Serial Bingeing

We don't watch a lot of TV, but between Netflix and iTunes we barely watch cable anymore.

It all works out GREAT for us in that we're not appointment television people. Sozlet has a ton of stuff going on and E.G. might be home anytime between 5 PM (rarely) and 9 PM (more common). Yet, we like watching TV together.

That used to mean that we'd pile on the couch at 9 PM or whatever and flip channels for a while. The worst was when you'd happen on something interesting at 9:15 -- you already missed the first 15 minutes and it wouldn't be over until 10 (say). So it was almost always annoying and unsatisfying. (More time than we planned, or never found anything actually interesting.)

Now we watch half-hour comedies, which without commercials are ~22 minutes, when we have a moment. It works out really nicely.

We've made our way through "30 Rock" and "Parks and Rec" and have now started on "Big Bang Theory." (E.G. IS Sheldon Cooper. OMG. E.G.'s little saner, but… A regular occurrence is that sozlet and I crack up at something Sheldon does/ says and E.G. turns and says "why is that funny?" in the most Sheldon Cooper-ish way possible. Which cracks us up all over again.)

Because we only watch an episode a night, and not every night, we're progressing slowly. We didn't finish watching "30 Rock" until it was off the air, we are caught up with "Parks and Rec" and go ahead and record new episodes (and then watch them when we have time).

E.G. and I have also finished "Louie" but that's not really family viewing.

Just looked it up......November '90.

23 years ago.

How time flies!

I remember there is an oblique reference to Major right at the beginning.

Soz-If it weren't for the couple of series on Showtime, I would dump cable altogether. I do like my DVR, and love to copy and watch Bob Ross' "Joy of Painting", of all things.I find that show really relaxing.

Did you enjoy painting those 'happy little clouds'?

I have a large bias against him, but that's all from hearsay. I might turn around and like him, someone introducing people to the pleasure of painting.
I was raised by parents who didn't draw (they had other good attributes), my mother saying what some nun in 1909 must have told her, that she couldn't draw a straight line, I gather a bad thing. She was bemused I liked to draw.

I drew pretty well, over all, let's say middling, but when I first started painting I was completely clueless. I caught on to the play of it through smashing good teachers.

I used to watch him way back in the day (they ran his shows for decades) when I used to partake of herbal intoxicant. He made me laugh...not like that was that hard to do.

Funny that you mention it, Ragman. Since I was thinking of taking up a new hobby, I am seriously considering trying Bob's "wet on wet" technique. I'll let you now if this ever comes to pass.

I want to check out the facilities in my communities art club. I don't want to do it at home, as I am sure that I will make a mess washing the brushes!!

Go for it, I'm interested.

I loved how he used to beat the brushes. It was worth a painting session just to do that. Used to paint in my garage.

I have an idea of what catalyzes my entertainment addiction: the Fisher-Buttafuoco scandal.

The widely publicized American extra-marital love affair scandal involving American teenager Amy Fisher and Italian-American married man Joey Buttafuoco which resulted in the murder attempt of Buttafuoco's wife shocked assumptions about community values stability in the modern era.

The Fisher-Buttafuoco scandal reminds me why relevant related gossip-creativity Hollywood (USA) movies such as "Celebrity" (1998) make me feel like an entertainment witch.

Wow! That does go back aways. Years ago, I lived but a few miles from the "scene of the crime".

I've just started Series 6 of 24 Hours - only two more series to go, I'm getting withdrawal symptoms already! Any idea what I can line up to watch after Series 8 has ended?

Sopranos box set?

Shameless USA?

We have the box set of the Sopranos - good series, but it doesn't have the cliff-hangers that 24 Hours does. I don't know Shameless - must google it.

Have you seen Burn Notice? Similar vein to 24, spies and that, but a lot frothier, still a lot of fun, and there's shitloads of them.

Also you learn stuff, weird stuff.

watched a few episodes, you will soon learn that its a bit of a one trick pony. Its a McGyver who's been fired from his dy job

Oh yeah, total froth, but I still like it.

I haven't seen Burn Notice, but I'll have a look online. We bought a few boxed sets this summer, but 24 Hours has led me into autumn - still have Prison Break and Lost to watch - no idea if they are any good or a total waste of time. Watched Poldark, To the Manor Born, Northern Exposure, One Foot in the Grave and The Good Life earlier this year - all watchable, but no meat on them!

We had watched the last three years of Dexter on Showtime. Then Netflix had the first four years to stream, so we did, and finished the 48 episodes in a few weeks. The first few years were amazing, I think better than the last three.

Season 5 was on Amazon, but you had to pay 2 bucks an episode to see it. So, we bought the Blu-Ray box on Amazon. It will be coming tomorrow. Showtime has "on demand, but only the last season, which we already saw.