well, how could it not be breezy? 'cause you're in such a breezy place.
When Friends went off the air in 2004 a little part of me died.
I know there are people who hate on Friends, but for everything bad thing you can say about the show, I can say ten good things. And also quote whole episodes. Just try me.
Aside from a little affair I had with the first season of Survivor and Average Joe: Hawaii Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I pretty much gave up on television altogether after Friends. I sort of just moped around listening With or Without You and saying, “Hello, Vegas? Yeah, we would like some more alcohol, and y'know what else? We would like some more beers” over and over.
I was the worst kind of television cynic for a long, long time. But then two simultaneously important things happened: 1) TV shows became readily available on DVD (without commercials!) and 2) I met Abigail M. Schilling.
Many of my early conversations with Abigail went like this:
“Heather, you should watch so-and-so show.”
“No, I hate television. It wooed me and left me for dead!”
“But it’s a good show.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is.”
“STOP SPREADING YOUR LIES!”
Slowly, slowly Abigail chiseled away at my resolve. Now I own every episode of The Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City ever filmed. And I know all of YouTube’s secrets.
No, seriously. All of them.
During my blog hiatus people were always saying, “What have you been doing since you quit blogging?”
And I’d be all, “Watching television, duh.”
Before this fall TV season started, I crammed all three seasons of The Office, the first season of Ugly Betty, and the first season of 30 Rock into, like, a two week viewing marathon. It was pretty amazing. And now Thursday night is my favorite night of the week. (Like in the old days! With Must See TV!)
I can’t miss any of my shows now because Abigail and I read the Television Without Pity Recaps together, because, hello, there is nothing wrong with being in middle school. (If the Internet had been around when I was in middle school, I would have flunked. out.)
I feel really affectionate towards TV again, and am getting pretty adept at quoting lines from The Office.
But I just want everyone to know that no matter how much I love Pam and Jim, Marc and Wili, Liz and Jack, no couple will ever take the place of Ross and Rachel.
And no show will ever take the place of Friends.
Saturday Jenn was changing one of Hogan’s diapers, and singing to try to keep him from wriggling away. In her beautifully-trained choral voice she belted out Oh, the cow in the meadow goes moo. Oh, the cow in the meadow goes moo. Then the farmer hits him on the head and chops him up, and that’s how we get hamburger.
Excuse me. Is this where the singing lady is that tells the truth?
Um, yeah I guess that's me.
Comments
Ah yes. The TV. You kids and your TV.
It's so good to hear from you. Really. It's like a breath of fresh air. It's like remembering something nice you'd forgotten you'd forgotten.
Hello, Heather Anne.
Posted by: scott | October 4, 2007 07:48 PM
that's another thing that you don't wanna do, oh, that's another thing that you don't wanna do.
Posted by: Jenn The Sister | October 4, 2007 08:17 PM
The only really serious T.V. obsession I had was on DVD--Firefly, which I didn't even know existed until long after the show had been cancelled forever mid-way through it's first season.
On Tuesday night, I watched most of the premier of Pushing Daisies. If ever I was in danger of having a T.V. obsession--you know, a night that I actually arrange my schedule around watching T.V. for--it might be that show. But I don't think I can handle the advertising. It seriously drives me batty.
As a matter of fact, I am blogging right now to avoid going out and having to sit through more T.V., which my husband is watching. Blech.
Posted by: Talena | October 5, 2007 12:45 AM
You know who I love? Luke and Lorelai. I really can't stop talking about them.
Posted by: Abigail | October 5, 2007 02:35 AM
Hi Heather,
I was a big Friends fan back in the day, but now it is just on repeat so often that I'm Friends-saturated :)
But I know how you feel. After Buffy & Angel ended I felt like there was no good tv. And although I've since watched other shows, nothing has been quite as good. Well, Firefly, but that doesn't count as telly cause it came on dvd, if you know what I mean.
I miss the whole watching and loving a show once a week.
Posted by: Fence | October 5, 2007 04:27 AM
I never got into Friends because by the time I decided to give in and not hate on them, there were too many seasons to catch up with. That's why you should totally watch "Arrested Development" on DVD, because it's only 3 seasons long. (Sadly) Same with "Firefly."
Oh, and let me put in a good word for House, Battlestar Galactica, which will only be 4 seasons long. You know, if you ever get free time again.
Posted by: Noelle | October 5, 2007 08:28 AM
My daughter is in middle school. She and the internet are like THIS. It's trouble, I tell you. AIM has become her crack.
Posted by: Julie | October 5, 2007 09:48 AM
One of my cousins was still in diapers during the Smelly Cat era, and my aunt would sing "smelly boy, smelly boy, WHAT ARE WE FEEDING YOU?" when she changed him.
Posted by: Jennie! | October 5, 2007 10:11 AM
I was totally hooked on Six Feet Under. Now that it's over, I've switched to playing video games. It's kind of like going from a heroin addiction to crack. Hey, whatever works.
Posted by: churlita | October 5, 2007 11:07 AM
Smelly Cat was my daughter's first song. True story. Also? When they cancelled "Sports Night" after only two waaaaaaay too-brief seasons, television became dead to me. Except for football. Thank the gods for football.
Posted by: shari | October 5, 2007 02:47 PM
It's soooo good to have you back Heather Anne! (little sigh of relief) I am an Office junkie too! I hate that it's on at the same time as Grays Anatomy though....THANK GOD for DVR!
Posted by: Beth | October 5, 2007 11:01 PM