Watching Preferences

I've always been a bit of a television junkie. If there's a new series on the tube that everyone is talking about, I want to make sure that I am current with my television watching. I really enjoy a good thriller -- something that keeps me on the edge of my seat. What's really funny, though, is that I miss most of the REALLY spine-tingling moments because I'm watching through the slits between my fingers! It's sad, but true.

Since I'm rarely home on a regular basis to watch anything when it first airs, I'm addicted to Hulu Plus. I'm sure there are other services that people like better, but I'm a creature of habit. Since I started with Hulu, I anticipate sticking with it. Tonight, I was catching up on episodes of Chicago Fire. It's really a great show with its strong plot line and talented cast. In each episode, the fire squad deals with crises of all types. When we're fighting fires or dealing with explosions, I'm good. A little blood on the face or arms.....no problem. But when I'm watching a man with his arm stuck in the gears of a machine, blood all over the place, and the rescue team starts pulling out bone saws and other instruments of torture.....enough is enough! The episode opened with this scene. I had to get up from my computer and listen to the story without watching. When the victim began screaming as they were removing his arm from the gears, I left the room! I'm a wimp, and I accept it.

As you can imagine, I've never had much luck with the medical dramas. I get nauseous simply watching! I know I've missed some incredible shows like ER and Chicago Hope, but I decided that their entertainment level wasn't worth the ill feelings I experienced week after week.

My other version of the addiction is grabbing up DVDs of shows and plowing through the entire season...and sometimes through an entire series!  I realized today that I have a little free time coming up in the next few weeks, so I added a few videos to my collection. (Besides, I have to do something since Scandal is on hiatus!) I'll be catching up on Once (I saw the first half of the season before life got crazy, so I decided to just start from the beginning again). I may be the only person in the world who hasn't seen some of Mad Men at this point; that will change in a couple of days since I picked up season 1 today at Target as well.

I've never had much luck finding many comedies that I think are worth the investment of my time. I liked the Tim Allen series and other shows like that. If it's witty and based in realistic situations, I'm there! So much of what I see on television today is romantically driven and/or what I refer to as "stupid humor."

I'm open to suggestions. What are some of your favorite television series (either drama or comedy)? I'm willing to give almost anything a try. Just promise you won't be offended if I don't share your taste in entertainment!