TV meme

Now for something completely different.

Kudos to Mal Booth for this meme (Sorry Con. I couldn’t do the book one without revealing that I am one of those weird librarians that have lost the reading habit. Oh … wait …)

Do you snack while watching TV? Snack? Everything especially dinner but not breakfast.

What is your favourite TV show? Currently. Dr Who, House, NCIS, Castle, Spicks and Specks, Being Human, Big Bang Theory

What TV show makes you run to change channels? Commercial “Current Affairs”,Oz Soaps, Most sport, Reality TV

How do you view your TV guide: online, on-screen, newspaper, magazine, other? Kind of online, we use the EPG built into our media centre software which also has a built in web page that can be viewed from our laptops when connected to the home WLAN.

Have you ever been surveyed for your TV-viewing habits or do you know anyone who has been? Yes, We actually had a rating meter in our house for a while but didn’t make the distance to collect our reward. It was only linked to one machine and could only be a “traditional” TV and near a phone point. I remember that it was a pain so we asked them to take it away after a couple of months. The restrictions of the technology meant it certainly wasn’t accurately capturing our viewing habits. (We had multiple TVs even then.)

Do you watch TV news and/or current affairs regularly? Yep, usually more than one but at least the ABC.

Do you watch any TV “soaps”? (Truth please, even if it is embarrassing.) Probably given a broad definition of soap (is Glee a soap?)- but not any of the current offerings usually thought of under that genre. (However, when I was younger we avidly watched “Country Practice” and “The Sullivans” and then when I was at Uni my grandmother, who I was boarding with, got me hooked on “Days of our lives”. Work replaced that addiction.)

What other series shows do you try not to miss? Other than I have already listed? I can’t think of much. We record anything we may miss- also we have 2 tuners so we don’t miss much due to conflicts either.

Any previous series or shows you really liked? How far back can I go?  Monty Python, the Goodies, Star Gate, Dr Who, Star Trek, Torchwood, the early Red Dwarf …

Do you have pay TV or are the digital channels enough? Digital (and other means) suffice.

Do you only watch certain TV shows online? No. Well, like Fiona, they aren’t online when we watch them. Unless you can call Dr Horrible or the Guild “TV” shows.

Do you regularly use services like ABC catch-up or other online replays? No. I have but I wouldn’t say regularly (and see previous answer).

Do you ever pay any attention to the adverts? No-except maybe to wince or to yell back at them. Auto skip is a truly wonderful invention.

Do you multi-task while watching TV & if so what else are you doing? Well lets put it this way. The sofa in the living room has powerboards and laptop chargers positioned at each end and we selected it partially for its nice wide laptop holding arms. I also have the news on while cooking.

Is there a TV show that makes you laugh out loud? IT Crowd, Spicks and Specks.

Have you ever said no to a social invitation to stay at home and watch TV? (Truth again please.) Mind telling us what the show was? Not that I can remember.

Do you record TV shows & if so why and how (VCR, DVD recorder, TIVO, laptop, etc.)? How: We have a computer that hubby and the kids built from components with 2 tuners, a DVD recorder that’s not often used and 2TB of storage. It runs Ubuntu and Mythtv. It is positioned so its “hidden” behind the screen. I am quite proud of this set up. It was a family effort and fits our DIY way of doing things. We did it so that we could upgrade without having to replace the whole thing. Blu ray was looming large at the time but we mostly play things from the hard drive not the DVD. Why: Actually on our set up everything is recorded and we can rewind or pause “live TV”. But also many of my favourite shows are on simultaneously or after I go to bed or while hubby wants to watch the motorcycle racing. Recording means that you are never tied to a schedule. Feel like a movie but a show is on? Just record the show and watch it later. It also means its easier to compromise and watch something as a family or let Mr15 and hubby game on the “nice” screen and watch what I wanted to see later. We are much more discerning now and watch live TV less than we used to (and skip ads).

Least favourite TV personality/actor/character? There are so many that I probably don’t even know. Bert Newton. The people on the football panel shows.

Most popular TV personalities/actors/character? Tennant as the Dr, John Barrowman as Jack. Richard Dean Anderson as Jack (SG1). Seems to be a theme here so to divert you I will throw in Helen Mirren for being and playing a strong “older” woman.

Have you ever seen anything really memorable on TV (not news/events – made for TV drama, etc.)? There is plenty that have left a lasting mark on popular culture. I remember watching Monty Python as a kid and they were just so radical for the time. No-one was quite getting it but we were all hooked. It was great being able to buy the DVDs and introducing the kids to them. Mr15 knew that he was at the right high school when his new peers were also referencing Monty Python jokes.

Do you prefer TV series or stand-alone shows? Series

Is there a specific show you find yourself recommending over and over? Dr Who