CT: Guilty Pleasure TV

Ok readers, if you're a regular around these parts you've probably figured out that Little C and I are serious about our TV. And if you're new here, welcome, and Little C and I are serious about our TV. Between us, we watch a little bit of everything, and we have opinions about all of us, believe me.

But in my head there's always been a separation between the Serious TV and the Guilty Pleasure TV. The Serious TV is the stuff that wins the awards, the stuff everyone talks about at work and marvels at. The kind of TV where even a layperson will comment about how amazing the writing is. You know it, the Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game Of Thrones shows that makes everyone talk about the "golden age of television". 

Then you have your Guilty Pleasure shows. The ones you don't talk about at work, the ones you watch on your own, when your roommates are out for the night. Or if you do admit to watching it, there's always some sort of qualifier: "Yeah, but I only watch it because..." To be honest, nine times out of ten Little C and I finish that sentence with "... Captain Hook with guyliner!!!" 

This system has worked in my head for a long time. Especially because now my friends and family see me as someone who Takes TV Seriously. So all those guilty pleasure shows sit nicely in my queue and no one ever has to know about them... 

Except that recently I've decided to say screw it to my system. I've decided that I don't really believe in the idea of Guilty Pleasure TV. Television should be fun. It should also be artful and interesting storytelling, but I believe that primarily it should entertain. Because the serious shows that aren't any fun are shows that I give up on after about a season. The ones I keep watching are shows with characters I like and care about, with unique and intriguing stories. They're the worlds I just want to play in a little bit each week (or for hours on end if Little C and I are binging a show). 

So from now on, I'm just lumping all the TV together into one big category: Shows I Watch. Because let's be honest, I don't feel even a tiny bit guilty about any of them anymore. I'm not watching Reign "for the music", I'm watching because heaven help me I care deeply about whether or not Francis and Mary will end up together. And I'm not watching Grey's Anatomy for loyalty, I'm watching because poor Meredith Grey is having a really tough year (decade) and she needs a lot of support right now. And I'm not watching Supernatural out of nostalgia, I'm watching it to learn how to survive if our house is ever haunted. Ahem,  I mean, for the characters. 

So here's to the Golden Age of Television meaning that Hannibal can live happily every after on our DVR, right alongside Dominion. 

Happy Watching! 

CT