one in Vegas!

Julie, I used to adore Young & Restless - saw the very first episode back in the early '70s at my aunt's house!

Alyson, it's exciting to know that even #1 NYT bestsellers find time to be TV heads!

Martha Flynn said...

I watch a ridiculous amount of TV. Right now my season pass manager on my primary TiVo has Glee, Vampire Diaries, Dollhouse, HIMYM, Smallville, Fringe, Lost, Gossip Girl, CSI, Mentalist, SYTYCD, Melrose, Gary Unmarried, Modern Family, Eastwick, Cougar Town, Scrubs, DWTS, Burn Notice, Leverage, Dexter, True Blod, Entourage, Weeds, Merlin, My Boys, American Idol, Medium, Flashforward, and Trauma. Did I mention I have three other TiVos....

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Martha, I think you win. ;)

Phil said...

You really are not a moron. Just cut down on the hours u spend in front of the TV. Do you mind checking out www.philosmudis.blogspot.com. An upcoming blog on issues affecting the teens and youths. Am trying hard to post more relevant blogs. Nice times

Daisy Whitney said...

I'm totally addicted to GLEE. I love musicals and I think we should all just break out in song on a daily basis. In fact, I often walk up and down my hallway tap-dancing to Lullaby of Broadway

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Nice blog, Philos!

Daisy, agreed. More breaking into song, less killing people.

Anonymous said...

I am huge fan of tv shows. I like tv shows very much. My favorite tv show is Curb your Enthusiasm tv show. I have watched its 3 season. it is very funny show.

Llyoid said...

TV can be both good or bad...it all depends with how you use it. If you abuse it, it will get amused, and in turn abuse you too badly...so we need some time away from that thing--lots of time buddies.