Feel the Burnout

Freaks, I have a confession to make, and it's something I never thought I'd ever say.

I'm tired of TV.

I know, I know, I know...

OK, well, that's not really true.

I love TV. I couldn't possibly be tired of it. Except...

I'm completely overwhelmed by my DVR. I sit down at night, pick up my remote, and then...panic. There are just so many shows on there. So many things to watch! Where do I begin?

That question is the heart of the matter, Freaks. Maybe you too are feeling a little overwhelmed by the vast crop of mostly useless new shows, maybe a little bad about not being super pumped about returning shows that were your previous favorites.

If this is what you just thought of, get off of my blog.

I feel you.

So where do I begin?

Well, if what is piling up on my DVR is any indication, it's not with The Good Wife, which I think is great, but because I missed the first two seasons I have a hard time caring about. It's not with Nikita, which is also really well done, a fun and exciting spy show that just never seems worthy of the play button. It's not with new shows Person of Interest, Prime Suspect, 2 Broke Girls, Whitney, Terra Nova, or The Secret Circle, all of which I watched and fell flat enough that they were not deemed worthy of my precious time. None of those shows are bad, but none of them are very good, either. It's the first year I can remember where nothing new has rocked my world.

Aw. We do miss you.

That is not to say that some of the new shows that have managed to remain are not enjoyable. I've kept Up All Night, Hart of Dixie, Ringer, Suburgatory, Revenge, and Pan Am. But let's tell the truth, even that batch isn't setting the world on fire, right? Up and Suburgatory are amusing sitcoms, but can't compare to the creative excellence of Modern Family, Happy Endings (are you watching that yet?), Community, and Parks and Recreation. Hart, Ringer, Revenge, and Pan are pretty good if fluffy dramas, but I'm never dying to watch any of them.

What am I dying to watch? What gets an automatic play from The TV Freak?

Gets automatic play from the TV Freak.

Aside from the four sitcoms I mentioned above, it's Psych, which is always well written and extremely funny. (Last night's Hangover-inspired episode was a new personal favorite.) The Vampire Diaries, which is full of shocking, fast paced action this season. Castle, which should pay Nathan Fillion a bajillion dollars for making that show so incredibly enjoyable. How I Met Your Mother, which I think has really come back from last year's creative slump.

I'm excited for the return of Bones (Nov 3) and Chuck (Oct 28) but where will I find the time? With missing episodes of Glee, which is just not doing anything for me this season. I'm over Lea Michelle's constant face, Schuster's cloying relationship with Emma, and the recycled plotlines. The show's only saving grace for me at this point is the increase in screentime for Darren Criss, who I would watch sing the phone book.

Or Maroon 5. 

Same goes for Parenthood. Truth be told, I can not figure out why I don't love this show. It's well acted. It's well written. The kids are amazing actors. Peter Krause is one of my favorite things in the world, and not in the least because Adam Braverman is bizarrely reminiscent of my dad. I like Lauren Graham, even if she's still just doing Lorelai. I don't hate Dax Shepard. I have no good explanation for how little feeling this show evokes in me, but it's the truth. I just don't care.

Ironically enough, I do care about this. OMG, you guys!  

I enjoy NCIS, but not enough to make the time for it, at least until some more of these new shows I'm watching get cancelled, ditto for House, Law and Order: SVU, and Hawaii Five-0 (despite that show's improvement with the much-needed addition of Terry O'Quinn). I'm giving new shows Once Upon a Time (Oct 23) and Grimm (Oct 28) one shot to blow my socks off before they get scrapped from the "scheduled" list as well. Even Burn Notice (Nov 3) might get put off until everything goes repeats, because I didn't even get a chance to miss it before it was back.

I'm just a little jam-packed right now.

But don't worry, Freaks. I'm going to keep myself overwhelmed, watching all of the good stuff and lots of the bad, just so I can tell you all about it. I wouldn't want you to miss your regular dose of snark, now would I? I know how much you all look forward to it.

It's more than this, right? Right?
Oh, God, is is more than this?

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