Magical Black Box

My love for TV shows is embarrassing. Ever since I was 13 and my best friend and I started watching the final season of Friends back when it was actually on TV, I've been hooked. (She and I can probably quote from memory the entire series. Yup. We're those girls. "Ohhh. Myyyy. Goddddd.")

Back when I was still in high school, my mom and I would watch Will & Grace and Grey's Anatomy religiously. Sunday nights were unashamedly reserved for Desperate Housewives, which, along with my aunt, cousin, and (though he'll deny it) my brother, we would watch with chips, dip, wine and chocolate. Those times, it wasn't even as much the show (soap-y and ridiculous), but the atmosphere and tradition that was so enjoyable.

In college, I moved on to shows I actually wanted to watch in my free time. Dexter, Mad Men, and of course Friends reruns via DVD took up most of my TV attention. Senior year I was obsessed into SyFy's quirky series Eureka, which I still occasionally watch on Netflix if I'm in the mood; that show and Friends got me through writing my thesis.

The last couple of years, perhaps thanks to the eternal glory of Netflix, I've started watching some hilarious and awesome shows. Those on the popular TV circuit include Rules of Engagement, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family**.
                   **I constantly (and to the annoyance of anyone unlucky enough to be watching with me) giggle and point 
                       out jokes that have been borrowed from Friends in these more modern shows.

More dramatic recent watches include Hell on Wheels, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Detroit 187 and The Unusuals. A couple, such as the latter two cop dramas, have been cancelled much to my dismay. I'm behind on SoA (it's so SO dramatic! A girl needs a little comedic relief!) and caught entirely up on Hell on Wheels (a gritty drama about the building of the Union Pacific railroad) and Justified (an absolutely fantastic Timothy Olyphant as a trigger-happy U.S. marshal sent back home to eastern Kentucky). These last two I can't recommend enough if you're looking for something to watch!

Oh, and let's not forget the cherry on top...perhaps my absolute new favorite:

Season 3 is due to start next year!

 ...So. Yes. I like TV shows a wee bit. I'm the kind of person who can re-watch her favorite shows over and over, hundreds of times. I watch reruns of Friends and How I Met Your Mother in the mornings when I get ready (I've seen them so many times that I don't actually need to watch the screen, ha) and when I'm doing boring, quiet chores like washing dishes or cleaning out my dresser. I think it's because a) the episodes are short, so I can watch one while I do my makeup, and not have to worry about missing or pausing anything, b) unlike a book, I don't have to devote my entire attention to the activity of watching TV, and c) good shows pack a lot of punch- a lot of humor and drama and ups and downs. They're like a really, really, really long movie made to watch in short segments. That sounds way dumb, but for that reason, TV shows are perfect for someone like me who always wants more out of movies, and all the important parts of a story in 20 minutes while she looks for her keys.

Bam. There it is. I'm a TV nerd. Netflix and old Friends DVDs will forever have my heart.

:) Sammie