“So Many Shows, So Little…Interest?”
So here’s a weird little confession: I love TV. Like, love it. But not in the way you’re probably thinking. I love the _idea_of TV. The potential. The promise. The sweet, tantalizing list of series lined up in my queue like a buffet I will definitely never eat. I’m subscribed to so many streaming services I’ve honestly lost count. Hulu, Netflix, Max (is it still just “Max”? It sounds like an off-brand multivitamin), Apple TV, Prime, Disney+—I basically fund half of Hollywood and watch maybe… 2 episodes a month? On a good week?
And yet—yet—I keep adding shows to my list like I’m collecting rare stamps. Shows people rave about. Shows that win awards. Shows I’ve watched trailers for and thought, Yes. This. This will be my next personality for the next 10 hours. But by the time I finish writing for the day, squeeze in an editing session, feed myself something vaguely resembling dinner, and stare at my open notebook like it personally betrayed me…I’m done. Spent. Wiped. All I want is to read a book, which, let’s be real, is still a type of escapism—I just happen to prefer mine with paper cuts and zero autoplay countdowns.
Seriously, my “Continue Watching” list is pure shame. There’s a show I started in 2019 still sitting there with one episode watched. One. Episode. I apparently didn’t even have the stamina for the full pilot. And don’t get me started on documentaries. I’ll be like, Ooooh, a four-part series on cursed towns and haunted sewers! and then I never hit play because it’s 9:15 p.m. and that’s practically midnight in writer time.
And yes, I hear you: “But you’ll miss so many good shows!” I know. Trust me, I know. I’ve read think pieces, seen the memes, nodded along in group chats pretending I’ve seen The Bear (I haven’t), Yellowjackets (nope), The Last of Us(only clips). I could practically write essays on shows I’ve never watched. Maybe I should start doing that. Meta-reviews. Ghost-viewing, if you will.
At this point, I think it’s time to admit that my streaming subscriptions are more of a security blanket than an entertainment source. I keep them around “just in case.” Like how I keep five jars of peanut butter even though I don’t really eat peanut butter. It’s the idea of possibility. Possibility is seductive.
But maybe it’s time to Marie Kondo this mess. If I haven’t watched anything on Starz in a year…do I really need it? Is it sparking joy or just sparking $8.99 monthly charges?
So yeah. I like the idea of TV. I like imagining that I’ll someday sit down and watch Stranger Things season 4, or Succession, or whatever new buzzy show everyone’s yelling about. But I probably won’t. Not because I don’t care. But because my to-be-read pile is flirting with structural collapse, and I’ve got a fictional detective to wrangle into a plot twist before midnight.
Alright, I’m off to cancel a streaming service. Or at least think really hard about doing it.
P.S. If you’ve figured out how to balance TV, books, and writing without losing your mind, please share. I’ll probably read your message…while not watching TV.
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