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Dallas, Texas, United States

Sunday, December 03, 2006

I Hate Showtime and HBO


I really do. Have you seen them lately? They are utterly brilliant.

What I'm talking about isn't the movies they show. It's their episodic series. And I'm not sure there's a bad one that exists. (Okay, I don't care for "Deadwood," but I digress.)

They started it all with "Sex and the City", "The Sopranos", "Queer as Folk" and "Six Feet Under." Now we've got "Dexter", "Weeds", "Nip/Tuck" and so many more. Oh looky looky, here comes good ole "Sleeper Cell" in a couple of weeks just in time to scare the bejeebers out of us for the holidays.

Their brilliant scheme works. They get us hooked with awesome writing. A couple of months of episodes and then - nuffin. Hiatus, whatever that means. Hey, man, I don't get to go on hiatus! They'll be gone for months and months until we alllllllmost forget about how good that show is and then like Emeril doing his magic, BAM! they bring it back for another 10 episodes or so, hook us, and then go on hiatus again. Totally brilliant marketing. And I hate it. The art of "leave 'em wanting more" really bites.

And the best (or worst?) part is that mainstream network television is hitching a ride on the same great writing wave. Cases in point: "Grey's Anatomy", "Studio 60", "Brothers and Sisters", "Jericho." Way too many to mention here. (My friend CE says I need to start keeping my entries brief.)

I'm really hating these TV people. Oh, I can actually participate in life, oh yes, but I have to devote hours of my off time to hit play on the DVR, in order to get all caught up before the next episode. It's enough to make a girl........write a blog.

Now, don't you have some Tivo or DVR to watch? Then what are you doing hanging around here?

10 comments:

Dezdmona said...

Hehe...frustrating isn't it.
In the infamous words of Master Yoda: You must learn to let go of everything you fear to lose.

I don't have a DVR, or HBO/Showtime so if I miss it, it's gone. I guess that's why I only try to keep up with two shows. LOL.

....but I always buy the Season DVD's when they come out and have a Marathon watching party. *big grin*

Damn...I've lost the salt shaker again.

CruiserMel said...

Dez - oooooo, the season 1 DVD of Grey's Anatomy got me hooked like heroin! I'd never seen the show until a friend of mine had me over and we watched until our eyes popped out. I LOVE season DVDs!

I've got some "no-salt"....will that do?

Anonymous said...

...and How I Met Your Mother... and 2 1/2 Men.... and Men in Trees... and I could go on & on. TWICE I had hours of shows to watch & the hard drive on my DVR crashed. TWICE. Dez is on to something there.... let go...let go...

CruiserMel said...

The hard drive on a dvr can crash? Oh the horror. I'm not joking here. I need my Showtime & HBO heroin. OMG, I'm starting to tremble.

Anonymous said...

its been about time that TV writing became good again, I was scared that realities were taking over. I think the good writing on premium channels forced network TV to get better.

xxxx said...

Totally agree with Golightly. The main networks had to step it up.

I loooove the writing on Grey's!

CruiserMel said...

Golightly and Swishy: Actors are only as good as the words and actions are written. I, too, am glad to see a change from the usual mindless garbage. But it sure is wearing me out!!!

Dezdmona said...

Reality TV sux....

Thank goodness for LOST...Oh DamB...it's on HAITUS! *hangs head*

Guess I'll watch Battlestar Galactica and see if there is any hope for the salvation of the human race.

n8 b said...

I totally know what you mean. I can't get enough of Entourage on HBO because they show 10-13 episodes and then BAM! nada for a couple of months.
Stupid HBO...

Gus said...

I keep HBO purely to watch stand up comedy and movies I already own and are too lazy to get up and put in the dvd player myself.