I'm curious how many writers watch television versus how many writers shun television. With the exception of very few shows, I almost never watched TV when I started writing. Then, as the story goes, I met a woman who loved watching television, and she got me hooked watching quite a few shows. I found, though, as I writer I spent more time critically dissecting shows more than enjoying them for entertainment value. I don't watch enough to cut into my writing time, but often wonder if, subconsciously, I am borrowing plots of shows and inserting them into my writing. That's a scary thought, given the state of most TV.
I used to watch a fair bit, but when I started writing I needed more time, something had to give... I stopped watching TV. Don't even have one in the house.
I watch films on my TV. Does that count? Can't go to the movies because local custom allows for a great deal of audience conversation and the making and taking of cellphone calls and texts, and since I'm too pretty for prison, better to avoid that.
Yeah. Mostly fluffy comedy stuff like New Girl and Big Bang Theory. It's just a distraction. Sometimes it takes too much of my time.
I haven't had Cable since last November and ninety percent of the time, it's a blessing. Too much TV can ruin plenty of things.
I don't own a TV, and haven't had cable since around 2010. I do watch some stuff streaming on my laptop or tablet. Occasional TV shows and movies.
I rarely if ever watch TV. I occasionally watch a film and that's it. I think it's primarily because I spend my free time either writing or on the internet and a lot of the TV shows do not hold my interest. If I lived by myself I would not bother with a TV. I don't know about TV in other countries but the thought of watching 'Big Brother' or 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here' makes me want to poke my eyes out with red hot pokers. Current affairs programs can be interesting although I usually end up shouting at the TV. Anyone else shout at the goggle box (TV)? I can be more selective with films.
slightly off topic and one for @Steerpike I was reading through all the responses and about to log off when I caught sight of your avatar and words under your username Steerpike Felis magnetismus I'm not wearing my glasses and I thought it said 'flee management'. Goes off to hunt for glasses!
Um... just to add to my previous entry in this thread and not to sound above it all, I do definitely give in to the porntastic soap opera that is Game of Thrones. It's the one show on TV I will not be without. The limbic brain is there, it has needs, no use pretending otherwise. I also youtube UK shows not available in the States. I enjoy Russell Howard's Good News much as it may annoy folks whom he calls fellow countrymen.
I'm also a cable cord-cutter, but watch some over-the-air TV. I remember watching a documentary about Kurt Vonnegut. His widow was being interviewed and she was telling a story about a day she came home from work and Kurt "was in the kitchen watching TV ...", and I thought, Kurt Vonnegut watched television ?
I don't usually watch series TV. I watch American football, sometimes Deadliest Catch, and the occasional cooking show. But the TV is usually off.
I had an editor at a Big 5 publisher scold me for not watching more TV... she said entertainment trends pop back and forth between TV and books, so if I want to understand the fiction market I should be keeping an eye on the TV market as well. I can see her point, but... I don't have time!
I don't have a TV licence or a TV so I can only watch stuff on catch up online. I don't watch much at the moment but there are periods, especially autumn, where there are quite a few programmes that I watch. Whilst I don't watch TV critically, I think it is useful for writing so see how stories are played out, conflict created, how we're kept engaged etc.
I hardly watch any TV to be honest. When I do it's either the news, films, or comedy shows like Mock the Week or QI. That's about it too.
Not any more. I grew up in the USA without a TV in the house, so I am accustomed to not having one. However, when I moved to Scotland when I was 37 years old, I got hooked on the (then) excellent British TV offerings on my husband's TV, and watched quite a bit of it ...till around 6 years ago, when I totally lost interest in watching anything regularly. I watch so very little now, that I actually forgot how to work the TV remote! I do have lots of DVDs—TV shows I liked and movies I liked—but I don't watch them much these days either. I don't know. I might go back to them again. I might not. I do find that writing and reading dampens my desire to watch TV.
I do, but I wanted to find a utopian/dystopian series and couldn't. So I decided to start watching Ellen muted and Dr. Phil on full blast.
TV got me through prison. Breakfast show - all right. Weather girl - she was all right. Later, regional news anchor came on in a black and white dress. I started writing, all three of them, but no reply, so - well, you people imagine my pain. Somehow, banged up a second time, and this sentence only a wireless for consolation, says the judge. Month down, I hear her voice, back then, I think 'Sweety, your lips are too beautiful.' Medium wave, not her, not for me. Thoughts festered on the pillow, and a broken aerial saw me transferred, C wing, just a pencil. But, I got talent see, for drawing ladies, over my walls, on motorbikes, snakes, cutting through jungle with a knife. Now, people come visit, take a look. It's respectful. To answer the question, I don't watch TV no more.
I watch movies mostly, and sometimes a TV show if it's recommended and my husband and I would watch it together over dinner if we don't feel like talking Usually only one episode, sometimes two if we're into it. But yeah we own a TV to use as a monitor, but don't have TV channels on it. I watch more TV when I'm at my parents' because they have the TV on 24-7 (part of Chinese culture) and I find it zaps away your time like crazy! But again, usually only select shows, or I might leave it on for white noise and read rather. Or if my parents aren't home then I just switch it off so I can put on some music. Ever since I was about 14 I've turned to music rather than TV. Interestingly, my sister who's a bit of a musician (plays 4 instruments and is part of an orchestra) turns to TV rather than music - she tells me it's because she's very picky with her music. Which kinda makes sense - the same way how I'm picky with my books.
I watched a lot of TV growing up, at least four hours a night. My family has it on all the time. All the time, like there's no off switch. Now, I turn it on to watch Walking Dead and the occasional Yankees game—when they don't suck. The sound of it, even if someone else is watching, really irritates me now. I do like movies, and I watch about one a week on my laptop during meals. I usually eat alone so it's nice to have something to do. I would really like to know how many more words I would have written over my lifetime had I not been glued to the TV as a teen.
I don't like the old boob-tube. Too much crap, and way too many channels of crap. So no I do not indulge in television. There is this amazing thing called the interwebz, check it out some time. Far superior to the old Televison, and you can view what you want on whenever you want. Movies are ok.
