so...

What happened? And how did I miss it?

It wasn't that long ago that I could say that I didn't watch network television. Oh sure, there was the occassional episode of The Simpsons, but that was about it. Most of my television watching was cable shows or sports programming (much to the absolute delight of my wife, but that's another blog...), and network television was something that was the literal vast wasteland of infamy.

And now...I don't understand it.

I watch network television two nights a week. Not a ton, I know, but on Monday's and Thursdays, NBC has my attention. Monday is Heroes night, and I have become one of the very loyal masses for the show. I'm not blind to it, I find that some episodes are better than others (this past Monday being a fairly nothing episode), but overall I'm hooked. I want to see what happens. I want to know who Linderman is. They got me.

And then there is Thursday. Still on NBC, where they don't just have me for an hour, but for two full hours, and four full shows. I watch My Name is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock. Every week. If I miss them I get upset.

The dichotomy of these two nights of television doesn't escape me. Mondays are drama, using a very character-driven premise (that has the natural comic book appeal for me), letting the story evolve over a long period of time and providing some edge of your seat cliffhanger moments. Thursdays are the opposite in every way. While the characters on all four of the Thursday shows are strong--and make the shows, honestly--it is the strength of each individual episode's moments and plots that hold it together.

What's my point in all of this? Beats me. I guess that I'm just stating that even in a vast wasteland, you will find an oasis of something that, while not necessarily beautiful, it can be rather pleasant. Maybe even nice--at least for a little while.

I'm just curious to see at this point how long it takes the wasteland to overcome the little spot that I've become fond of?...