I have a hard time getting into new shows, and will watch TNG for the 7th time rather than shows I've never seen like Breaking Bad, Dr. Who, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica. The only exceptions recently are Walking Dead and Copper, which I got into instantly, and I pretty much spend all my time watching documentaries.
Am I just too impatient? Keep in mind I don't have cable, but rather watch everything on Netflix streaming, so I have the benefit of watching a whole season at a time if I so choose. I have the same problem with books, but since reading a book feels like an 'accomplishment' I push my way through until I get invested. With, again, the exception of good nonfiction which keeps me page flipping from the beginning. Exceptions here are Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and the Hunger Games, which made me drop everything and finish them overnight after I got hooked three paragraphs in.
Peer pressure seems to help, a lot. When Beth sat me down and watched Downton Abbey, or Amanda brought over Firefly, or the awesome folks at my last project keep asking where I was in the Game of Thrones books (You're still not on book 3? But it gets so awesome. Hurry up so we can discuss it) I have zero trouble concentrating on something new. Ditto with book clubs (I WILL finish Peony this weekend) and library books that have to go back (except I usually have out 12 at a time, so there's still a triage situation there).
I listed a few shows here that I am often told I will love, so I wonder if my lack of patience is making me miss out. On the other hand, maybe I should just leave my focus where it is, on books, and let TV serve its function - lulling me to sleep at night when my eyes grow tired, chasing my thoughts away with an episode of Law and Order that works like a radio play but I know so well it never keeps me up. I have to admit that my new laptop purchase was partially fueled by an HDMI port that will make sure I never again have to suffer through commercials and a long search for something soothing, only to end up watching the Weather channel every time I'm in a hotel.
At the end of the day, I'm never bored with a Kindle in my hand. If my aim is to be entertained, and I know how to accomplish that, does it really matter if I'm missing out?
