24 replies to this topic

[grace]

following on from ed waffle's thread "I Hate Television", it occurred to me - from my own perspective as someone sho lives alone - that the list of haters and appreciaters of TV MIGHT divide down the lines of those who have OTHER company at home (the 'haters'), and those whose homes are largely silent (apart for  MUSIC, of course!) without it (the 'appreciaters')...

what do you think?

i am happy to confess that, in addition to my animals,  the characters on my television 'people' my home. therefore i choose what i watch carefully!

and i REALLY appreciate television.

i guess i am asking all of the people who 'hate' or scorn or dismiss television: is it perhaps, to some extent, because there is a lot of competition for your attention, in your home-life?

don't get me wrong: i have lots of other things to do - but i often have the TV on at the same time, sort of 'for company'!

TV-lovers are welcome to respond also.

[floss]

I don't hate TV but I wouldn't say I hate it. There are a few programs that I enjoy and try to watch every week. TV is good for seeing things that you may not normally get a chance to watch. Over the Christmas break I watched Aereos (not sure of spelling) has anyone else seen that? Also handy for watching all those ballet videos:D

[Tancos]

I live alone, and I loathe television. Period.

[Ed Waffle]

Our house is occupied by myself, my wife and two cats.

I have seen in other households (my wife's family, for example) that the question of the evening is "what will we watch tonite?" although that may already be decided.

We ask "what will we listen to tonite?".

She usually picks the genre--string quartets, for example--and I get to pick the CDs. We are now listening to Mozart chamber works and concertos for oboe, clarinet, horn and flute. Great stuff and I recommend any of these works without reservation.

Occasionally we use the TV for tapes--we watched the third act of
Die Walkure a few nights ago--but that is about it. At some point we may get a DVD player and if so may have to get a new TV to play it. Ours was purchased in the late 1980s and it has nothing digital about it. There seems to be some really astonishing things coming out on DVD, especially operas, that I would like to see.

[Kate B]

I live with someone, and we don't have a TV at home at all.  I used to live alone and I didn't have a TV then, either.  I'd realised that it took up too much of my time that I could have spent doing other things, and I'd put Radio 4 on for 'company'.

Now life at home is very interesting.  We listen to a lot of music, but most of it is Hip Hop and Reggae, as my partner is teaching me to appreciate these genres!  (I prefer classic bands like the Rolling Sones and mainstream dance music.)

I'd like to get a DVD player at some point, because I do miss my 'soaps', and I could do as my uncle does and buy whole series of them at a time (e.g. the Sopranos, 6 Feet Under) and watch them over a rainy Sunday or a quiet Friday night in.  I also got the NYCB Workout for Christmas and as yet have not been able to look at it!:rolleyes:

[Ari]

Quote

Originally posted by Ed Waffle
At some point we may get a DVD player and if so may have to get a new TV to play it. Ours was purchased in the late 1980s and it has nothing digital about it.

You don't need a special TV in order to play DVDs, Ed.  Just hook the DVD player up to the set and you're good to go.

[Farrell Fan]

I seldom "watch" television, although I frequently have it on. It's "company," as Grace says. When my wife was alive, there were a couple of programs we did watch -- Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family. We also watched tennis matches and baseball games. But usually, when we weren't at the ballet, she'd be reading her book and I'd be reading mine. Now I turn on the TV just to have some soothing background sounds. (The choices are quite limited in this respect. But music on radio or CDs doesn't fill the same function, since I tend to concentrate on music.) I still go to the ballet, two or more times a week and still read, but the background noise provided by TV is increasingly essential.

[carbro]

Like Farrell Fan, I keep my tv on a lot.  I actually watch a few of the dramas (West Wing, Law & Order et fils), some PBS shows (always try to watch/tape Bill Moyers' Now), and -- in season -- as much skating as I can.

If there's nothing watchable, the sound is a good cover-up for the sirens, shouting people, car alarms, barking dogs, garbage trucks, etc. from the street.

[Victoria Leigh]

My TV is always on!  I'm a news junky, but also love the dramas like West Wing, The Practice, Law & Order, The District, Judging Amy, and of course ER!  

[BW]

I must confess my addiction to the Inspector Morse series on PBS - even saw one the other night I'd never seen before! Poor John Thaw, I miss him...but at least we, his fans, have the different programs he was in as solace.

Used to watch Homicide Life on the Streets... and grew up with our Sunday ritual of 60 Minutes, though I don't think it's as good as it used to be.

I think TV has the ability to offer many newsworthy and notable programs, as well as entertaining ones, but I have to say that the vast majority of what's on is pretty poor and often embarrassing.

My other problem with TV as it exists in the USA is that I'm too cheap to cough up the fees for some of the better cable stations! :rolleyes: So, instead, my mainstays are PBS and A&E.

[Leigh Witchel]

It's interesting.  My TV is only on when I'm using it to edit video footage.  But my Mom has said the same thing as a few others here; she keeps the TV on for background noise (and she does live alone)

I understand that, in some ways I probably use the computer the same way, but TV just doesn't fulfill that function for me.  I think my mental filters on TV are just too low.  I end up screaming at it when I see something that I think is irresponsible or inane.  Is some of it just the ability to filter?

[AmandaNYC]

I definitely keep the tv on as background company (not simply noise! i could put on the radio for that!).  But, I also do LOVE tv.  It's my passion along with ballet.  I know some of you may gasp at that. I am a product of the tv generation, afterall.

But, I don't watch reality tv or most comedies for that matter. I LOVE scripted dramas of the serial kind with character development (i.e., not the L&O franchise).  For the last few years, I have found many of these shows much more satisfying as the movies I have seen.  My faves of the last few years (which have all, for the most part, varied in quality during that time): Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Six Feet Under, Angel, Alias.  Past favorites (of the last decade plus) included My So-Called life, China Beach, Homefront, Life Goes On.

TV is not for everyone. But, it does bother me when people dismiss the medium as a whole.  I HATE certain aspects of it (this reality show phenomenon), but there really is some fantastic stuff on, with smart dialague, solid acting, etc.   Many of the strongest writers in Hollywood move to tv in the '90s, as the writer is king (exc. where reality shows area concerned) in TV, whereas the director is in movies.  SO, the writer gets to see his or her work more accurately realized in tv.  Plus, he or she gets to develop characters over weeks, months, and years.  

BUt, going back to the original question.  B/c I don't categorically hate tv, it is often my companion, when I need noise and visuals in my apt.  I'll usually leave on HGTV, Fine Living, or Style so I can see the houses and interiors!   I go to sleep with the tv on (on sleep mode).   We'll see if I'd be willing to change that were I to have someone sharing my bedroom...

-amanda
who starts a NEW job doing TV research on Monday (after 3.5 months unemployment)

[vagansmom]

I hate background voices (LOL, there are enough inside my own head) so the TV is OFF unless someone's actively watching it. I've been obsessive about this since I was a teen. I realized, at that time, that the TV in my family's house was always on even when we ate dinner; it bothered me so I began to shut it off at mealtime. I've carried that habit throughout my life.

Since we now have only the most basic cable package (3 networks, Fox, Travel, 2 PBS stations, a Spanish station and a couple religious stations plus one or two more), it's very easy to NOT watch TV. The only program I watch is ER and occasionally I'll watch Seinfeld repeats.

It's rare for the 3 members of my household to be home together before 10 pm on any given day. Invariably there's one person home at a time. None of us seems to watch TV much since we abandoned the larger cable package several months ago. Back then, I could become seduced by the news channels and Bravo and easily find myself spending a couple hours in front of the TV.

I'm not a TV hater. I think that, along with the trash, there exist many quality programs within a pricey cable package. But life is short and there are so many other interesting things to do as well. I like background music, but not background voices, while I'm doing them at home. But for at least part of each day, there's nothing like absolute silence.

[carbro]

Quote

Originally posted by AmandaNYC
I LOVE scripted dramas of the serial kind with character development (i.e., not the L&O franchise).  

Amanda, one of the "bonuses" of the first half-hours of the L&O shows for this NYC resident has been playing "Name That Block" during the exterior location shots.  You don't enjoy even that?  It's very disappointing when the detectives have to travel to the suburbs and I haven't a clue.  

Hearty congrats on your job!  I hope you enjoy it and flourish there, but I hope it doesn't interfere with your activity here.

[BW]

carbo, so true about the NYC street scenes and I admit I was a true L & O devotee during the Chris Noth days...now I try to catch in on occaision.

AmandaNYC, I'd like to offer my congratulations too on your new position and thank you for reminding me that our one family TV viewing habit has been "Alias" - gotta love that Irina D's mothering instincts and Sydney's daredevil technique...  Did catch a few episodes of "24" and have to admit that I found it intriguing but just wasn't able to watch it regularly enough to make it work this time around.

vagansmom, are you implying that you hear "voices"?;):eek: