Guilty Pleasures

Don't tell Dr. Spock, T.Berry Brazelton, or any other of the many child-rearing experts who vehemently object to letting your kids watch too much (or any) TV, but TV is a fixture around here. Yep, we've got one in nearly every room in the house except for laundry and garage, oh yeah, the kids' bedrooms. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time listening to shows on PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, and Disney droning in the background.

If we aren't watching kid shows, we spend a lot of time watching shows on Discovery, TLC, the History Channel, National Geographic, Bravo, the Travel Channel and even the Food Network. We are serious "Mythbusters" junkies. If it is Friday night, we'll be huddled on the sofa watching "Most Haunted". My 14 year-old loves anything about animals that mentions the term, "most extreme". I am fascinated by sunken ship stories and murder on "City Confidential". Lately, we've been tuning in every show on cruises or cruise ships looking for travel tips. It's a far cry from when I was a kid and there were only three networks. (Or only three that you could get with one of those rooftop antennas on your chimney.)

Remember those networks? You know, ABC, CBS and NBC? For those of you watching HBO and such, they're still out there. They still conjure up new shows hoping we will watch. I try really hard to avoid them. I have discovered that as soon as I show any interest in a network show, it gets cancelled. The average lifespan for a show as soon as I watch (and decide I like it), is about 2.5 episodes. If I dare program it into my TIVO, we're talking cancelled in the middle of an episode.

Anyway, I vowed to myself that I wouldn't get sucked in EVER AGAIN by a network show, BUT needless to say...
There is this new show on ABC that I just can't resist. The name is "Dirty Sexy Money". I was immediately attracted due to the casting. Peter Krause; I never got "Six Feet Under", but I knew him from "Cybil" and of course, "Sports Night". I would tune in to watch him read the phonebook. Donald Sutherland; Jack Bauer, who's your daddy? Jill Clayburg; great actress. True, it is very much tabloid-like fluff. (think Donald Trump as the father of Paris Hilton and a Kennedy-like political son, only the actors are better looking.) I happen to like some shows that don't make me think too hard and really entertain me.


I know I am playing with fire, but I have actually programmed TIVO to record this for me and we're already to week three. I have to admit, I am nervous. However, until the powers-that-be find out and pull the plug on it , you will know where to find me on Thursday nights. After the kids are in bed, the laundry is in the dryer and the dishwasher is running. I'll be in my comfy bed, watching on my flat screen TV and fast-forwarding through the commercials.

FOOTNOTE:
Stupid writers' strike! I have to say, I didn't see that coming. I knew things were going too well. Supposedly, the show has been picked up for fall. We'll see.

Oh, I do have another fave now courtesy of my hubby, "Top Gear" on BBC America, Monday nights. It is a car show from England that is unlike anything I have ever seen. I am not a huge car lover, but I would watch these hosts read the phone book. They could make it interesting and funny to boot.