| Editorial December 2003
There's Nothing to Watch on TV!
If I’ve heard "There’s Nothing to Watch on
TV!" once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. Perhaps you feel that way if
you’re stuck with three local channels and no DVD player, but today, with cable,
satellite, and DVD, it’s simply not true for the vast majority. There’s
something to watch for almost everyone -- but you have to take the time to look around to
find your shows.
I have to limit the number of TV shows I get hooked on.
Right now, the number stands at three: Alias, 24, and The Sopranos.
Folks have suggested that I watch other shows, too. "If you like 24,
you’ll love CSI," they say. But I just can’t keep pace. And with a
steady diet of new DVD releases every Tuesday, how can I possibly keep up with the latest
Hollywood blockbusters and made-for-TV serials? I do have a life outside home
theater, thank goodness. If I’m going to be an active, well-rounded person, not a
glued-to-the-TV couch potato, I’ve got to know when to say when. Not to mention that
I have to find time to write about the latest home-theater gear for all of you. It’s
a tough life.
Seriously, how much TV is too much? I watch, on average,
two movies a week. When one of the above shows is released on DVD, my wife and I start a
marathon viewing schedule until we’ve gotten through the season. How many of you can
stand not to find out what mess Jack Bauer has gotten himself into, or what Sydney Bristow
is wearing?
As I write this, on Tuesday, October 28, the fourth season
of The Sopranos is being released on DVD. I feel I’ve gone far too long
without knowing what "Tone" is doing down at the Bada Bing. That means that,
this weekend, I’ll probably watch at least four episodes, and get the second DVD
around Tuesday of next week. What are ya gonna do? And I almost forgot -- Hulk is
due out this week, too. I’ve got to find time for the big, lovable green guy.
Couple my viewing habits with my love of music, and it puts
me in front of my system for many hours each week. There’s an upside to this,
however. My system, on which I’ve spent a pretty penny, gets a lot of use. In return,
I get a lot of pleasure. It’s a fair deal. But I have to balance all of this viewing
and listening time with other aspects of my life that are just as important, and that
means self-imposed limits on my viewing habits.
These days, when I hear someone say, "There’s
nothing to watch on TV," I figure they just haven’t looked very hard. Me?
I’ve got more than enough viewing choices to keep my home-theater fix satisfied.
There’s too much to watch on TV.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
