OK, Sweeps Month is over. There's a handful of TV shows still running a new episode or two. That's pretty much it till after January.
So unless you love Christmas shows...LOTS of Christmas shows...you're pretty much S.O.L. (since we're a family radio station, that stands for "So Outta Luck"....sure it does...).
Being the TV addict that I am, it doesn't REALLY bother me...I can usually find SOMETHING to watch, even if I've seen it LOTS of times before (see Godfather movies, anything Star Trek or the Three Stooges).
My wife Nancy, on the other hand, as I've mentioned before, is a TV snob (she gets that from her mother). She has a tolerance limit of five minutes max, after that she demands a channel change, or starts reading and making negative comments about how dumb the show I'm still watching is.
That said, since I'm the self proclaimed Husband Of The Year, it's my job to keep her satisfied...as far as her entertainment options go (insert joke here).
So what to watch? I use my DVR a lot to record shows (we RARELY watch in real time), but unless there's a series marathon running (starting with episode one), the option of catching up with a show we haven't seen is less than zip.
So I'll hit Prime Time On Demand (I'm a Time Warner customer). The majority of current shows are available, especially on the "Big 4". I say "majority" because due to certain restrictions, a few series can't be seen through "On Demand", which means if you want to watch it you HAVE to do so live or record on the DVR.
Even with the options available, Prime Time On Demand has, in some cases, a BIG drawback...
No fast forward options.
We all do it when we record on the DVR, we fast forward past the commercials....it's not that they're not important (they DO pay my salary, after all), but we can all use that 12 minutes of every hour to do SOMETHING.
You can't fast forward on ABC and NBC shows, but most times, they will just play the episode with the occasional promo for a show they're pushing. That's fairly tolerable.
The "On Demand" choices from CBS actually DO let you fast forward, and again, they don't put in a lot of "fill" material.
FOX, on the other hand, you must watch the ENTIRE length of the show; including commercials, promos, ANYTHING to fill the gaps.
Did you know "American Idol" returns in January? You would if you watched a FOX show through "On Demand", you're reminded EVERY TEN MINUTES!
Dawg!
I see a lot of Movies On Demand in our future for the next few weeks.
I may still try to convince Nancy to watch a "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" marathon.
There's always "Duck Dynasty", but I'm not holding my breath on that one either.
In that case, "S.O.L." is changed to "S.O.D."
Mike Patrick
