After getting a TiVo last year, I attempted something I haven’t really done before — watch new shows when they premiere.
In the VCR days, I would catch a new show only when it went into syndication. I never watched the first three seasons of The West Wing till Bravo aired reruns. And I can’t watch Without a Trace at its appointed time since its up against Battlestar Galactica and Brothers & Sisters.
So I watched a whole bunch of the serials trotted out this season and bailed on all of them. I didn’t pick up any of the midseason replacements, but I did add a few shows I hadn’t watched before.
And so, here are the additions and casualties of my midseason TiVo "calibration".
The additions:
- Veronica Mars. I keep proselytizing Battlestar Galactica, while my friends keep preaching Veronica Mars. With Eureka in between seasons, I was able to program Veronica Mars in its place. I see why Joss Whedon is a fan — the show is quite Wheedon-esque. I also love the Austin shoutouts — Amy’s Ice Cream and Oilcan Harry’s were both referenced in the show. By the way, I worked for the real Don Lamb, a manager at Waterloo Records.
- Brothers & Sisters. Matthew Rhys plays a gay character on this show, and his on-screen kisses garner absolutely no reaction. That’s a far-cry from when ABC aired a thirtysomething episode with two men post-coital — and those guys weren’t even cuddling. For broadcast TV, the lack of reaction seems significant enough.
- Grey’s Anatomy. Yeah, it was the whole controversy that got me watching this show. And yes, I think TR Knight is teh cute, but I reached that conclusion when I saw him in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Only one casualty so far:
- The Colbert Report. I do like The Colbert Report, but I’ve already got a big list of season passes. The prodigious output of The Colbert Report makes it tough to keep up. And while I’m endlessly fascinated by Stephen Colbert’s elfin right ear, I’m drawn more to the variety on The Daily Show.
Not a casualty, but should be:
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I haven’t removed this from my Season Pass manager because I figure at some point, it will disappear from my TiVo on its own.
Almost an addition:
- House. Another show I’m catching as a cable re-run — it comes on after Psych. House is such a twat, but he’s an amusing one. Hugh Laurie is also pretty hot. And while I identify with House on some level, I rather like the Toby Zeigler (The West Wing) style of hubris far more.