When I was a teenager, I used to spend hours in front of the television. Eight hours or more were spent watching various shows, absorbing the information through my glazed eyes. Now, I have less time to spend watching the boob-tube. Well.......ok, so my mother bought a satellite dish, and now we have 1,000 channels with nothing on! That's the real reason. However, when I do have the time, and when I find the channel with all my favorite shows, I absolutely have to watch the following ten shows, some of which have been my favorites since I was a child.
The Simpsons
I have been watching this cartoon since it first came out in 1989. The Simpsons are: Homer--works at the nuclear power plant, loves donuts and beer; Marge--tall blue hair, sounds like she smokes, loves Homer even though he's an idiot; Bart--devilish prankster; Lisa--bored scholar, plays the ''saxomaphone''; and Maggie--baby who doesn't talk, save one or two times in the entire 14 years. There are many townspeople characters, without whom the show would not be complete. My favorites are Groundskeeper Willy and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Each episode involves a family member getting into some kind of trouble or having an adventure, with hilarious occurances. There have been many famous guest stars, including the cast of Star Trek, and certain members of the Beatles.
Friends
This is another show I have watched since it's debut, which was in 1994. Although there has been much partner and apartment changing, the characters have stayed the same. Ross is a wimpy paleontologist who has been divorced three times. Rachel is a ditz who works with Ralph Lauren (she and Ross now have baby Emma). Phoebe is a ''unique'', free-spirited masseuse and coffeehouse performer. Joey is a womanizer who is proud of his role as ''Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days of Our Lives''. Monica is a neat-freak chef and Ross' sister. Chandler is married to Monica and is now currently jobless. Many funny scenes at ''Central Perk'', especially with Gunther, my favorite character. This show has no set plot, except how events in one friend's life will ultimately affect another friend(s).
Frasier
I started watching Frasier while I was marooned at my father's house in Seattle, one wet summer vacation. This series is based in Seattle, and is about Frasier Crane, Seattle's anal-retentive radio talk show psychiatrist/therapist. He lives in a beautiful condo with his father, Eddie (the dog), and Daphne (the spiritual caretaker). This show has dry humour, and is mostly about the life of Frasier. He is aging, divorced, cannot find a date (or keep one once he's found it), and has a complex about having the ''perfect life''. My favorite character is the brother, Niles Crane (also a psychiatrist). He is so prim and proper, and it is funny how he tried to hide his interest in Daphne for so many years. Interestingly enough, the view from Frasier's condo is fake, as there is no place that shows the Space Needle and Mount Ranier in the same view except for Queen Anne Hill Park, and there are no buildings there.
Royal Canadian Air Farce
Most of you will never have heard of this show. It is a Canadian satire show on CBC. Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, and John Morgan are four of Canadians funniest comedians. This show makes fun of politics (Canadian, American and British) and the Royal Family. My favorite part in this show is the four complaining ''old people style'' in Tim Horton's, and the Chicken Canon. The Chicken Canon is a skit where a crazy military man fills a canon full of food and gross things, topped off with a chicken, and shoots it at a picture of a person who has made the biggest (bad) impact on Canada that week (usually our PM).
Whose Line is it Anyways?
There are two versions of this show, and I like the American version, with Drew Carey as host. This is a theatre sports show, where four comedians (Colin, Ryan, Wayne, and guest) have a friendly competition for points. My favorite skits are the question game, and props. With the question game, they have make up a conversation in questions only. With props, each pair gets one prop and has to make a comedic situation using that prop. This show is guaranteed to have you laughing for the entire hour.
Desi Rhythms
I usually catch this show on weekends, on the multicultural channel. Desi Rhythms is hosted by two beautiful sisters: Poonam and Preet Sandhu. It showcases new Hindi and Punjabi music videos.
Trading Spaces
Trading Spaces is the hottest show on TLC. The concept is that two neighbors switch houses for two days to design a room in each other's house. The only catch is that the designers have most of the say in what happens in the room, and this makes for some amusing watch because some of these homeowners are very picky! This show is a must see for people who are looking to gain ideas on how to decorate their house for a reasonable amount of money. The reason I watch, of course, is for the carpenter Ty Pennington. He is hot, he is funny, enough said!
That 70s Show
Never does a Tuesday go by that I am not watching That 70s Show. It is a comical look into life in the 70s in Wisconsin. This show follows the lives of Eric, Red and Kitty Forman; Donna and Bob Pinciotti; Fez, the foreign exchange student; Hyde; Michael Kelso; and Jackie. There are many funny episodes involving a smoky circle in the basement, and generally getting into teenage trouble. Red is the funniest character in the show. He says that he learned his parenting skills ''in Korea''(he was in the Korean War). So you better watch this show, dumb-ass! (watch the show, you'll understand)
I Dream Of Jeannie
This is a loveable comedy, circa 1965, and can be seen on Deja-View. Major Anthony Nelson found Jeannie on a beach he had landed on, and now she is bound to him until she has fulfilled her duty of the wishes. Jeannie gets herself and Nelson into much trouble by trying to be helpful. Boats, tigers, politicians who have been dead for hundreds of years, new furniture, and more have been blinked in and out of the Nelson house by Jeannie at hilarious expense. Other characters include Major Roger Healey and Dr. Alfred Bellows.
Bewitched
Bewitched was first shown in 1964, and is on the same premise as I Dream Of Jeannie. Samantha is a witch, and married to Darren. Nobody knows she is a witch, as she would be treated as an outcast then. She has to live life without using magic, which is hard because she is a horrible cook and can't drive. Samantha's family is all witches and warlocks, and they constantly pop in and out from their realm. The funniest parts involve Samantha's mother, Endora. Endora hates Darren (and vise-versa) and always shows up unannounced, to make his life a living hell. This show is famous for the nose wiggle Samantha does to use her witchcraft.
If these shows are not showing at the time I am watching TV, or if I can't find them in the sea of digital crap, I'll watch the local news. If even THAT isn't showing, then I don't watch anything at all. It's all or nothing people.
Hope you enjoyed my list, and are able to catch a few of my favorites.
