Entertain me, box of lights!

Is it bad to say that T.V. makes me happy? Is it so wrong that when I'm having a bad day or feeling blah, knowing that one of my favorite shows is on that night lifts my spirits? Don't misjudge what I'm saying - I don't watch T.V. nonstop. I know my limits. In fact, friends will often tell me about shows they watch and love and I'll have to tell them that while I'm sure the show is really good, I just don't have any openings right now. That having been said, I do love me some good T.V.

Excluding syndicated shows and other shows that are no longer on T.V., my favorite shows (in this order) are:

Lost
Psych
The Office

I have one or two other favorite shows but they're guilty pleasure shows and won't be revealed in this blog post. Maybe if you promise you won't mock or judge, I'll tell you. (Here's a hint: one of them starts with "A" and ends with "Idol.")

Anyway, this is a big month for me and a couple of my favorite shows. That's right, new seasons of both Lost and Psych start this month. Psych is on the USA network, so it has two seasons (winter and summer) and Lost, well, Lost just does its own thing. Not having any clue when Lost is going to start every year is just one of the many mysteries this show has to offer. I know that some of you get sick of those of us who can't stop talking about Lost in anticipation of it's imminent return. Well, if you don't want us to talk about it, maybe you shouldn't bring up words that remind us of Lost! Words such as: island, boars, smoke monster, Keamy (whew... I almost lost my train of thought at the mention of Keamy...), hatch, or even just the word "lost." These are trigger words that get us Lost fans thinking about our favorite show and once we start, well, we can't stop.

This wasn't meant to be a post about Lost, so I will move on. Hard as it may be, I will move on.

You know what I love? When you ask someone if they've ever seen one of your favorite shows, and they say, "I don't really watch T.V." Ok, that in and of itself isn't bad - I mean, some people don't have a T.V. or don't have cable, or work long hours or go out with friends in the evenings. That's fine. What I love is when people end that sentence in this way: "I don't really watch T.V. (pause) I read." What do they expect me to take from that? I think I know. And I think I don't like it.

Once, while I was a missionary, I went a year and half without watching any T.V. And while I didn't miss any specific shows too much, I hope it's not bad to admit that once or twice, I did miss the catharsis of vegging out in front of the T.V. The feeling of letting your mind go blank as the programs manipulate your emotions, making you happy, then sad, then angry, then back to happy... It's so mind numbingly wonderful from time to time.

I think I've revealed too much.

What I meant to say was that I enjoy the plot twists, the engaging dialogue, and of course admiring the actor's skills. Either way, I'm looking forward to my favorite shows returning with new episodes this month. An added bonus for us Lost fans: the words "spoiler alert" will now be a regular part of our lives again. It's been too long.