Off the air

We did it--we are officially TV free! Well, we still have a television (one), but no cable, no antennae. Dean and I were looking at our cable bill last month and realizing that we were paying $75 a month and watching TV maybe three times. That's $25 a shot. Ridiculous. So it's gone, baby. It'll be DVDs and downloads from here on out.

We weren't following any shows anyway. There are three uber-popular shows on that I have actually tried on multiple occasions to watch and enjoy...and I am horrified. The writing is terrible, the storytelling is clumsy, the acting is wanting. Why don't movie and TV makers invest more in a good script? It's shocking.

Okay, in my idea of good writing, anyway. I feel a little discouraged that shows I think are brilliant tend to be canceled before their time. Are my standards and likes so much different than everyone else? Off the top of my head, some of my favorite shows from the last few years:

• Firefly
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Angel
• Arrested Development
• The Office
• Wonderfalls
• Battlestar Galactica
• Justice League (and Justice League Unlimited)
• Veronica Mars

The last one we just discovered, watching the DVDs. The acting is tremendous, the dialog is top notch. It lasted three seasons before getting the boot. It makes me sad that those storytellers who are doing such a brilliant job and not stooping to cheap thrills and formula aren't being rewarded. The medium of television discourages risk taking, because it must be popular on a wide scale to be successful. As downloadable shows increase, there will be a much wider variety of entertainment. I'm willing to wager that in ten years, the way we view television will be revolutionized.

More author interviews to come...

Comments

[Anidori-Isilee]

TV is pretty much overrated. I really only watch Mythbusters. Funny and educational. And okay, Hannah Montana. But really? I don't get the point of TV. Reading is so much more fun. TV is something that I could live without.

Yay for more author interviews!

[Calliope1of9]

I adore The Office. It's my favorite show on TV (actually, it's tied with Monk.) I figure, if you're going to watch TV, you need to watch good TV, which at times can be an oxymoron. Good for you for getting rid of it!

[Jean]

I still haven't forgotten about chocolate for the fall-hopefully you'll be able to eat some.

I agree about tv. We dumped our dish years ago after realizing that it was costing us about $5 an hour for what little we were watching with basic programming. Some movies are still better on the big screen (like LOTR in my opinion) but now we have more choices about when, where, and how we watch certain forms of entertainment. I think it's definitely a technological plus.

[orangedragonfly]

woo hoo, you like battlestar! it's my favorite show. i'm also a big fan of buffy. :)

[Kailana]

I am not very big in tv either, I don't actually watch any new shows, mostly during the afternoon if I am home I watch reruns of shows that were on the air a few years ago. It's mostly background noise, we used to not have cable and I didn't even notice, but my bf likes wrestling and boxing, so that's pretty well why he got the tv back.

And Battlestar Galactica is one of my favourite shows. The old one is hillarious, thouhg, I see it on tv sometimes and it quite frankly looks like Star Wars in many cases. And very primitive. It's amazing how far technology has come.

[Summer]

We just finished watching Wonderfalls again on DVD. Loved that show! Oh, and Arrested Development is in my opinion the funniest, wittiest tv comedy ever.
I'm also with you on Firefly and The Office. I also really enjoying 30 Rock.

[Faith #2]

My mom and dad love battlestar galactica and the office. Firefly is my dad's all time favorite and my mom's, nearly.
We have TV, but about the only channels i watch are discovery and sometimes history with an occasional TLC program. We only watch an hour a day.

[calandria]

the cable part of our t.v. stopped working a while ago and we haven't missed it AT ALL. we only get cable because we get phone and modem that way and it's cheaper bundled.

i look forward to the t.v. revolution!

[Melody]

Firefly is the most awesome show ever to grace the tv. Veronica Mars is also really good, I've only seen the first season though because my sister took the second one.

[elizabeth]

yeah, a lot of shows these days are disappointing, but i do love some like Psych, Monk, So You Think You Can Dance, Without a Trace, and the Office

[SJM]

Firefly!
*cheers!*
*then cries because it was canceled...*

[Marie]

oooh! i can't wait for more author interviews... that last one was great! I've never had cable in my entire life and get a total of 5 channels! as a result i have gotten used to not watching that much tv... and im fine with it. there's so much to be distracted with nowadays.

hmmm... you like Firefly?? my friend LOVES that show, but i know nothing about it other than it is sci-fi, right?

[Marie]

oh, and i forgot to type what i watch when i actually DO watch TV......two words : Go PBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-American Experience
-Independent Lens
-Soundstage
-Europe through the Back Door with Rick Steves
-Anne of Green Gables
etc...

all those great random shows i stay up until midnight watching!

[Jessica]

So bold! So daring! I stand and watch in awe as you take the great plunge. I would also like to applaud your tv favorites. Whedon is our king!

[Leanna]

I do enjoy a lot of the old shows, they don't show on TV anymore. It's really sad when I see some of ths shows these days.

I'm looking forward to the author interviews. :)

[Q]

Have you tried The Office? It and the Amazing Race are pretty much the only TV I watch. Mythbusters is pretty cool too though...

[Enna Isilee]

Oh my word. Firefly. I LOVED that series! Why did they cancel it? Why?!
We have the whole series on DVD and I've watched it so many times. And we just today bought the special 2-disc edition of Serenity! I'm so excited!

And some of the T.V. shows are really lame. I mean "Age of Love"? "Who wants to be a superhero"? (Which is actually really... strange. Hosted by Mr. Stan Lee himself)

Dude. Justice League rocks. I love Jean.

[Faith #2]

I *blush* do watch the Addams Family and the Beverly Hillbillies.

[Tom]

I love the office, but I agree that most sitcoms don't have any taste. My Name Is Earl, which is on just before, is crass and abrasive, and Scrubs is cheap and unoriginal.
By the way, Shannon, are you willing to release the names of authors you hope to interview?

[Minde Briscoe]

Congratulations! We made the same plunge over a year ago and haven't missed it since. With my three year old son I find it encourages me to go to the library more often to get DVDs for him to watch. As for my hubby and I, well, we did the math and we can buy a season of Galactica for what one or two months of cable would have cost and still be saving tons.

I think you will be happy with the decision.

[Melissa]

I am afraid I will never rid myself of a TV until my husband stops watching sports!

Chicago Cubs, NFL Football, then college basketball

The cycle never ends!!

I guess I could force him to listen to the radio...

[Susan]

Good for you, Shannon! A few of my friends went cable-less a couple months back. They don't miss it for a second, but they sure do appreciate the extra cash in their purses.

I myself followed Buffy the Vampire Slayer...of course, I found a substitute that still offers the lovely David Boreanaz. Have you ever seen Bones? In my humble opinion, it's just great. ;o)

[Gretchen]

Now this is my kind of blog! While I do think *most* tv is pointless (i.e., anything related to fear, surviving, singing, or useless dramas), I love shows that can get into the good writing and plots akin to an excellent book series. I've learned just as much from some shows as I have some novels.
The Office: This is my favorite show on tv ever. It is witty, awkward, and so perfect. Jim Halpert rounds out my perfect guy trifecta along with Lloyd Dobler and Edward Cullen. :D
AD (RIP): This show makes me laugh, but it was almost too specific a type of humor to make it when it first showed on air. Still, those crazy Bluths!
Veronica Mars: The cancellation of VM still stings. I discovered it at the beginning of the 3rd season and devoured the 1st and 2nd seasons as soon as I got the chance. The mystery arcs are simply exquisite. I have one fashion rule (honest) and that's What Would Veronica Wear?
Kyle XY: This show is just fun for me to watch. It's really improved, too.
Project Runway: Purely a guilty pleasure.
30 Rock: Oh my gosh. The pairing of this and The Office makes Thursdays my favorite day of the week. Liz Lemon and I have waaay too much in common.
Okay, this makes it sound like I watch a lot of tv, and honestly, I really don't. But thanks for letting me play tv critic for a few paragraphs. :)

[liz]

My sister just got me into firefly, I can't believe they canceled it. It had great music, great charachters, I loved the stories. What fault did the network find with it?

[biel]

Well-done on ditching the tv! I'm still working on weaning myself off of television.

[Q]

WHOOPS you DID do The Office and I just didn't see...

[lisette]

As a kid I never watched TV--my parents paid us not to. I've never really broken the habit. When I hear about a really good TV show, I rent the first season. I discovered Firefly, Lost, House, and Psych this way. The Office is on my I'll-get-to-it-eventually list. Any other suggestions?

[Faith #2]

Shannon, I just wanted to say I ahd no idea you were so popular among seven through fourteen year old girls. In just one month I've met six girls who love PA and GG. I just gave my friend PA and EB. Anyway, a lot of girls love PA because they aren't about your average princess who is so beautiful. It's a book for girls of all ages who want a good story that really focuses on friendships and family relationships and courage.

[Laini Taylor]

Those are just about ALL of our favorite shows!! (Except Justice League, which I haven't seen). Add to it the new one from HBO -- Flight of the Conchords, which we watch on You Tube, and I can't think of any others. We mourn so many of the fallen. Firefly, Veronica. Sigh! Heard a rumor that they'd considered jumping ahead in Veronica chronology to doing a show of her at the FBI Academy -- how awesome would THAT be? But I think it is not to be. Sigh.

[Cindy]

Gotta love Firefly/Serenity. It is true there really isn't that much on. If you like Battlestar Galactica, you may enjoy Babylon 5. It's my personal favorite!

[Marcus Aurelius]

"Veronica Mars is smarter than me."

Roll On The Floor, Laughing.

The one show I never miss is our UEN's (Channel 9, PBS-ish)SCI-FI Friday movie night. They play truly awful old sci-fi movies (last Friday was Plan 9 From Outer Space *squeeee!*), and then have U of U professors give podcasts on the actual "science" the shows are trying to present. It's dreamy.

And I'm kinda excited for "Reaper", because it looks silly.

[Liesolotte]

We haven't had cable for nearly seven years and I haven't missed it a bit. It's easy to make up for it by renting DVD's- most of which are better. I have watched Hannah Montana on a friend's TV and I... enjoyed it...but I think it is very cheap as are most other shows.

[liz]

I think we should petition fox to re-introduce firefly.

[Nancy]

After the cancellations of Firefly and Wonderfalls, I have found much consolation in some BBC series. Robin Hood (with Richard Armitage of North & South fame) is fun. There's another series called Foyle's War (with Antony Howell of Wives & Daughters). It also starts Michael Kitchen, who is fabulous. I'm really sick and tired of American television. Not that the Brits aren't doing their best to out-crappify American T.V. I can't watch much of what's on BBC America. Plus, I find myself missing too many episodes of the serial series (Heros, 24, Lost) to keep up with the story line. Miss three weeks, and you're completely lost yourself.

[abirthdaygirl]

You are forgetting the wit-filled language of the Gilmore Girls. For those who have not been introduced, you'll have to rent/buy the DVD's to languish in the language :).

[australiangirl]

Go shannon! I don't have cable TV but whenever I go somewhere that does, I can feel the black box drawing me in. I think TV is largely responsible for procrastination. There is no end to that episode or documentary that would be a sin to miss! I did not think that the BBC Robin Hood was that wonderful. You were not sure whether it was a farce or a commentary on political stances.

[Janette Rallison]

I'm so with you. I keep wondering who has time to watch t.v. I don't even recognize half the celebrities that are on the front of the tabloids.

So thanks for the heads up on the tv shows that are good. Whenever I do get the time (It will happen, right?) I'll have to rent the DVDs.

[S.Berlin]

Firefly was great, but with how quick you can buy seasons on DVD or even download from i-tunes who needs TV? Unfortunatly I have children who would disagree since they would have missed the premire of High School Musical 2 if we did not have Disney.

[Callie the Strongbad Fan]

Yeah! I'm glad that you love Buffy and Angel because I also do! Shannon, you were wondering the same thing that I was wondering. When it comes down to low quality scripts out there, I often wonder, there are so many good writers out there who have troubles getting published, but then lazy, untalented writers are employed by the entertainment industry. At the same time, I love how technology is progressing. You can watch TV shows on the internet and buy DVD's. There is little need for TV. My top favorite TV show is 24. A show like that is better to watch on DVD.

[asha]

i completely agree about the tv shows. :S
you should try Doctor Who. ;)

[asha]

i totally agree about the tv shows.
:S
you should try watching Doctor Who!;)

[katkat]

I LOVE ALL of those shows I have most on DVD we don't have cable because we will to be sucked into TV hell.

[Joy Elizabeth]

W00t! I hope you congratulated yourself on such a step - most american's are rather fearful of letting go of the cable. Bah. Ridiculous.

We haven't had cable since I was 6 years old - although admittedly, I do run down to by neighbors to watch Lost and Dr Who. They graciously loan me their comfy chair and television set for those 2. =]

[beth]

And nathen fillion was in firefly and buffy.

[Dante]

http://ww11.charter.net/search?qo=squeetus.cojm&rn=7jWxRCRLQ1HiwuD
Click that to see the search results I got from typos in the squeetus URL. How do "Shannon Ringtones" sound?

[Jaya Lakshmi]

Try to get Dead Like Me on DVD for Dean and yoursekf when the kids are conked out. Really funny show, even if it has a lot of bad language in it.

[Kate]

Oh yeah! High five! The Office is the best.

[Kelly]

Your viewing tastes match mine to an absurd degree. I've so much love for Firefly and BSG, watched every ep of both Buffy and Angel as they were aired, found Wonderfalls and Veronica Mars on DVD (much to my delight), and hey - I'm a dyed-in-the-wool comic book geek, so JL/JLU was sheer joy.

Folks have already suggested two shows that I can not recommend highly enough, so I'll simply add my "second!"

Dead Like Me was brilliantly written and acted. It's one of those shows that will make you laugh out loud, but then take such a turn that your heart will hurt. Poignant and poetic and darkly humorous = win. I'm so sad it was cancelled after only two seasons.

The most recent incarnation of Doctor Who, starting with 'Series One' which stars Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, is a joy. Sure, there's SciFi camp and silliness - but there's also top-notch writing. And - excuse my girliness - Christopher Eccleston is a very, VERY good idea. Series Two wasn't quite as solid, to my mind, despite a couple of very good eps, but Series three regained a heck of a lot of ground.

[Alexandria]

IT seems like there's never anything good on TV lately. There's really only two TV shows I watch, and they're both British: Doctor Who (Only the greatest tv show ever made-also in Guinness World Records for longest running sci-fi tv show in the world) and BBC America's newish Robin Hood series (the actings gotten better since the beginning.)

[Justin]

Your list is great, everyone one of those shows are brilliant. The sad fact is the better a show is right now the more likely it will be canceled. These shows have great character development but most people don't give them the time they need.