FROMONLINE | 2013-09-02

  • By Tami Lange
  • September 2, 2013
  • 372
                        
HED: What did I ever do before Netflix? SUMMARY: A life of three-channel, no remote, no choice living has at last come to an end Back in the days of yore, when the homesteads had only one bathroom and only one television – before computers and cell phones – my family’s evening ritual was pretty set in stone. My dad decided what “we” were watching. The choice was usually simple; on account of the fact we had three networks to choose from. In the North Lawrence Valley, not even the best antennas could capture UHF, which was code for Channels 43 and 61 and, maybe, Channel 2. As I result, I did not see Sesame Street until I watched it with The Nipper a decade or so ago. Back in the 1970s, what my dad always insisted “we” wanted to watch was typically a cop/crime drama, like “Starsky & Hutch,” or “Baretta,” or “Barnaby Jones,” or “Ironside.” If something else was on and you didn’t catch it, too bad on you. That’s what summer reruns were for, unless my dad decided any of the above mentioned programming was worth seeing again, which in many cases, was what he decided. My participation in this was limited to “change the channel, Tami.” But those dark days are over. I wrangled my first VCR shortly after college, though I never learned to use the “record” function. I watched my way through tapes and DVDs and the luxury that is 95 channels of cable (no premium channels included, per Husband). Still, I was held to the family adage that if you missed something, you missed it. A former co-worker of mine used to stop in my office and wax euphoric about her ability to DVR entire seasons of “Justified,” while another said there was no reason to miss any of the “Real Housewives” franchises, since you could always stream them later on your computer. Still, I held strong. There was plenty on my multitude of cable channels that wasn’t worth watching once, let alone missing the second through tenth time. Eventually, I was down to TNT marathons of “Law & Order” and the occasional “Criminal Minds.” And if I missed it, I missed it. Thus, there was no real thought of committing to episodic television. Until Kevin Spacey entered the picture, so to speak. If you don’t know me, suffice it to say I would watch Kevin Spacey read a phone book and Arabic and consider it enthralling. There’s no Kevin Spacey movie I haven’t seen, no interview (either print or broadcast) that has escaped me. There’s nothing, nothing I won’t do to see him in action. So, when I read about Spacey doing a series only on Netflix AND getting an Emmy nomination for it, I decided to march bolding into the world of 21st –century television – which isn’t television at all. I got myself a one-month free subscription to Netflix. I am now for once and for all liberated from the household TVs (which, for some reason, outnumber the number of members in our household. This is what I’ve found absolutely delightful: the pause icon, the uninterrupted-by-commercials viewing and, most importantly, the ability to binge watch when I can and then stay away for days when I must be about the business of getting stuff done. So, I binged on “House of Cards” (strongly recommend) and then on “Orange is the New Black” (also strongly recommend and then I caught up on all 4.6 seasons of “Breaking Bad.” For fun, I’ll pick my favorite “Law & Order” episode or re-learn loving “The West Wing.” And I don’t have to share, negotiate or jockey for the best seat. It’s such a silly thing, but it makes me feel all hip and consumer-forward, like I’m the first one who’s ever done this. I know, it takes very little to make me happy. Now, if I could just figure out how to stream the first season of “Ironside,” I’d be able to re-live my three-channel childhood – without getting up to change the channel. Sorry, Dad


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