Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
TV Meme, part two

16. Talk Shows. Do you watch daytime talk TV? If so, do you prefer the calm shows like Oprah or the wilder side like Jerry Springer?

I used to watch it. I got hooked with Phil Donahue and transitioned to Oprah. I also watched Sally until she went off the rails. Once it turned into a circus, I stopped watching any of them. I got tired of Oprah preaching and the others showing me all the bad, crazy stuff. I have watched The View occasionally, but they're a little overwhelming, and the young dingbat [I know her name but really don't need her fans finding my blog] needs to have duct tape over her mouth. Hated her on Survivor, and she got worse when she started getting paid to talk.

17. Which daytime talk TV show would you like to be on? What would the topic be?

I would run SCREAMING the other way!

18. Before talk TV took over, game shows ruled the airways during the day; which do you prefer? Or are you a soap opera fan?

I loved Match Game, way before I understood the dirty jokes. I liked Card Sharks, Concentration, The Dating Game, Jeopardy, Jokers Wild, The Newlywed Game...really all of them. Except The Price is Right; I don't understand the attraction of knowing the price of everything. As for soaps, I watched GH for awhile in high school. My roommate was way into DOOL in college, as was everyone else (except me) in the 80s.

19. Is there a game show (past or present) you think you would do really well on, as a contestant?

I'd've done great on Match Game, without knowing why, and I'd probably do ok on Jeopardy. Wheel of Fortune too, but I'd HATE to be seen on that show.

20. Who is your favorite game show host? Who is your least favorite?

I liked them all. They all had perfect hair and smiles. OK, seriously: Chuck Woolery FTW. Or Bill Cullen, because he was so old he clearly didn't care and was mildly demented.

21. Marathons. Have you watched any TV marathons? In part? In whole? Is there a show you’d like to see run an all day marathon? On the flipside is there a show you’d avoid in marathon?

I wouldn't sit down and just watch any show all day straight through; I do have a life, after all. But I've caught parts of many marathons, mostly cop shows. I would avoid most sitcoms, but might actually schedule my life around a full-run M*A*S*H marathon; it would be weird to see everyone 'growing up.'

22. Out of curiosity, what’s the longest you’ve ever watched TV in one stretch?

The TV is always on when Beast is in the house. I "watch" with the laptop on my lap almost exclusively, regardless of what's on TV because I can't stand just staring at the box. So, on days when I'm not feeling great and Beast is home, I "watch" all day, literally from sun-up past sun-down.

23. On the whole do you feel most Special Reports are really that special? Or are they simply annoying? What special report has affected you most? (i.e., 9/11, Reagan being shot…etc.)

There's definitely been some 'creep' of "Special"-ness over the years, but generally I think the networks get it right. Watching the Challenger blow up 6000 times back in the 80s was pretty earth-shattering for me, as was watching the plane fly into the WTC at least that many times. Mind-numbing, and not in a good way. I actually couldn't watch either of those clips the day they happened: my eyes kept shutting. I also don't think I'll ever forget the kid dropping out of Columbine High School's library window into the arms of a couple of Emergency Responders. I didn't see that over and over, but it's etched in my brain.

24. What is the (pick one: stupidest, saddest, silliest, most disgusting..) thing you’ve ever seen on TV?

I think Cops takes the cake in almost all of those categories. Pick an episode, any episode....

25. What’s your fondest memory of something on TV?

I adored Romper Room and the local show, Noell and Andy, that was on in the mornings in Denver. I didn't really like Blinky's Fun Club--Blinky disturbed me a bit--but I like N&A's drawing contest. Scratch that: I loved watching her draw on camera....ANYWAY...I loved getting up to watch Diana & Charles' wedding (and decades later, Kate and William's).

26. What’s the first show you remember watching regularly?

Noell and Andy is now stuck in my head (I couldn't remember the name of it, so I've spent a good half-hour digging around and am now mentally back to being about 7). My brother and I used to watch The Monkees together, too. And Flipper just popped into my head suddenly.

27. What shows would make up a perfect night of TV viewing for you?

A little SVU, a little NCIS and a little Criminal Intent, maybe with some Dr. G. to tie things up.

28. You get to create one show to put on the schedule, with any stars you choose. Who and what would it be?

Y'know, they actually PAY people to do this, and none of those people is me, so...moving on.

29. Canceling or Not. What show(s) would you cancel without a moment’s hesitation? Is there a show (previously canceled or just no longer airing) that you’d bring back, original cast and all?

Virtually every sitcom on network TV should go. So much awfulness. Bringing back Emergency! for a reunion would be fun, if creaky. And half the cast is dead....

30. What’s the best series finale you remember?

Doesn't M*A*S*H have to win this?? I think it's required. Although the later Bob Newhart Show might come in close second.