My wife and I just got cable TV after having been voluntarily cable-less for five years. What should I be watching?

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

Answers

We've discovered some fun shows on Animal Planet. I seem to recall people liking some show on HGTV called something like "Trading Spaces"? What are some of your favorite shows, specials, or entire networks that you'd recommend?

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

E! Between Nigella Bites and the E! True Hollywood Story, there's no need to watch anything else.

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2002

Unfortunately unless it has cartoon characters or BMX bikes in it I have no clue what shows to tell you to try. *sigh* I used to like Lifetime movies because they were usually those true story tear jerkers. I like Animal Planet too. We dont het it but I hear the H and G chanel is cool. What made you crack and get cable?

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2002

Ultimately, it was DVD that made us crack and get cable. We got a DVD player and started renting and then buying movies on DVD. We were so impressed with the quality, we decided to get a bigger TV to replace our ancient little one. We got a huge new TV and then decided the over-the-air broadcast quality TV shows looked like hell, now that all the flaws were greatly magnified, but the DVDs looked fantastic. So we got cable.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2002

*sigh* and they say we are going to hell in a hand basket!!!

Its all a snowball. So are you finding it to absorb what little quality time was available to the home unit or are you just enjoying with gusto?

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2002

Having decided to keep TV in a tiny role in our lives for five years, we each had significant anxiety about TV coming roaring back into our lives. So far, we watch about the same amount as before cable and big-screen, only more movies. So we're enjoying it, but perhaps not with quite the gusto you imagine. :-)

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2002

Well I hope that the watching you are doing is worth the past few years you went cable-less. Here you can only get one channel without cable and it barely comes in so it is hard to imagine having a tv without cable at all. I actually grew up without any tv at all as my parents decided to raise kids with out "the box" as they termed it. No tv till I was about 16 and then my folks cracked as they bought a new car and it came with a free 18 inch!!! LOL Then we got to watch the news and PBS for a couple of yrs. Now? My folks are parked in front of the box just like everyone else, only they now have a huge tv with surround sound and all of us kids own at least 3! LOL (I use the term 'kids' loosely as we are of course all old kids ;-) So I understand the whole senerio. ;-)

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2002

We actually watch very little TV. About the only thing we try to watch "IF" we remember when it is on is "Junkyard Wars" on TLC? or "The Red Green Show" on PBS.

BUT, we do have the full home theater thing going on so when we want to watch a movie it is an experiance....

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2002

Nigella Bites and the E! True Hollywood Story are two of my favorite cable shows.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

Or you could become hooked on CNN like my husband and stare blurry eyed while listening to overdone news information hour after hour.

hannah what is Nigella Bites?

Frankly I'm not a tv watcher much and that is mostly due to the fact that my son has taken over the program selection and that means Nickalodeon and Disney or bike competitions chanels endlessly or his Nintendo. The programs I'd be interested in are not necessarily what I'd want a young child to be watching so I let the hours that are designated for television go to those two chanels.

We do however look forward to the Olympics taking over.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

It's this cooking show- Nigella Lawson is this british woman who loves food. And is just so much fun to watch. You have to really see her to get it, but she does stuff anyone can do and is funny and gorgeous.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Hmmmmm, might have to check that out. Sounds interesting.

The only show I was ever faithful too and time and life stopped for was 'LaFemme Nakita" and thats over forever. *sigh*

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

Anybody into the Olympics? Is the coverage on any cable channels? We only get it on one, interesting enough. Did anyone like the Opening Ceremonies? I thought that it was beautiful and we liked the authentic 'real' Americans giving the Olympians a blessing. The parachute animals were really beautiful. My son is really enjoying them, except that the coverage is so late at night.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002

I'm way into the Olympics. NBC has the broadcast rights and coverage is on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC. I watched the opening ceremony. I found it way too "ceremonial" and so drenched in syrupy symbolism I thought it would implode. And all the boring original music... Ugh. Little surprise the very best moments were the WTC flag and the hoe-down with the early cowboy settlers of Utah accompanied by Copland's "Rodeo." That was worth it.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002

Wow, that's interesting that you thought the symbolism too much but thought the carrying of the WTC flag one of the best parts. I thought that part was a tear jerker too and also the fact of the chosen 'carriers' like pall bearers, but thought that it was odd to choose an international arena to 'walk' the flag. I'd love to know what the nations standing in the bleachers thought. I loved when President Bush got right among the Olympians and announced the games had now officially began. I thought that was a very simple but strong supportive message. I love different perspectives so I'm so not arguing. But I thought that the fact that they chose the symbolism of the American Indians and the blessings very touching as we have very little in the way of "tradition" and "customs" to show off in our home land. When other host nations show off their traditions and traditional dance and dress I love to see the "then" and "now". ;-) We are such a melting pot I wondered how they would do it all. I love American History and am an avid reader so loved the fact that this was the first time in our history that the five American Indian nations came together.

I wish the coverage was more all encompassing, I hate snipets of what NBC thinks is important!!!! Grrrrrrrr!!!

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2002

I had a hard time with all the pomp and pageantry. I could have done without the "Child of Light," the scary Ice Monsters, the Attack of the Killer Icicles (who only looked like jai alai playing KKK members), and the skater symbolic of the "Dawn," for instance.

The walking of the WTC flag wasn't so odd to me, but pointed and deliberate. It reminded me of Jackie Kennedy refusing to change out of her blood-spattered dress in all the photos of LBJ being sworn in.

I love American history, too, which is why I loved the big hoe- down sequence.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2002

Oh! of course the artistry part is always smarmy. ROFL

But they had to get the theme going with the whole 'light the fire within' point LOL

I liked how well the audience did their part too with the lights and cards etc.

How much do you think the fire works alone cost *gasp*

I have an employee who leaves the 15th for the Olympics for 5 days, lucky sumova LOL He asked if I want a momento, and I told him one of the pins. I'm sure there are so many little kitcshy things for sale as souveniers.My son said a bobsled! rofl but mostly I cant wait to hear first hand how it is along with pictures.

Speaking of cable; my husband is talking dish UGH, just what I need, 209 more chanels to watch him flip through!!!

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002