Changing TV

My family and I have recently turned off cable TV. Before you go thinking we're all noble and monkish (or crazy), we are using Netflix as our entertainment. The biggest reason we made this transition was to save some money. We were able to save $80 each month, and that's after Netflix's recent rate hike. ( Warning: Results may vary! We went from a cable subscription with two HD DVRs, extended HD cable, HBO, and the extra family pack channels to Netflix. I had a lot of extra stuff we didn't really need!)

The interesting thing I've found about Netflix is the streaming content. Some TV shows and movies are obscure and it's painfully obvious why. Others titles are well known, but maybe not the most recent season or newest DVD release. The ones I've liked best, though, are shows I had no idea existed, yet are really good. One of these is the BBC production of "Robin Hood", a series following everyone's favorite outlaw and his merry band. My kids have flown through the episodes and it's good entertainment. I enjoy it, but I don't watch quite as frequently as the kids; maybe I'm stuck in the "one-episode-a-week" mindset. (Spoiler alert: The series was cancelled after the third season. But I don't think that's a reason not to watch.)

My attention to TV has been focused by Netflix, too. I used to sit and watch TV mindlessly, flipping channels until something good caught my eye, and settling for mediocre when nothing did. Those were the days when I ended up watching Division 1 lacrosse games. There's nothing wrong with either lacrosse nor those who watch it on TV. But I never played the game and only know a handful of people who ever played. I'm sure there's better things I could be doing with my time. Now, if I want to watch a show, I actually have to make a decision. More often, I find myself doing something other than sit in front of the TV. (Like restart this blog...)

I still have plenty of distractions to avoid, but TV isn't one of them at the moment. I'm trying to start some good habits and practices and it seems a good time for this. I have a block of time previously filled with TV, now I can fill it with something different and, hopefully, productive. And I might end up turning cable back on at some point in the future. It's especially tempting with the start of the NFL season coming up.