TV brain suck

In my web perusal, I checked my weekly horoscope on the Onion website today (I'm a Leo).  Here's what it said for the week of September 20th: "You'll undergo a crisis of conscience when you realize that, despite being a faithful American, you don't really want to watch anything that's on TV right now." While I'm not sure that I'm experiencing any "conscience of crisis" per se, I thought this was a timely horoscope given the start of the new television season and my impending month without TV, Hulu, and Netflix.

I chose October for my no TV month specifically to coincide somewhat with the network TV premiere season.  My thought was that if I could avoid all those programs for a month early in the season, maybe I would never bother to start watching the American version of "Prime Suspect" or "Ringer."  And maybe I would never bother to get caught up on all the episodes I'll miss of "Glee" (which I've been SO OVER for the last season and a half...but yet, I'm still watching).  After all: I have no DVR, nor do I use a VCR (who does?); the first episodes of the season may no longer be available on Hulu or the network's websites come November 1; and I really dislike watching things out of sequence.  When conceiving this month's OCL goal, I really thought to myself, "I will finally free myself from TV brain suck."

I will exact revenge on ABC for creating this piece of crap by not watching ABC for 31 days.

Of course, most shows actually premiere in September.  So I've been doing my best not to watch any new programming this month.  Instead, I've been re-watching on Netflix all four seasons of "Mad Men" (this show is so smart and well done--the artistry really reveals itself best with a second viewing) and sporadic episodes of "Family Ties" (IMHO, Michael Gross has never gotten the acclaim he deserves for his fantastic comedic performance as Steven Keaton). I also watched the entire first, and thus far only, seasons of the BBC's "The Hour" ("Mad Men" style plus British plus mystery=happy Jess) and ABC Family's "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" (it's like old-school Buffy, but without vampires!).   And I've streamed a movie or two as well. (I watched "Charade" with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn last week--such incredible witty dialogue and so much fun!)

Michael Gross, comic genius.

As you can tell by all my parenthetical asides, I love watching and talking about movies and TV shows (specifically, scripted shows--reality and news programs do nothing for me). I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with this; "Glee" and the occasional stupid movie aside, I think I have pretty good taste in the filmed entertainment I partake in.  But for this month, I will exempt myself from viewing the good, the bad, and the ugly programs alike.

This is something I will not be watching on TV this October.  Neither will you.

October rules:

1. No watching live or recorded TV programming or DVDs on my television.
2. No watching shows or movies on Netflix, Hulu, or anywhere on the internet/my computer. 
3. I will not plan to go to bars or friends’ houses to watch any particular thing on the boob tube.  (However, it may be impossible to avoid TVs at bars, and while staying with friends or family on vacation--I'm not making them change their lifestyle!)

Instead, this month, I will read some books.  I will listen to all those episodes of “This American Life” I missed while I knit and cook and file papers and fold laundry, things I often do while watching TV. I will go to bed earlier.  It will be grand.  And I’m going to set an intention to add more walks to my October.  More walks in the crisp autumn evenings, with all those pretty leaves and the smell of wood smoke.  It will be divine.

And I’ll blog a bit about those things I’m doing instead of watching TV, as well as some of my past TV obsessions.  I’d love to hear about your own TV obsessions and issues too!