Tuesday, September 20, 2011

TV and me: a true story.

It's confession day on the blog, so here goes: I haven't watched TV in years.

Okay, that's a little bit of a lie. I watch sports sometimes. Football and baseball, mostly. But, I've never seen an episode of Buffy, or True Blood, or The Vampire Diaries. Never.

My "no TV" policy started fifteen years ago and it stemmed from me realizing how much of my life I squandered in front of the boob tube. I would come home from work and watch TV until bedtime. That was my day. Work and TV. People would ask if I'd read some book that they liked and I'd say that I hadn't had time. But then I realized I'd had plenty of time, I'd just chosen to spend it vegetating on the couch in a TV stupor. So I went cold turkey. I just stopped watching. Our TV is still on in the evenings because my husband is still a TV addict, but I tune it out and write. I can tell you very little about the shows he watches.

The reason I bring this up here is because my amazing critique partner, Andrea Cremer (who, btw, is a genius) told me that my high school football playing man-whore in my new manuscript was missing the "Tim Riggins factor." So, of course, I had to google Tim Riggins.
He's a high school football playing man-whore on a series that just ended, Friday Night Lights. Whereas it's a series that, at least partially, is about football, and also had an actor (Kyle Chandler) who I'd loved in a series he was in before I stopped watching TV (Homefront), Friday Night Lights had always been a show I thought I might like when I saw the promos.

I'm in that waiting place. I'm waiting on copyedits for Last Rite among other things, so I'm just tweaking and tinkering in a few manuscripts. I have some TV time. We have Netflix. Netflix streams Friday Night Lights. Because I'd apparently written a Tim Riggins-esque character, I had to check it out. I am addicted. In three days, I'm almost through season 1, and now I'm sorry I only found this series after it had been cancelled. I don't drink, or smoke, or do anything illegal or elicit (well...except drive too fast), but I obsess over characters in books and movies. I'm finding out I also obsess over characters in TV shows. My addictive tendencies seem to be limited to fictional people. I don't know if this is good or bad.

So, I hope I can get through the rest of FNL before I'm not waiting anymore, and maybe I'll move onto Buffy. Netflix doesn't stream The Vampire Diaries or True Blood, unfortunately, so I'm not sure I'll get to those. =(

9 comments:

  1. TV is overrated :) I don't watch it either, though I do stream a few things on Netflix when I need something to watch and chill for a bit, without commercials. Do check Buffy if you get a chance--you'll like it!

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  2. I feel like I've just found out a really big secret about you! I have to admit that I have not seen Friday Night Lights but I heard good things about it so I'm still sad for everyone that it got cancelled. I can wholeheartedly recommend True Blood and The Vampire Diaries which ARE my favourite shows. I'm also loving The Secret Circle which is a new show based on the L J Smith books so I'd recommend that one too. Welcome to the club Lis :D

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  3. So glad the recommendation worked out! Next up: Supernatural!

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  4. LOL, I get obsessive over things like that as well.
    I occasionally watch a TV episode on DVD or Hulu but I haven't watched something live on TV forever. Except Dinosaur Train and Phineas and Ferb, but those don't count ;)

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  5. For the last two Id go with Hulu, and I cannot believe you haven't watched Buffy! It's a classic! The Vampire Diaires is such a good series too (it has the future father of my children, Ian Somerhalder). I like it better than the book series xD

    True Blood is good, but they don't stick to the series, which is a bummer.

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  6. You did the right thing cutting out TV. I've recently realized it's a huge time suck. Maybe worse than the internet. I'm trying to cut back. Be careful. It sounds like you may get sucked in again...lol....It has a way of sneaking up on you if you're not vigilant--especially once a show--or two--or more, catches your eye! Good luck.

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  7. I LOve TV...but only watch it while I work out. That way I don't feel guilty.

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  8. I don't watch much TV anymore either, but FNL is one of my indulgences. Love it! It's one of my favorite TV shows ever.

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  9. I do similar things. I do continue to watch TV, but I really try to make sure I have time for writing, reading and time with friends.

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