Watching TV....

Okay...I thought it was time to start a new thread here...I know that is what everyone has been waiting for too...

Which channels do you tend to watch on TV and why?

I'm not a big viewer of TV but I've recently started watching the Discovery Times channel (310?) and I have become hooked on its evening programs. Recent ones which were very informative included a documentary about Al Qaeda and Iraq. This weekend starts a four part segment on Failures of Intelligence.

Other channels that can entertain me for a spell is 660 - the Western Channel. I've also been enjoying the shows on BBC America but can't remember the channel number offhand.

And last but not least, an evening would not be complete without Jeapardy even if Ken is gone...

Next...

 

About the only thing I actually watch is CSI. I TiVO CSI:Miami and CSI:NY since they come on later

Now my husband on the other hand, he watches TV whenever he is home. Usually sports related stuff, talk shows or actual football/soccer games.

 

The Travel Channel, Discovery, National geographic, HGTV and news.

lyo

 

I don't watch much TV, the things I watch I TIVO. ER, CSI, SVU mostly. Also Myth Busters on Discovery and Southpark.

Marianne

 

Scrubs, It's become one of my favorite comedies of the season

 

csi *, south park, the venture brothers, survivor, apprentice, american chopper/hotrod, mythbusters, extreme * makeover, austin city limits, simpsons, er, football, family bonds, airline

 

Apprentice, Branson's knock off of apprentice, ER, Sopranos (when on), HGTV, WETA, Eastenders and Coronation St. (British soaps my dad sends me weekly on a tape from UK - plus other UK shows. If there are any of you who would like to see these tapes and you have a VHS player that converts to NTSC email me and I'll be happy to pass them on to you.

jaeris

 

I think LOST is the best new show on TV. I can't get enough of it. Possibly because it isn't a medical or law show!

 

This is probably more of a manifesto statement than a simple response, but here goes. By choice, we use no cable or DBS, which I realize probably makes us demographic freaks considering many, if not most, Americans seem to expect a 500 channel universe as a given, something that holds no appeal to our admittedly contrarian views.

We have free digital OTA only and when used in conjunction with timeshifting and Netflix, provides us with all the entertainment options we need and have time for.

Other than news, Amazing Race, BBQ University, Sun (3 am) SNL repeats and The Apprentice, every show we watch is in HDTV and Dolby Digital audio.

Regular Series:

Arrested Development
Desperate Housewives
Boston Legal
Listen Up
Las Vegas
Two 1/2 Men
Richard Branson's Quest...
NYPD Blue
Lost
Medical Investigations

And come January:

24
Alias

Specials and occasional:

Super Bowl
Oscars
Grammies
Austin City Limits (PBS)
Soundstage (PBS)
Nature (PBS)
Desert Speaks (PBS)

There is only so much time in the day to devote to television. And when we invest the time in watching, we want to see and hear something of the best possible technical quality and we want it to be on our terms, zipping thru unwanted ads. Note to creative advertisers: We also repeat and sometimes even save commercials which we find to be artistic, funny or even mildly amusing. Note to boring advertisers and local car dealers: We will FFW thru your stuff so fast your head will spin.

For us, time shifting is the only way to watch anything other than live sports or the news. We can't personally get emotionally attached to a show, if we can't repeat a segment or pause it when needed or skip thru commercials when we want to.

- Other than the occasional Redskins game or US Open (both in HD), we're not particularly into televised sports and are blissfully ESPN, CSN and YES-free. OTA networks broadcast all the sports we care to watch, thank you.

- We're not news fanatics and are blissfully CNN, MSNBC and FOX NEWS-free. Again, OTA networks broadcast all the news we care to watch, thank you. If, God forbid, there is major 9/11 type breaking news, the major networks pick up and redistribute CNN's feed anyway.

- We have no need for bass-fishing, PPV, "lifestyle", history, animal and shopping channels. For movies, we have our own HDTV, DVD and MPEG online library and we use the Netflix DVD service for movies and some TV shows we can't otherwise get. We can live just fine without having to seeing the latest Sopranos episode when it is first broadcast. We just see it a year or so later than every one else.

sj

 

Apprentice: Donald Trump Rocks!

Lost: Although We're loosing interest. Something big better happen soon.

Survivor: I watch this with the kids. I believe that its basically had its run. Been there done that....

Boston Legal: William Shatner and James Spader...awesome together

Amazing Race: Not just another reality series.... A real good way to see the world

 

Jaeris,

I'd be interested! I love the British soaps and sense of humor.

 

I personally absolutely refuse to watch any type of reality show on TV. To me these shows appeal to the worst in people ... wanting to see someone lose, wanting to see the beautiful woman ditched by the notsohandsome guy, wanting to see a bunch of women get catti over a handsome guy, wanting to see people screw each other over ... I just can not see the appeal in it.

But that is me. Just know that in our home no reality show is ever tuned into. We looked at them, we couldn't stand it, we don't watch it.

Marianne

 

I watch Fear Factor, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Survivor (simply the best show ever), Apprentice, ER.
As for the "talking heads" shows, I'll watch Hardball, O'Reilly Facor, Hannity and Colmes.

 

I wish the classics movie channel had more what I consider the old classics...like Gone With The Wind; Casablanca et al.

The reality shows were started while I was overseas so I've never really got into them. I have never watched Survivor but did manage to see once or twice, Amazing Race which I thought was cool and The Bachelor which I thought was pretty pitiful. I agree with Marianne that some of these reality shows really have no place on tv and wonder how much they influence kids and teens in their way of thinking?

Love the Sunday morning talk shows...especially Tim Russert with meet the Press and Chris Matthews with Hardball!

 

My favorite channels are:

History & History Intl
Discovery & Discovery Times
Comedy Central (South Park)
Fine Living (good stuff on wine)
HBO
Animal Planet
IFC
NFL Channel
MTV (Pimp My Ride)

Network Shows I like are:
CSI & CSI NY
Lost
Desperate Housewives
George Lopez


I watched the first few Survivor series (I-III), but can't stand any more reality TV. Thank God for Tivo!

 

Explains a few things ... <g,d,rlh>*








* grin, duck, run like heck. [}]

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Pimp my ride is funny. I love watching that show. Only one I watch on MTV anymore.

 

Actually a show I recently got into is Penn & Teller's Bull****. My god that show is funny, usually right on the money (not always), and of course not at all influenced by the "language police", since it is on Showtime. It is actually the ONLY reason I subscribe to Showtime, and I don't think there aren't enough of their shows.

Marianne

 

I've been into the Rebel billionaire lately.... much more exciting than the apprentice because of the cool places they go, etc. Like a combo of fear factor (without the bugs) and apprentice.

I'm happy with the outcome of the current Survivor... go chris!!