Many years ago, or it seems many years ago now, I was happily buying seasons of my favorite TV shows on DVD. I remember discussing the future with my family. I clearly remember saying how great it would be when, one day soon, we'd have enough DVDs that we could create our own nightly programming on TV.
I envisioned a time when we could watch an evening, for example, of three episodes of Star Trek, from three different series, on Monday, followed by a Tuesday with some exciting dramas, a Wednesday with X-Files, a Thursday with comedies (if we could agree on comedies we'd all like) and a Friday with Stargate plus whatever Star Trek series we had not seen on Monday.
Oh, yes, life was going to be grand, then. We would not have to watch commercials, and we could skip whatever formulaic shows the networks decided we needed to see.
As the years went by, I added more series to my future line-up. Series such as Lost and Battlestar Galactica and (for nights when I would be alone) Monty Python's Flying Circus. And now, finally ...I don't need any of them. (Almost.)
Netflix exists, and its streaming line-up contains pretty much every television show I purchased during those years, plus series which I thought we worthy, but which not even I could convince myself were worth my limited "fun money."
Tonight I found myself alone in the house again, and the networks were showing nothing (almost) worth watching. "Reality" TV shows about getting in shape, or finding made-for-TV love are not interesting.I had exercised on the treadmill after work today, and as I typically do, I watched an episode of a Star Trek series. (I am into Voyager right now.) So when I saw the line-up on the TV schedule, I decided I would finally implement my future.
So what was tonight's line-up?
Here it is.
Eureka, which I am watching for the first time, because I have heard it's the kind of show I will like (and that's true.)
The West Wing, which was a remarkable show for its pace, its cast, its ability to address real issues while also being engagingly dramatic.
And, yes, Battlestar Galactica - one of may all-time favorites. It's not a Science Fiction show, no matter what it may look like; that is, while some of the ideas for the story are speculative science, it is far more. The series examined themes of government and military, religion and science, democracy, freedom, and inalienable rights. And it did it with the threat of total annihilation of the human race in the balance. The creators took great advantage of its setting to tell gripping stories of what it means to have faith, to endure suffering, to struggle, to fail to live up to ideals, and succeed in upholding them; in short, what it means to be human.
I am not upset that I bought all those DVDs. Truly. For one thing, Netflix doesn't have every series I want, and for another, there are definite advantages to having DVDs (not every TV in my home is Netflix-connected .... yet.) Instead, I am glad I can finally realize my longed-for evenings of seeing things I want to watch.
Of course, I don't have a personal schedule which supports five nights of TV shows. I probably never did. But the core idea is still there. We have options today, and we have access to material we've seen, and material we didn't see the first time around, and it's good.
The future is here. I like it.
