TVlandia

I have these TV series-es on DVD – I’ve been hoarding them since I first discovered the paradise that is the LRT 1 Carriedo station. I was really stocking up for when that day arrives that I’ll have little-to-nothing responsibilities or when I am looking at days of virtually doing nothing. Let me see: I have Grey’s Anatomy (1 &2), Prison Break, Numbers, Six Feet Under (all 5 seasons), The OC (1-3), One Tree Hill (1-3), 4400, Coupling, Scrubs (1-5), Battlestar Galactica (1-3) and an inordinate amount of full-length films.

Now that I’m finally within those days that I longed for, I find myself not so hot at watching half of the TV series that I have (some are still unwatched. Hoarding, i tell you).

There is one and only one reason for this: Veronica Mars has totally soured my taste for vapid TV. Granted, I have always been critical of so many TV shows but there were some which I considered guilty pleasures (OC and OTH, among them). But now, BUT now, I find not one ounce of tongue-in-cheek joy at following the so-called narratives of these shows – shows that have, in the past, been able to afford me some sense of pleasure. What have I done?

Everything about Veronica Mars, for better or worse has raised my standards for what makes good TV – from the superb writing to its great cast headed by Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring to its great execution. Kahit sabihin pa nila na hindi ganoon ka-tight ang season 3, it’s still one of the best TV shows around. And there isn’t a stronger female role model than she is – feisty, intelligent, stays true to self, toughie but a marshmallow nonetheless. Basta, magaling sha.

So now, when I have free time as I do now, I find myself ruing the day I followed Lia’s advice to check out VM. I mean, we all need mababaw shows once in a while. But I find that even my mababaw standards have gone higher. I can’t even enjoy Entourage now. But maybe it’s due more to the fact that I’ve seen the people and the circumstances that show portrays first hand. It’s just a little too close to home for comfort. Hee.

But I still try to watch these shows ploddingly. I mean, Seth Cohen still makes me laugh every now and then and there’s some residual infatuation with Lucas (am watching season 1 pa lang).

On the other side of the spectrum, Scrubs still cracks me up (Zach Braff, I heart you). Like the rest of humanity (at least those with TV), Buddy and I are hooked on Heroes (why must they go on hiatus? it's bad enough that i'm suffering from VM-withdrawal, must they take away Hiro and company, too?). As per Quark's suggestion, we're also logging some Battlestar Galactica hours as well as spending QT with Ugly Betty. Then, there's also the 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm not really keen on the supernatural but everyone says BtVS paved the way for VM (i'm inclined to agree although Sarah Michelle Gellar lacks the comedic timing of KB,imho).

Can you tell that i have lots of free time these days? :) Speaking of free time, maybe what I need is another 9-5 thing to make me appreciate the mababaw aspects of TV again? Hahaha how roundabout is that? But not just yet, ok? I so deserve this break.