Ask TV Freak

I am nothing without you, my darling Freaks.

Well, that's not entirely true.

But without you, I am a sad lonely lady who writes a TV blog that nobody reads, and that's like Liz Lemon pathetic.

So thanks for helping me stay at least at Penny Hartz.

Oh, god, I'm going to die alone. 

In order to thank you, I'd like to answer a couple of your most important  easy-to-answer questions!


Since there are so many shows, how do you pick what to watch and talk about? 

This is the constant battle of my life. Right now, I average about 20 hours of TV a week. You know, in addition to a real job, other hobbies, and, like, friends. Occasionally I even need to do laundry. So it's difficult. Really, if I had the time, I'd just watch everything. Alas, I have yet to find a generous and mysterious benefactor who would like to pay me to write this little blog, so I have to pick.

He offered, but I thought there might be strings attached.

It goes a little something like this: I watch what I like, and I talk about what I find interesting.

I hear you yelling bullshit, so I'll explain a little further. It's a combination of factors: my personal tastes, keeping up with what's happening in television, and taking advice from other smart people I know who watch. For example, I really love sitcoms. A lot of people don't, but they tend to be my favorite, so I'm always willing to give one a shot, even if I expect it to be terrible. Most shows honestly only get one shot to impress me unless they are associated with someone whose previous work as a creator, writer, or actor I enjoy, in which case I will try to stick with it for a while. I kept watching Ringer because SMG was Buffy, even though I wasn't nuts about it in the beginning. (Luckily, it has gotten better.)

Unluckily, it is so very, very cancelled. 

I also keep up with lots of other TV blogs and websites, so if there's a general buzz about something, I'll watch. I went back to Revenge even though I was not crazy about the pilot because it was the hot show of the season, and I wanted to see if I had missed something. I had with that show, but not so much with 2 Broke Girls, which I also went back to but found to be just as stupid and unfunny as I'd originally thought.

I try to watch everything at least once, unless I'm positive that I won't like it (American Horror Story) or I have some issue with someone involved (Rob!), and I try to always listen to people who know good TV. It was on the advice of good friends that I ever saw LOST, Alias, Buffy and Bones - some of my favorite shows ever.

Why are cable shows better than network shows? 

I'm going to quantify this question before I answer it- cable dramas are better than network. Network makes better comedy (for the most part- there are exceptions) so I will answer this in the spirit I believe it was asked in- Why does cable have all the great dramas?

Because they can.

Hey, cable- you can do this too.

Really, it all boils down to expectations. Cable shows have much less pressure to produce ratings, therefore they do not have to appeal to as wide of an audience, therefore the creators and writers get more creative control, and can write the show they intend- with less influence from the suits. There's also less pressure from censors and "parent groups" who are offended by everything, and I think there's probably something in the fact that because a successful cable show makes less money than a successful network show, it is possible that cable attracts creatives who care more about the product than the cash. (Not that I want to imply that of everyone on network- but, you know, three CSI's.)

What will we be watching on TV in ten years? 

I don't know that individual shows will look drastically different, so much as the television landscape. In the last ten years there has already been a drastic increase in the number of cable networks that offer original programming, and now internet-based subscription services like Hulu and Netflix are getting into the game -Netflix already outbid everyone for the new episodes of Arrested Development, and is now in talks to take over the cancelled Terra Nova from FOX. I think we're headed in the direction of lots more "channels" making original shows, and it will be interesting to see what sort of impact that has on quality. On one hand, it would create less ratings pressure for network shows, so the ones with less than stellar ratings but a core dedicated audience and critical acclaim could stick around. On the other, maybe an over saturated market dulls the product, you know?

Already drove the market to bulimia. 

Plus, and I mean this - how am I going to watch any more shows?

I do think that at some point there will have to be a switch in the way it all operates though- you're just not going to get people to pay for TV, plus cable, plus the pay cable channels (there's more of those all the time, too!), plus multiple services like Hulu and Netflix.

Hey stupid TV people- I have a DVR at home. The only way I'm ever watching commercials during your programming is if I am watching it for free on your website.

Why do costumed superheroes work in the movies but not on TV?

My theory about this has two parts. First, I think that as superhero movies have gotten better but most importantly bigger, TV can not compete, leaving established superheroes in the hands of Hollywood and TV mostly left to invent their own. I think it is also because modern TV audiences want an aspect of realism in their shows. I think it's easier to suspend your disbelief (i.e., not think that something is silly) in a movie theater, where we're used to doing it, than on the couch at home, when most of what we watch is centered in present-day reality. It's why "superhero" shows like Buffy, Smallville, and Heroes can work - we believe that the fantastical or supernatural can exist in our reality, but not that someone showing up in spandex wouldn't just be mocked on the internet.

Next week on Wonder Woman- How will Diana deal with internet trolls?

Whew! You guys are intense! Let's lighten it up with a few final quickies, shall we?


What is your favorite episode of Alias/West Wing/ Will and Grace?

"Rendezvous", "Two Cathedrals", and "A Chorus Lie", respectively.

What show was the most influential social commentary vehicle on television?

Star Trek. (That's what you were looking for, right, B?)

Is Happy Endings....ending?

Nope. Yay!

(Stay tuned for next week's post about the chances for all your favorite shows!)

Do you watch reality competitions like Top Chef or Project Runway?

I used to watch both, but they got kinda boring for me. I don't mind competition reality (I'm not including shit like The Bachelor), but I just don't have time for it. And I won't ever watch the stuff that is just stupid people vying for attention (The Bachelor).

Where is Michael Vartan now?

Waiting for a job after the cancellation of HawthoRNe, but you can follow him on Twitter: @damoosers. (He mostly talks about hockey.)

Can you recommend things to watch during this sad month while everything is off?

Yep. That is of course, assuming you are already watching all of my current TV faves: Vampire Diaries, Happy Endings, Community, psych, and Castle.



Got more questions? Send them to me via email, Facebook, or Twitter (@theTVFreak)!