My Scrawny TV Viewing Habit
Okay, I admit it. I hardly ever watch television. For a while, I didn’t even own a TV. And honestly, the only time I missed it was when actor friends were in commercials or had roles in films or shows that I couldn’t view right away.
Growing up, I was more of a typical viewer and enjoyed many of the favorites of my generation—re-runs of Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Star Trek, Bewitched, Gilligan’s Island and the Monkey’s. My parents became hooked on the night time soap opera - Dallas, so I watched as well. But they totally lost my viewership as an entire season was wiped out when J.R. woke up from a bad dream. Really?
Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show (with Johnny Carson) followed me through my college years. From that point on, not much else happened on a regular basis until my son, Trenton, got me started on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Love Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Mr. Stewart simply always brings class to every project he does. X-Men: Days of Future Past was my favorite X-Men movie.
Alright, back to television. After Captain Picard was off the air (1991), I didn’t get pulled back into anything else for a while. Although other members of the household watched plenty of television, I just seemed more interested in other activities including childrearing, working, writing and music.
That was until my all knowing Trenton suggested I take a look at the television show Fringe. He knew my tastes and I was sucked in after the pilot. The characters and the scifi story lines kept me engaged for the shows entire five seasons. Fringe was the only television show I watched faithfully (on my computer via Hulu) and nothing has replaced it since.
I was in search of just ONE show that I really liked that wasn’t reality or sit-com. Trenton is an expert on the Game of Thrones series having read all the books and understanding the characters and world they live in. So we went back and viewed all the episodes and now await the new season to start. It’s a very popular series and I can see why people like it. Although for me, it simply doesn’t replace Fringe. Haha! Of course, I have Fringe on DVD now so I can revisit the entire show on occasion…and I do.
Even though I haven’t been a diehard fan of television viewing, my love for movies has never waned. We watch movies all the time. I just never realized I actually wanted to make them until around 2005. But that’s a story for another time. I’m sure there are some really good television shows out there, just seems I’m not very motivated to hunt them down.
My true love lies in psychological types of story lines with lots of twists and turns and a touch of scifi. Not surprising, I’m drawn to write the same types of stories. My latest film, Blue Copper, as well as the novel I am currently writing, is no different.
A few days ago while visiting my friend in Georgia, the 40th Anniversary of SNL (Saturday Night Live) show came on. We decided to watch the fun. Wow, so many comedians came from or participated in that program over the years. It was a blast from the past laughing at parts of skits I hadn’t seen since the late seventies. And even though many of the cast members from the early years are now in their 50s, 60s and even 70s, the younger generations seemed to be continuing the hilarity.
It’s all about entertainment—television, movies, books, music, theater. Life would just be way too dull without a way to engage our minds, warm our hearts, or prompt us to action. No matter which medium you are drawn to, support and enjoy those art forms and those pursuing them. It is certainly not an easy road.
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Find details about my books at dianedresback.com and my filmmaking at mindclover.com.
