It’s been months since some of my favorite shows have aired. The WGA strike really cramped my tv viewing schedule. But the strike was resolved and most of my faves are on the cusp of returning. Given that I figured I’d share what I did to fill the void left my absent tv shows.
Got Acquainted with The Sopranos – Thanks to the glory of HBO On Demand I’ve been able to watch the first two season of this critically acclaimed program. I’m presently watching the third season and it’s not half bad. But the show is way overrated.
I guess you really have to transport yourself into the past to fully appreciate the program. I mean the introduction of dvds is a huge part of the first season, which makes the show just seem that much more quaint.
Still, if you aren’t a main character, you’re barely three-dimensional. I can remember all of the praise the show got in the early years and watching those episodes the praise seems completely unjustified. It’s a slick looking show, but it almost seems overproduced. The song selection is great, almost too great.. But the show does pass the time.
Got in to Curb Your Enthusiasm – Much like the Sopranos I managed, via HBO On Demand, to get in on the ground floor of this series. It’s pretty funny, though the first season looks so rough compared to later episodes.
Being a fan of the genre of awkward comedy it’s fun to see it in a rather pure, unscripted form. It’s also cool to see the nuance of daily life lampooned wand mixed with celebrity.
Watching TV on DVD – During the strike I was all about watching TV shows with commentary. Thankfully both The Simpsons and Futurama have commentary on every episode. Worst case scenario you get bunch of nerds talking about the geeky references and hidden jokes in the episode. But more often than not it it’s an entertaining listen/watch.
But on some The Simpsons episodes there’s actually an additional commentary. And even those are entertaining. Hearing a surly Conan O’brien is funny in and of itself, but his anecdotes were even funnier.
And the commentaries also have tidbits about what was cut from the episode and why. Like which jokes were abandoned because the butt of the joke died. And which bits were cut for time. And which jokes just fell by the wayside.
Hulu.com – Ok, so this is relatively new, but it’s a great time killer. First off it’s got an impressive variety. Actually it’s almost overwhelming. There are way too many offerings. All of those FOX shows. All of those NBC shows. All of those shows that I was never bored enough to watch, but now I can, anytime I like.
For instance now I can answer the question that’s plagued me for quite some time; does the New Adam-12 hold a candle to the original Adam-12? I’ve never seen an episode of either, but I’ve always been curious about the answer to that question.
I can also watch episodes of shows that I’ve never seen, but that have theme songs that I love. S.W.A.T. has a dope theme, and now I can catch entire episodes! For free! This site is amazing.
Obviously all of the examples of how I filled my time are ongoing. I’ve still got plenty of DVDs left to watch and I’m not even halfway though The Sopranos or Curb Your Enthusiasm. And I’ve barely even scratched the surface of Hulu. In fact I’ve got so many options that I’m almost lamenting the end of the strike.
It’s sad but it’s true.
