Diary of a TV Junkie: Bring on the good TV Felicity Shea
HONESTLY, I’m as excited as the next person that ratings period is about to begin (okay, probably I’m a lot more excited than the next person).
There’s only so much King of Queens I can flick past before I throw the remote at the TV.
Bring on real TV, I say. Fast.
That lull between the end of good TV and the start of the next ratings season stretches like an interminable chasm that resembles the Hellmouth (that’s a Buffy reference, for the uninitiated).
But finally, here we are, on the cusp of a new season of “must-see TV”. I can hardly breathe for the excitement.
However, my level of breathless anticipation—nay, exalted joy—for the forthcoming debaucherous, gluttonous televisual feast has been tempered somewhat by the harassment—yes, the harassment—viewers have received from the networks.
Whatever could she mean, I hear you ask.
In the lead-up to the new ratings season the level of self-promotion from the commercial networks has crossed boundaries usually left well alone.
Anyone watching even two minutes of the Australian Open couldn’t miss the high-repeat promos for Seven’s surprise hit, Scrubs (it really is a great show, by the way). Or what about Ten’s egregious cross-promotion of The X Files series finale? The last straw was when the 2Day FM newsreader added it to Wednesday’s 8am news broadcast. Come on!
And what of Nine? Richie Benaud promoting CSI:Miami had my entire household chortling into their stubbies. “It really is a great show, Bill”, he was heard to mumble of the original CSI program.
The thought of Richie tuning in to see Gil Grissom and his band of forensic scientists track down the bad guys was immensely entertaining. As was the thought of Bruce McAvaney helping Seven push the Scrubs barrow during the tennis. I’m tuning in for the expert commentary, not the ads!
The point is, I’m no longer being informed of upcoming points of interest, I’m being beaten around the head with sound bites. It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut.
Only two more sleeps until I can go back to ignoring the ads.
Diary of a TV Junkie is one viewer’s account of what keeps her glued to the small screen.
