Thursday is routinely the busiest night on TV for me. Like many people, though, I activate a DVR in order to record everything that I want to see, because I hardly ever want to watch something as it airs in real time. I mean, if you could, wouldn’t you also DVR a program so as to avoid commercials? Unfortunately, I sometimes must pay attention to a show I am recording. My cable service only allows me to “tape” two programs simultaneously, and in order for it to work, I have to keep one of the channels on. In any case, let me get right to the intense juggling act I have to perfect tonight:
8 pm : Last Resort on ABC
This kind of show—militaristic, patriotic, reminiscent of Crimson Tide—isn’t generally my kind of bag. But its pilot has received great reviews, so I figured I should see what all the fuss is about. Like many, I have no idea how the premise will sustain a season, let alone a series of seasons. (The crew of a nuclear submarine refuses to carry out orders to fire on Pakistan, thereby becoming the target of their own government.)
9 pm : Grey’s Anatomy on ABC
Please don’t judge me too harshly. I am the first to tell you that this show is god-awful. They also stretched my patience at the end of last season (its eighth!) when they killed off probably the only character I liked. Go figure.
9.31 pm : Parks and Recreation on NBC
One of my favorite shows, though last week’s season five premiere left a lot to be desired. It goes without saying that when 9.30 rolls around, I will switch over to NBC to watch. I do want to have a good time tonight.
10 pm : Louie on FX
It’s the last episode of the third season, so, rather mercifully, this hour won’t be so crowded next week. At the risk of sounding like an absolute bore, I have to admit that I didn’t much care for these thirteen episodes. Not only was Louie not as funny as it has been in the past, his “I’m such a great father because I try so damn hard, but why doesn’t anyone care?!” routine has gotten really old. You don’t deserve any special praise for that, or to get laid because of it, because you’re just doing your job, Louie.
10.01 pm : Elementary on CBS
For more on why I am going to try out this show, see over here. There’s no guarantee it will pose a problem next week.
And to make matters worse, I also want to watch NBC’s newsmagazine Rock Center with Brian Williams at 10 pm, but I won’t be able to. I’ll put Louie on for the first half hour because by 10.26 pm, my sister, who lives in LA, will have finished Jeopardy!, and we will talk on the telephone.
Maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill. After all, if I miss something, I can always stream it from the network’s website starting tomorrow. That’s just what I am going to do with Rock Center. I like being able to fast-forward through the commercial breaks on the narrative shows I watch. Plus, it’s much more comfortable to stare at a TV screen while lying in bed then it is to sit at my desk, say, and stream anything on my laptop.
The Rumination Refinery 