A reader's dilemma...

[Pete Karnas]

Recently, I've written about my personal relationship with television.  As an avid reader and a daily television viewer, I'm often conflicted about the choices I make as to my free time.  While there is nothing like the feeling of reading a good book, I also feel that there is some quality television out there which, far from being mind-numbing rubbish, rises above its medium and provides the viewer with a storytelling experience which can be complementary to reading.  

Are there any other voracious readers out there who have a secret, perhaps guilty, predilection for television?  If so, what shows do you feel are good enough to justify spending an hour or so in front of the screen rather than curled up with a good book?

Pete

What You Read

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Hi, Pete!

I don't feel guilty about liking TV at all, and I must say that my approach to finding worthwhile TV programmes is the same as my approach to finding good books. I rarely read anything that is "new," and if I had to make a list of all the books I read in one year, maybe two or three out of nearly a hundred would have been published in the same year. Likewise, I prefer to get into TV shows when they are being rerun or when they've come out on DVD.

I'm not confident enough to recommend anything, though! I have very nostalgic tastes and am going through old 80s sitcoms these days. =P

[Pete Karnas]

Everyone certainly has their own tastes when it comes to television, just as in books. I tend to be the same way as you when it comes to books- most aren't new. But, with television, I'm the opposite. I'm more up-to-date on television than most people I know.

[Lisa Richards]

As much as I love to read there are certain shows that I WILL NOT MISS. Bones, House, Medium, Castle, Lost, and Fringe are ones that I always DVR. I watch no live TV, I even DVR college sport events for NCSU and the news. I detest commercials and love to be able to zip through them or rewatch a play where I was sure there was a foul.

[Pete Karnas]

Agreed about skipping the commercials. I use a computer for most of my television viewing, so I don't have to deal with the ads either. Of all the shows you mentions, I keep up with House and Lost. Haven't gotten into the others.

[Book Calendar]

I like videos a lot and film. Not so much television. Television tends to be very passive and have lots of advertising. Like to know what I am going to watch and read beforehand. I do watch television at the laundromat, mainly news programs which are worth watching sometimes just to keep up with what everyone else is talking about. I also like Globe Trekker a lot http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/globe_trekker/index.php I would have to buy cable to get television in my area and don't want to spend extra on it.

Basically my television is hooked up to a dvd player. I will pick up some television series, I like to watch the whole series on dvd, Battlestar Galactica 2.0, Season one of the original Star Trek, I Claudius (one of my favorite television series), Masterpiece Theater Sherlock Holmes. I find having to wait to see each episode day after day tedious.

There is also Book TV http://www.booktv.org and Books on the Air which lists when authors will be talking on television
http://library.booksite.com/5936/nl/?list=NLAIR I will sometimes watch authors on television. Charlie Rose does a good job with author interviews. Google also has an excellent Youtube series authors@google , is Youtube television, not really, but sometimes I find Youtube has better videos than the television, especially music videos.

[Pete Karnas]

Thanks for the links about author's on television. I'm going to add those to my bookmarks so I can keep track of who is on what show!

[The Girl from the Ghetto]

Heck no Pete, you are not alone! I love TV, watch it often, and I've still managed to read 55 (or 54, I forget) books this year. I blog about books and tv, and a little bit of everything, and you CAN have the best of both worlds.

I'm watch current shows such as LOST, Mad Men, Big Love, House, Glee, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, The Office, Chelsea Lately and most of The Real Housewives shows. Plus I watch my reruns of Arrested Development, one of the best shows ever.

[Pete Karnas]

Arrested Development one of the best shows ever? I believe you mean THE best show ever. Have the entire series permanently on my i-pod for when nothing else will do. Thanks for the response!