Younger folk may be unfamiliar with the tradition of people at work discussing the TV show they all watched the night before. The “Did you see?” “Yes, I did!” “Can’t wait for next week!” conversations we used to have when there were literally a handful of channels. Now, in the age of hundreds of channels, streaming and of course catch-up TV, we watch what we want when we want to. There’s so much choice out there. The regular terrestrial channels, Sky, Netflix, Prime, Paramount, Apple TV, Disney, DAZN and God alone knows how many more. What to do?
The first thing to say is how on earth am I meant to find the time to watch everything there is on offer? And second is to ask whether I really need to watch everything there is on offer? Even as a retired person, there are not enough hours in the day to watch TV, especially as I rarely watch anything, other than a limited amount of live sport, during the day. In fact, I doubt if I watch more than an hour or two of an evening. This is because I have what I consider better things to do with my time. Or have I?
Generally speaking, I prefer to read, write or listen to music than watch TV. I don’t think this makes me intellectually superior to anyone else – hardly! – but I do tend to think a bit more. Reading takes me into other worlds, writing helps me exercise what remains of my creative side, music is my utter obsession. Watching TV can be, at least for me, a brainless way of killing time and when I say killing time, I actually mean wasting it.
I have done the thing where I sit for hours watching junk TV, often switching channels periodically trying to find something that appeals to me. It was when I worked in the third sector with people who lived in care homes or were growing old and infirm in their own homes that I had a moment. If – and it’s a big if – I was to live into old age, I could be like them. In fact, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be. I can feel my physical faculties declining on a near daily basis and no doubt a mental decline must be well on the way, too. If at some point I end up, as Billy Connolly described it, “in an old folks’ home pissing (my) trousers, being fed out of a blender“, that will be the time to sit watching Bargain Hunt, This Morning and Homes Under The Hammer.
I accept that it is questionable that reading, writing and listening to music is any better, or that different, to watching telly. It could well be the case that watching certain types of programmes would challenge one’s grey matter than listening to, say, a 50-odd year old Steely Dan album to which I know all the words, track order, musicians and even the guitar solos. I am basically listening to the equivalent of a repeat show on the crystal bucket. I think, maybe, I feel like I am using my brain a bit more constructively when I am not watching telly. I could be wrong.
I certainly don’t need any more channels. Ideally, I’d like to see some of the shows I can’t get, but it won’t keep me awake. I don’t feel as if I am missing anything. The iPlayer, ITV X and the channels we already have access to will suffice and if I run out of things to watch, I can always read, write or listen to the music.
My loyal reader will be aware of my view that this is our one life, that we will not survive our deaths and live on for eternity and that there is no point to our lives, other than to procreate. No grand design, no divine plan; everything doesn’t happen for a reason, we have free will. So really, it’s up to us what we do and if watching the telly all day and all of the night is what floats your boat, who am I to argue?
