I generally try to avoid conflict. That comes naturally after growing up with four older brothers. It’s my survival mechanism.
I have extended this philosophy a little too far sometimes. I even don’t like to get in arguments with my TV shows.
When they have a plot that doesn’t interest me, I sit idly by far too often. When a new character comes in and ruins the chemistry, I bite my tongue.
Because of this loyalty to the shows I choose to follow, I tend to hang onto them a little longer than I should. I sometimes get angry at myself for sitting through a program out of sheer habit.
That has started to change, however. I have my own little version of attention deficit disorder to thank.
I broke up with two shows this TV season. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both are hour-long programs. I just don’t know how much I care about a program that needs 60 minutes each week.
First, I had to say goodbye to “Desperate Housewives.” We had a lot going on in the fall and found ourselves either too busy or too tired on Sunday nights. Before we knew it, a couple of episodes had piled up on the DVR.
Each time I sat down with the intention of watching them, I realized I just didn’t care anymore. That’s when I knew I had to end the relationship.
That may sound like an easy decision, but it’s not. In fact, I really didn’t see it coming. When Maria and I broke up with “ER” years ago, we had moaned and complained for a while about the direction of the show.
The “Housewives” situation kind of caught me by surprise. Sure, I had complained about some little things, but didn’t think the wounds ran that deep. Once I went a few more Sundays without watching and had no pangs of guilt, I knew I had made the right decision.
My most recent break-up mirrored the “ER” situation in more ways than one. I slowly got sick of the characters, the storylines, everything. Yes, “Grey’s Anatomy,” you wore out your welcome.
Can I make an aside here to point out that I have re-gained my Man Card for taking these two shows out of my viewing rotation?
Since the show comes on the same time as some of my favorite comedies, we always record it or I find time to watch it online. More and more, I found myself skipping chunks of the show I just found uninteresting.
One day at lunch, I endeavored to watch the two episodes I had waiting. I lasted about 90 seconds in the first and 15 minutes in the second. I had to end the cycle of disdain and just stopped watching cold turkey. I feel much better about myself now.
I always worry things won’t go that easily when I break up with a TV show. I envision sneaking peeks at previews or starting conversations with people I know who watch the show just to try and get my fix.
That didn’t happen this time. I made it. I’m a survivor.
I always know I can count on you
I know this has been a difficult time for you. If you need to talk and get stuff off your chest, I’m here.