You Can Actually Just Go Ahead And Get Rid Of Your Set

When you add it all up I follow 6 hours of prime time television on the average Thursday night. Because of scheduling and general sleepiness, watching all of these shows would be nearly impossible without the aid of my DVR and the internet. That got me to thinking; I bet a ridiculous amount of people aren't even using their TVs anymore.

Think about the number of websites you can go to right now to see episodes of television that were brand new less than 24 hours ago. Stuck? Luckily the New York Post TV blog compiled a list.

OVGuide.com
Hulu.com
Megavideo.com
Joost.com
Fancast.com
Primetimerewind.tv
Beelinetv.com
Quicksilverscreen.com
Surfthechannel.com

They also went one step further and provided a rundown for every show currently streaming new episodes online and where you can find them. Let me tell you, it's a doozy.

Ridiculous, or just the first signs that that flat screen of yours will soon be your coffee table?

I liken the transition to young people getting rid of landlines. Why keep the big set around when you can take your laptop anywhere, see all the shows you want for the price of your wireless connection, and basically never pay for a cable bill again? It kind of makes you wonder doesn't it? I suppose most people are keeping their TVs around for sports games and other shows (mostly from premium channels) that they just "can't get anywhere else."

But I pose this question to all of you: If sports and the occasional episode of Dexter aren't holding you back, what's keeping you from getting rid of your TV?

I'll answer first I guess. I usually watch TV by myself, so only having a laptop wouldn't get in the way of my big non-existent TV watching parties. I already get all of my news online or from the newspaper and 100% of the shows I watch are free on the internet or available on iTunes. So what's stopping me? New Year's Eve. I haven't been home for New Year's Eve in a few years, but I can't imagine not having a TV to watch that ball drop...even if Dick Clark's not there. But even after sitting on this for about a half hour, that's the only reason I could think of.

What about you folks?

By the way, this is our last post on Blogger. Number 499! Late tonight or early tomorrow I'll "flip the switch" to introduce you to the new edubTV over at edubTV.com. For those of you who read us in Google Reader, make sure you stop by the actual site to see the new look. It's about time we had a makeover don't you think? So make sure you're all set to go: edubTV.com 2.0 begins tomorrow.

Photo: killfilmstudents.wordpress.com

Jimmy Smits Stabbed A Dude

It was an accident on the set of Dexter, but how often do you get to write a title like that?

Apparently Jimmy accidentally stabbed a stunt man in the chest with a real knife instead of a fake knife.

The scariest part is that the stuntman saw the whole thing go down. He was bound and gagged for the scene and couldn't signal to the actor to stop. Dexter star Michael C. Hall also noticed Smits' mistake but couldn't get to the actor in time.

Luckily the stunt man had a small, plastic chest plate covering his heart or Smits would've done some serious damage.

Scary business! I can't wait to see the scene play out though.

Photo: http://www.showtimefan.com

Sunday Showdown!

There's quite a TV traffic jam tonight. I plan on recording or watching pretty much everything on this list and then making decisions as to what stays on my schedule. It's going to be a long night.

-Season Premiere (The 20th to be exact): The Simpsons - Fox 8/7c
-Season Premiere: Amazing Race 13 - CBS 8/7C
-Season Premiere: Desperate Housewives - ABC 9/8C
-Season Premiere: Californication - Showtime 9/8C
-Season Premiere: Brothers & Sisters - ABC 10/9C
-Season Premiere: Dexter - Showtime - 10/9C
-New Episode: Entourage - 10/9C
-New Episode: Mad Men - 10/9C


Photo: Hulu.com

See Dexter Get Back Into The Swing of Things...Early!

Showtime is streaming the season premiere eps of Dexter and Californication for free, right now on their website.

Want to get in on the action? Go here. You'll need the password.

It's Lady Killer.

Get it? Because Dexter is a serial killer with some ridiculous issues and because David Duchovny and his character Hank Moody love ladies...a little too much. Oh Showtime, you slay me.

I'm holding out for the actual premiere on September 28. Not only because I want to see it in HD, but because when I was a kid season premieres meant something. Now you can see them three weeks early and watch them over and over again all week. Where's the fun in that? Sometimes I miss the good old days of appointment television.

Photo: seat42f.com

Take A Look At The Emmy Finalists

For the first time, the folks over at The Emmys decided to let the fans in on the process and released the top 10 finalists in the Outstanding Comedy and Drama categories.

There's no voting or fan favorite or anything. They just want you to know who the heavy hitters were before the list gets narrowed down to five official nominees. It's kind of a neat idea.

Here are the lists. I took the liberty of highlighting my picks for you.

Outstanding Comedy Series Finalists

• Curb Your Enthusiasm
  
• Entourage
  
• Family Guy
• Flight of the Conchords
  
• The Office
• Pushing Daisies - Great new show but it's a little soon to compete with the big boys.
• 30 Rock
• Two And A Half Men - Why God Why?
  
• Ugly Betty
• Weeds
  

This drama list is loaded with good stuff. I don't envy the Academy at all.

Outstanding Drama Series Finalists

• Boston Legal
• Damages
  
• Dexter
  
• Friday Night Lights
  
• Grey's Anatomy
• House
• Lost
  
• Mad Men
• The Wire

Guess, wonder, hypothesize, etc. All of the nominees will be announced on July 17.


Photo: HeroesTheSeries.com

Marathon Woman

I only have Showtime at my parents' house. It's annoying but it means I can spend more money on Sour Patch Kids and iTunes. But I'm home for the holidays and that means one thing: I'm stocking up on all of the premium channels I can. 

First off: I desperately need to watch the last four episodes of Dexter. To say I am worried about spoiler alerts is an understatement. I am freaked out. Have you seen those new Burger King commercials? It's at " I want a Whopper now!!" level.  Making it worse, Dexter is kind of hard to watch in marathon form. It's bloody, dramatic, and Michael C. Hall's voice is seductive yet approaching soporific. Furthermore, my dad bet me $5 that I can't catch up on the last three episodes tonight so we can watch the season finale together tomorrow. $5! Now there's a mediocre lunch at stake. I can't blow this. What's a girl to do?

The only thing I can do: I'm going to crack my neck, get a glass of ice water and buckle in for a long and gory night. 

Dexter Vacations on CBS

I'm a little peeved about this.

Thanks to the strike, CBS is plucking content from their sister network Showtime, re-purposing it and airing it on the broadcast network. Dexter is the first to make the jump, which is no surprise considering the popularity of CBS' other crime dramas. The Tudors and Weeds are also being considered for primetime spots.

This is actually kind of genius on Showtime's part. These shows are brand new to most of the country. CBS will be the premier destination for "new" drama, when everyone else will be airing re-runs, game shows, or worse. Plus, when people watch Dexter and get hooked (because it's impossible not to) and the writers strike comes to an end, they'll be more likely to order Showtime. Their subscriptions are going to skyrocket.

So why am I peeved? I finally understand what people who bought the iPhone early felt like. No fair! I paid extra for those premium channels and now they're just giving it all away. It just seems a little wrong.

I guess you can't stop progress. It will be interesting to see how they edit Dexter for time and content. They'll have to cut 10 minutes out of every episode. That might even be enough to get me to watch them again.

Damn. I've been swayed already.

TV-Giving

Before I sit down to my favorite meal of the year, here's what I'm thankful for, at least where TV is concerned.

• Returns to normalcy for Desperate Housewives & Prison Break. Thanks for finding your niche and settling in again. I'm glad I held out hope.
  

• The Writers Strike is a blessing in disguise. It's high time the writers get what they deserve, plus it clears the schedule for some ridiculous reality shows that I can rant and laugh at for years to come. Stay tuned for my diatribe on Clash of the Choirs.
  

• Again, I'm thankful for my DVR and iTunes for ensuring I never miss a moment despite late night meetings, boring banquets and priceless moments with friends.
  

• To Showtime & HBO for always raising the bar. The Sopranos finale made people believers again. New shows on HBO (Flight of the Conchords, Tell Me You Love Me) and dark hits on Showtime (Weeds, Dexter) are carrying the torch. They owe it to the Sopranos to continue to develop intelligent beautiful television...and they are.
  

• And before I forget, I'm thankful for all of the great blogs I ran into this year, mostly while writing for this one. Scanner, and Reality Blurred to United Hollywood and Best Week Ever. I learn and laugh my way through work everyday. Thanks for bringing up to date pop culture news to the masses.
  

A Very Happy Thanksgiving to all five of our readers, wherever they are. Here's to lots of turkey, awkward family moments, the best naps of the holiday season and great sales on TV on DVD.

I'm Just Catching Up: Weeds

I don't have Showtime, but thanks to an extended stay at Chateau Mom & Dad's, I've been catching up on my favorites.

Season 3 of Weeds is off to a refreshing start. Nancy and company were in quite a jumble at the end of season 2. Unlike "24" she spent upwards of two episodes trying to get out of the quagmire. For those of you who missed the beginning of 24 this season, we didn't get a chance to see just how Jack survived the slow boat to China. I like it when season premiere's take place two seconds after the season finale ends. It's like they never left.

My only beef with Weeds is that Nancy is never just okay. I know that might make for boring television, but it would also humanize her and make her seem realistic. The show is taking on an out of this world quality. It needs to settle down before it becomes Pushing Daisies.

I am one episode into Dexter as well. So far, all I can confirm is that Michael C. Hall's voice is devastatingtly hansome.