Yes, I Watch TV-and it is "Good" (and a reader question)

Well folks, it would seem that the the first estimate on cleaning out the sewer line in my potential new house suggests a complete replacement-which probably means seven thousand dollars and losing a tree on the front lawn.We chose the house partially for the yard. the sellers have no more concession money to give, so we are now in negotiations.  In other news, I apologize that I have not kept up with posting comments or moderation and I will try to get up to speed!

I have a confession to make.  I LIKE television. What's more, I think television overall has gotten nothing but better and programming may be among the best it's ever been. Don't get me wrong, I am the first to admit that there is a frightening amount of drivel (and bad taste) on television. I just happen to think that if one looks deeply, that has been overshadowed by really good actors, directors and producers who have realized that the small screen is as good a medium as the large one.

Nor does my love for TV mean that I spend all my time in front of the thing.  I think that with the exception of sports, the DVR box is a girl's best friend. I control what I watch and when. I admit, though, that weekday nights when I am not out include an hour or so of TV watching and then reading.  I'm pretty active in the morning and during the day and this is my after dark unwind time. Since I have some sedentary hobbies that require handwork like knitting, sewing and drawing, this works fine for me. I am not addicted to the TV and watch much less in the summer, obviously-TV watching is done after dinner on the patio and my evening walk.

What do I find worth watching?  Well, first, I almost never, ever, watch sitcoms. I did not watch them years ago, except for the occasional Mash or Cosby and my opinion of them have not changed. I don't watch reality shows-with the exception of the cooking show Top Chef and the occasional house flipping show on a Sunday morning (it's an addiction). What I DO watch are a variety of really high quality dramas-some of them series and some of them mini series. A few of these shows are on traditional network television, a few are on pay cable channels, and many are on those non pay/non network channels such as A&E, AMC, FX, TNT and the like.

Now folks, I will be the first to admit that some of these shows have violence, and some have bad language.  It's true. I understand that offends some people in any context.  Watching some of these shows can be uncomfortable. For those of you who understand and have watched Game of Thrones, I'll tell you that my son watches it-and I cannot watch it with him because of the level of some of the visuals.  Still, I believe there is a place for violence, occasional nudity,  and appropriate language within a story-the same is true often of good and classic fiction.  But there is a reason, and a darned good one, why the lead actor from the series "Breaking Bad" wins a best actor nod almost every year, and why an actors such as Kevin Bacon, Kevin Spacey, Tom Selleck, Glen Close and others turn their sights to television. Trust me, it's not because they are desperate for work!

So what do I watch at different times throughout the year?  Mind you these shows are not at the same time, all are DVRd and some I catch up on through DVDs after the season is over.  I've been known to watch one TV series over three days when I was "blizzarded" in, and no TV for three weeks during the summer. With that in mind, these are the shows that I currently commit to watching, usually via DVR:

On regular network television I watch The Good Wife, Bluebloods and The Following (not just Kevin Bacon, but the guy who played Marc Anthony from the series Rome). I also watch 60 Minutes before Sunday night football, old and aged as it is! On PBS I watch MI5, of course, and friends have been pushing Doc Martin for the longest time.

On those so called non network channels?  I have just started watching the show Copper on BBC America and may be hooked, the same with Primeval. Who knew the BBC made programming especially for the US?  And although I don't watch it any more and it is, I suppose a reality show, Top Gear BBC is one of the best shows on TV (not the Americanized version, only the original). I watch The Bridge (best TV series in years) and Justified on FX.  Longmire on A&E (based on the book series).  On AMC, The Killing.  I'm not opposed to The Waking Dead or Breaking Bad, I'm just so far behind I would, as my son says, "be very confused".  I occasionally watch a show on USA network called Suits.

I don't have pay channels at the moment-I'm waiting until I move to get a new deal in my name so that I can have Showtime-that said, there are pay channel shows that I watch a season behind. I'm addicted to Homeland with Claire Danes and I'm looking forward to the new series with Leiv Schreiber and Jon Voight.  I expect that someday I will watch and love both Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, but I'm not there yet.

So there you have it-the reason I keep tiered TV and yes, even pay Cable-for some truly good viewing (along with the occasional mindless drivel).

Oh, and this is where I ask my readers, especially those of you who "stream".  Have you been reading about this Google Chromecast?  Has anyone else tried it or considered it as of yet (it seems that they have a two week backlog).  As someone who was considering Netflix streaming or the new Redbox offering, this is something I want to learn more about-it sure seems like less effort than hooking an actual box up to the Television. Opinions, anyone?