My TV Reality

I always prided myself on the fact that I spend very little time watching tv. Sure, I like movies (former film student after all), but I rarely sit down just to watch tv. I don't even have cable, just a set of rabbit ears. When I do want to watch a particular show, I mainly use Hulu.com in order to keep up with the few I like.

What frustrates me is when I forget about a show and end up missing episodes and getting so behind that I can't follow the current storyline. So, in an effort to combat this, I created a Hulu Queue and subscribed to my favorite shows. Hulu sends me an email whenever a new episode is available to watch and I can choose to watch them on my own terms, without bowing to the programming schedule.

But, this morning I received a Major Reality Check.

Hulu sent me an email saying there were new entries in my queue - NINE new entries! When I added it up, using Hulu time (22 mins for some shows, 43 mins for others), my subscribed tv time equals 7 hours a week! And that's before football is added.

WHOA.

This is unacceptable so I am taking this time to analyze my boob tube choices.

The shows I watch include:
- The Big Bang Theory (Very intelligent show!) 22 mins.
- Parenthood (Drama for drama's sake) 43 mins.
- Make it or Break It (Silly show full of teen angst that airs in the summer) 43 mins.
- Castle (Intellectually stimulating murder mystery) 43 mins.
- Melissa and Joey (Five episodes in and it's just adorable! I want to support it and see it succeed.) 22 mins.
- Glee (I really only watch it for pop culture references and musical numbers) 43 mins.
- The Biggest Loser (Weight-loss motivation anyone???) 85 mins.
- Dancing with the Stars (The cast intrigues me this season, but I rarely stick with this one past the first few episodes) 43 mins, two nights a week

New shows that interest me this year:
- Mike & Molly (a couple who meet at Overeaters Anonymous and I love Melissa McCarthy!!!) 22 mins.
- $#*! My Dad Says 22 mins.
- Running Wilde (love Keri Russell!) 22 mins.

I'm not completely anti-tv. There are many benefits to watching tv. Sometimes, the escape itself is worth the time when it comes to staying sane and feeling connected to others in this universe. But I'm a busy girl and the amount of tv-time in my life looks a bit ridiculous (I haven't actually spent this amount of time watching tv - these all premiered this week!). Sure, since I use the computer I'm able to make dinner and clean while watching these shows, but I want to limit myself to no more than 5 hours of tv time (that's one hour a weekday - and still a lot!).

This week will be a big week for my programs: Who is going to make the cut???