REAL TV.
sitcoms.
in case you've forgotten what those are:
the word sitcom, as defined by wikipedia is: A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features recurring characters in a common environment such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue. Such programs originated in radio, but today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. A situation comedy may be recorded before a studio audience. Some also feature a laugh track.
(For more information on the history of sitcoms (such as their origin in comedies by Shakespeare and Moliere, how various countries around the world have produced sitcoms, and sitcom trends throughout the decades, go here.)
I (christy) have a television. Once in a while I get to watch something I want to on it. Two weeks ago I even declared Monday night as Mom's TV night (meaning, DAD!!! BRUSH THE BOYS' TEETH, READ THEM A STORY AND TUCK THEM IN!!!). What's on Monday? *mumbles* thebachelor AND CASTLE!!!
Yeah, okay. I watch the Bachelor. I don't even know why I enjoy it, but I do. So there. I was pleased when this current guy (ha! can't even think of his name!) sent home the drama queens as soon as they started being hateful toward one another and crying all over the place. (Two girls fighting over the same guy. blah, blah, blah.) Usually they (as in the show) seem to keep at least one "controversial" and irritating person around to, I don't know, add excitement or something. So I was happy he sent them packing.
(On a different note...) Sadly, though, when one girl (not one of the crying brats) went home roseless after (a mere) two weeks on the show she declared to viewers that she was through with love. She'd exhausted all avenues: set-ups by friends, dating at the office, and online dating. She felt she was destined to be alone. The Bachelor had been her last ditch effort at love. REALLY? She had to be what? 25 or younger? Finding love is like watching a pot of cold water and waiting for it to boil. Or watching my inbox and waiting for an email to pop up. Maybe once she immerses herself in another interest in her life, the right guy will come along when she leasts expect it. So, yeah. That's one show I watch.
CASTLE. I love the show. I love the characters. I get writing quotes weekly. Two of my faves: "Don't ruin my story with all of your logic." Okay, that wasn't quite it, but it was something like that. I did email erica with it right after I heard it. Maybe she remembers it correctly. The other was that writing about someone one fantasizes about is a form of written masterbation. Oh, sugar (my version of swearing). That one's not right either. But they were good straight from the show. And if you like the show you may be interested in knowing that Castle and Beckett will KISS next week!!!! (or so the preview showed) (Have any of you actually read the books by Richard Castle? Heat Wave? Curious what you think/thought about them.) Miss this week's episode? Go HERE to watch it.
WRITING PERTINENT QUESTION: If romance is included in your novel, how long do you make your readers wait for them to kiss (or even realize they've got the hots for each other)?
Yeah, there are a few sitcoms on nowadays. I think I'd probably even like the Weds night shows (on abc, Modern Family and Cougar Town), actual sitcoms, but I never remember to sit down and watch them until they're well past over. I blame erica. :0) Just kidding. But those are usually prime emailing/blogging/writing hours.
I MISS THE GOOD OL' SITCOMS. (No, not The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and The Donna Reed Show....Well, actually, yeah, those too. I watched those faithfully when I was younger (and I'm only 34 now). BUT THE THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH FRIENDS AND WILL AND GRACE!!! Yes, those were great TV years. I miss the weekly 30 minute, silly-lined sitcom.
Know of any good shows I should DVR? Do you have a show you drop everything for to watch?
What do you prefer?
a)watching tv for an hour?
b)reading for an hour?
c)writing for an hour?
d)taking an hour long walk?
e)shopping for an hour?
I don't watch TV at all anymore. I loved the old shows Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld. TV just doesn't cut it for me anymore... I'd much rather be writing!
ReplyDeleteJust joined your hot blogfest... how fun! :)
Hubby's a football fan and he works on Sundays, so on Mondays lately, the TV's been tied up. He also like Two and a Half Men and whatever else is on Monday nights. Big Bang Theory is really good, but I never remember to watch it (it's Thursday nights, I think). Friday night is movie night with my kids (last week we watched The Lovely Bones - very well made, if anyone's looking for a movie to watch, but tonight I've been told it's going to be Zoom).
ReplyDeleteThe TV's always on, but I never watch it (I blame christy - it's prime blogging, emailing, and writing time). Plus I got some GREAT books for Christmas and am busy plowing through them.
Which reminds me - I need to change the picture on the sidebar - moved on to Across the Universe by Beth Revis last night. I won it on the blog Operation Awesome. Yay for awesome blog contests!!
erica
I have only watched the first season of castle. But I loved it. One of my friends said she read the books and she expected more. I trust her judgment usually. we differ on a few things here and there.
ReplyDeleteThe show I would drop most things for, one actually, Ghost Whisperer. I love love love that show.
TV? What's that?
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last time I've actually "watched" a program without my laptop in front of me. Eventually the noise bothers me and I turn it off.
I used to LOVE sitcoms and weekly dramas. Now everything is reality TV crap. So I choose to write and BLOG! It's taken over my life and I am so happy to have it.
If TV produces anything worth watching I might close the laptop and watch .... I doubt it .... lol
Michael
Don't through things but, I'm not a sitcom kind of girl. *ducks. I saw that!* I'm more of a sci-fi channel kind of girl. To mix the two you might try Eureka. *ducks again, just in case* As for writing and the love question, it depends on the story but I like to make the reader wait at least 100 pages.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends. ON Friday nights, I'd rather watch tv with a bowl of popcorn. On Saturday mornings, I'd rather curl up with a book. Weekday afternoons I prefer writing. I'm one of those people who needs to remain destracted by one of the above for AT LEAST an hour a day, if not more:)
ReplyDeleteOmg, I LOVE Castle. That is one show I can't miss. We dvr it because hubs works usually on Sunday nights. I remember the quotes you mentioned- they look close enough. But man, that show is wonderful. I also watch How I Met Your Mother- that to me, is a traditional sitcom and I admit I actually like it better than friends! Maybe because we are the same age as the HIMYM crowd and relate so much to them. And with the flashbacks in the late 90's/00's in college I almost pee my pants because that was so us. When Friends was on, it was funny but we weren't the same age so we didn't relate as much to this one. So you guys should really consider that one.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I don't really watch tv anymore. I use my tv watching time to blog, or watch with my daughter (I've seen every icarly episode like, twice...good thing Spencer is pretty funny). I dvr Castle, HIMYM, and Glee. We'll watch American Idol if it's on, and I wait for hubs to watch the other shows.
Oops, I meant Monday nights for the Castle thing.
ReplyDeleteI don't sit down while ANYTHING is on, but there are a couple shows I catch up with later in the week. My patience for sitcomes is LOW. I do like Friends (daughter is currently begging for me to get on DVD, but it is also on in syndication), but most of what is on NOW for sitcoms, I'm not sure I'd be able to stomache (though I would like to see Big Bang--that looks like it might work for me)--I just don't like humor with a victim and so much of it is mean or snarky.
ReplyDeleteI ADORE Castle. I've been a Nathan Fillion fan since he was on One Life to Live, but the whole writer helps cop solve mystery plot is also irresistable, plus I love the solve a mystery each week genre (loved Murder She Wrote and almost all iterations of PI shows). I also like Gray's Anatomy and Dexter, though I'm behind on the latter by a lot (like a couple seasons)
Given my drathers though... I always pick writing--I do try to get a walk in most days and I like that, but not like the writing.
Oh Castle. Yes yes. But I completely forgot about Will and Grace!! Missed ALL my shows this week thanks to the "antennae" thing not working right...:(
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Christy. I miss sitcoms, especially SEINFELD!!!! I don't think there's ever been (or will be) a show as good as this. But whatever happened to the simpler, family-oriented sitcoms like Who's the Boss, The Cosby Show, Three's Company. I miss those, too! :( (BTW, I'm also an "I Love Lucy" fan.)
ReplyDeleteLorena
I miss sitcoms, too. :( I grew up on the family shows (surprisingly enough, because I would use them to point out to my parents that they were doing it wrong, hee hee), but these days it's pretty much NCIS or whatever's on PBS. I have a hard time sitting still & watching-- actually, I tend to keep a book nearby for commercial breaks. Or I'll crochet as I watch, or something.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd say that b-e are all equally satisfying.
Great post! I watched The Bachelor one season and got totally hooked (I actually thought about writing a short story from the point of view of an earnest contestant on the show, but never got around to it).
ReplyDeleteI DVR almost everything now. I'm addicted to Modern Family, 30 Rock, Community, and Glee. I also tape Daily Show, Colbert Report, & SNL. I used to watch 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom (it was good YA research), but we don't have MTV anymore (sigh).
I love watching TV, reading, and writing, so it's too hard to choose which I'd rather do an hour of. Probably writing, since that at least makes me feel productive.