I love television. I watch *a lot* of television. People are often surprised to learn that I do not have a TiVo, which seems to be the modern tv-watching miracle. But, I have figured out ways to still see every show I love without having to invest in another gadget - instead I pay for downloads or onDemand and I think that works out to be cheaper. (I hope?)
My tv viewing habits are governed by a few things: schedule, the way I want to watch (with or without commercial interruption of any kind), and whether I'm trying to show support for a show by viewing it in a way that seems likely to register in the ratings in some way.
TV ratings have become a bizarre thing to figure out. It used to be relatively easy - the Nielsen research folks did a small sample to represent the overall viewing habits of American households, back when there were just a few networks and deferred viewing really only came if you taped something on your VCR. Well, as TiVos and downloads and online viewing have changed all our habits, my understanding from being an EW reader is that the networks are having a hard time keeping up on figuring out how to measure a show's viewing audience. So, sometimes, if one of my shows (like Chuck, for example) is "on the bubble" I will sometimes choose to watch it in a way that just might help me stand and be counted as a loyal viewer. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't, but I like to think it does...
So, even without a TiVo I try to find ways to watch everything I like within a relatively short time of its original airing. Here are the tv shows I've been watching in the 2008-09 season, and how I watch them, roughly in order of the night of week they're on:
The Amazing Race - live, or free online on cbs.com now that they're finally showing it online
Desperate Housewives - live, or on abc.com
Mad Men - I watched the first season on DVD. 2nd Season was either live or downloaded from iTunes. I'd gladly pay for commercial-free episodes and let them count me among the obsessed fans of Don Draper.
(Note: Monday nights are tv hell, when there is literally a show on every major network that I want to watch.)
How I Met Your Mother - live, or on cbs.com later
House - usually via iTunes, cuz I don't like Fox's online web site so I pay for the downloads
Chuck - usually free on nbc.com usually a few days later, but lately I have been paying on iTunes to try and show my support.
Dancing with the Stars - I'm hoping to watch this season if they keep rebroadcasting it on Saturday nights, otherwise it may fall off the list or be an online viewing only.
NCIS - Now we're on to Tuesdays, which I usually use as a night to catch up on all the Monday shows. So I tend to watch NCIS for free on Comcast On Demand on Saturday or Sunday mornings.
LOST - LIVE. Of course! If for some ungodly reason I have to work on Wednesday nights and miss it, I will pay to download it from iTunes and watch it commercial-free.
Top Chef - I tried to watch most of this live or on one of Bravo's many rebroadcasts, but I did download several eps from iTunes. With an hour-long show, I do think it's often worth it to watch commercial-free and keep it more at the 40 minute mark.
The Office - Thursday nights are also tough. I try to watch this live, but if I miss it I'll pay 99 cents to watch it either on Comcast onDemand or download it from iTunes.
30 Rock - same plan as The Office.
CSI - I usually catch this one for free via Comcast onDemand on weekend mornings.
Supernatural - I actually bought an iTunes season pass for this season, to make sure I wouldn't miss it, so they usually download a few days after a new ep airs.
Bones - I usually wait and watch new Bones eps about once a month, 3 or 4 at a time, free via Hulu.
Grey's Anatomy - This is often my Friday night viewing, as I watch it free on abc.com.
Dollhouse - So far, I've watched this Friday night show live, and via Hulu, and once via iTunes. I'm not in love with the show yet but I do want it to have time to prove itself, so I didn't mind paying on iTunes to try and show Joss Whedon some support.
So that's my weekly viewing routine. Then there are the shows that I tend to watch a season or two behind via Netflix, either because the year is too busy or because they're on pay cable and I don't subscribe. I just wait for them to come out and then cruise through them on DVDs: 24, Weeds, Entourage, Dexter.
I know just one viewer isn't enough to make a difference, but I do hope sometimes that my iTunes and online viewings register and are counted in some new-math versions of the ratings. I do love my tv, and I hope my shows continue to survive.
So how do you watch? Do you change how you watch based on how your shows are doing in the ratings?
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