We unplugged our tv about a year ago and stuck it in the basement. However, all the major networks have been offering full episodes of select programs. They usually air a day or even a week after the original air date, but I've still been watching a fair amount of crap.

Recently a lot of them have also been offering classic tv. For example, cbs has Beverly Hills 90210, McGyver, the Original Star Trek series. I think NBC has the A Team, Buck Rogers, Miami Vice, the Alfred Hitchcock hour. There are lots of others. ABC was showing My So Called Life for a while, but I think that's gone now. 

Some of it is pretty hilarious. I've caught myself wondering how in the world I thought it was good tv back in the day.

I just want to say that this made me laugh. I can just see you now, in bed with Piper at night, avoiding work with headphones on watching "classic" tv wondering how it ever entertained you, since now you are watching it thinking, wow this is a train wreck - it's so bad I *can't* STOP watching it. Ever watch Intervention - that is a total train wreck kind of show. I haven't gotten sucked in lately, because it is quite sad to see the train wreck.

John and I were watching some bs called America's Best Dance Crew on MTV tonight. It's one of those moments where you are mindlessly tuned in, and after awhile, you are like, " What am I watching and how long have I been staring at this crap?" John said, "you are not 15 so turn that @#$% off!" I laughed and laughed. Remember the days when they actually played music on MTV? I was talking to someone about the Adams Family recently. Does that ever come on?

We have been talking about getting rid of our cable and going to all online tv.  I think we can make it work.  I'm not gonna lie, crap tv is one of my big vices.  I don't watch when the kids are around, but come nap time or bed....BWAHAHA.  It's total procrastination and vegetation.  The kids have been alternately sick and/or teething this week, and by the time they were in bed, I've been like, I just want to sit here and NOT THINK at all.  Terrible.  Does it count that I watched Jeopardy?

Probably not since I also watched "The Real World"  DH picks on me all the time about watching the %*^&! on MTV, and yet, I cannot stop myself. 

We've also gotten into watching stuff through the Netflix Instant Watch.  They have a lot of the old tv episodes on there.  And hulu.com (they do have the Addams Family)  DH and I both like to watch TV on the laptop on the occasion that we actually get to use our treadmill.

Sommer, you h ave no idea how accurate you are - right down to the headphones. That is EXACTLY what I do.

Guys - TV is my biggest vice. When I decided to stay home with Piper one of the first things we did was cancel the cable. I had spent a fair amount of my maternity leave watching the Food network. I figured the last thing I wanted to do was go back to work in a few years regretting that I spent so. much. time. watching tv.

Well, that backfired. Even regular old fuzzy, out of focus network tv sucked me in. I can watch pretty much any crap. So when Piper started freaking out wanting to watch Barney all the time last year - total screaming tantrum fits that I just didn't want to deal with - we unplugged it and said, "The tv is broken." Even our older boys think it's broken! (bwahahaha I'm secretly evil.)

So then what did I do? Ever resourceful, I realized that the main networks (abc, nbc, cbs, fox, cw) all show streaming episodes of popular shows a day or so after they've aired. So I still get to watch such gems as Survivor and my new favorite, Hell's Kitchen.

The really good thing is that there are very few commercials. When I do see regular tv now, I'm shocked at how many commercials there are. It's fairly amazing how quickly I got used to not seeing that. And I really have to choose to watch something and plan it out. I can't just flip on the tv without thinking and get sucked into Oprah in the middle of the afternoon. It's only at night after Piper has gone to sleep. And once I get really going with this new contracting work, I'll need to use that time a little more wisely.

This is cracking me up!  I actually have little to no interest in TV, because I only like things I can actively participate in, but my similar screen-addiction is to the internet.  (I'm sure no one is surprised!)  It started in 1998 when I got my very first all-by-myself apartment and realized that no one would stop me if I sat up all night and read online.  For one year, in 2002, I actually spent a whole year internet-free (I mean at HOME, I had it at work, and probably made up the time there.) But I felt like I should see what would happen if I were forced out of screen time in my own space--I cooked more, did more crafty stuff, read more good books...but at the end of the year I still got high-speed!
I have no suggestions on the TV thing, other than to say that if TV is something you really enjoy, maybe you should re-evaluate, and say that you are a busy and hardworking Mom who deserves a few indulgences, and maybe just watch a couple programs a day without guilt? 

They are a couple shows that I like to watch, but our TV could go away tomorrow and I would be completely happy about it. Actually, it's listed on cheapcycle and Craig's list right now! There was a time when Jackson was little that we didn't have any TV; we just watched movies sometimes. Is there a site where you can watch shows from channels like HBO and Showtime? Thanks for telling me about hulu.com!

The only thing I can think of is the netflix instant watch has some. (Like DH just started getting into "Weeds"). But I don't know about anywhere else.