My Approach to Watching TV

Saturday, March 15, 2008 | 19:25

Film critic James Berardinelli discusses different approaches to watching TV:

For years, my parents would sit in their easy chairs at 8:00 and watch TV until 11:00, when they went to bed. Some of the stuff they watched was dreadful but the experience was about relaxing and winding down from the day's stress more than it was about enjoying quality programming.

I come from a different generation and my mindset is different. I only watch TV shows that I genuinely enjoy, and that usually means only three or four prime-time shows each season. I will readily admit there are good shows I miss, but I don't think there are any bad shows I endure. I also don't generally watch TV "live." I use my DVR to record everything then view it when I want to - not when the networks say I should - and skip through the commercials. It's a pleasant experience not to have to wait three minutes for a story to resume. #

The reason why I mention this is that I have the same approach to watching TV nowadays. I have cut down on the number of TV shows I follow and prefer to record those I do follow so that I can watch them when I want to, skipping the commercials.