Ever since I was a kid, this time of year got me jazzed for the new TV season. I pored over entertainment articles about upcoming shows and eagerly anticipated my returning favorites. I pitied friends and family who claimed they didn’t have the time or interest to keep up with TV.
I fear I have become one of those people.
My brother (also a TV junkie) asked me the other day which new shows I liked and whether I had started “Homeland” and “Modern Family.” I panicked. This is the first time in a long while that I’m completely behind on my TV repertoire and it’s stressing me out a little bit.
Life’s busy now that I’m back to work, and at this time of year the school and sports activities are endless. And I also need to find time to blog for you people! My TV-watching window has decreased significantly and I don’t feel quite myself.
Thanks to modern technology, I can be behind on many shows and still catch up, between the DVR and OnDemand channels. Is this good or bad…I’m not sure. In some ways I’m comforted by the knowledge that the shows are there waiting for me….but also feel the pressure to watch.
Over the summer, I had grand plans of picking up a bunch of shows I missed last year and finishing up others I left mid-season. I did manage to watch some but yet more eluded me.
I’m done harping on this digital dilemma. Instead I’ll cut to the chase and give you my overly obsessive list of where I stand in my TV commitments….
Shows I’m devoted to no matter what: Mad Men, Parenthood, Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, How I Met your Mother, Daily Show, Saturday Night Live.
Shows I enjoy occasionally but can’t commit: The New Normal, X Factor.
New shows I’m determined to try and know I’ll love: The Mindy Project, Nashville, Revolution, Call the Midwife.
Shows I caught up on this summer and won’t give up: Boss, Smash, New Girl, Homeland.
Shows piled up on my DVR because I want to watch them but somehow get pushed to last priority: 30 Rock, Gossip Girl, Oprah’s Next Chapter.
Shows that have jumped the shark or gotten stale but I just can’t quit: Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, The Office, The Big C.
Shows I would love to watch if Wilson wouldn’t judge me and leave the room: Real Housewives of NJ/NY, Katie, Oprah’s Lifeclass.
Shows I regret missing completely: American Horror Story, Glee, Weeds.
Shows I have missed but will find time to watch before I go gray: Breaking Bad, The Wire, Downton Abbey.
Here’s a link to some of the new shows this season with brief reviews. I’d love to hear which shows you’re watching and which you think I can let go. Tell me in the comments.