TVSquad

There comes a time of the year when one has to count their blessings because, when truth is finally told, things could be a lot worse. This is that time. And what am I thankful for? Glad you asked.

Big LCD televisions that hang on the wall - I think that says it all. Of course, some day all the current display technologies will be abandoned in favor of the video waves that transmit directly to our brains, but until then there is the LCD (or plasma, depending on your technology choice) on the wall.

The Big Bang Theory - It's hard to believe that the creator of Two and a Half Men (a show of which I am not a fan) could create such a terrific show. I only discovered the show this past year. I'm usually not a fan of sitcoms but with all the geeky references in BBT, I find that if I could give the show a big, sloppy, wet kiss, I would.

iTunes TV freebies - Without iTunes, I likely would not have been able to catch the pilot of White Collar at no charge. Last year, the service also gave away episodes of The Office, 30 Rock and a few others. Granted they were episodes from the previous season, but it was a nice gesture. When one has a haphazard schedule like myself, anything that can work with a flexible timetable is okay by me. This is particularly true if I can watch it on my iPod Touch while commuting to work.

Smallville, season nine - Yes, Smallville. I used to loathe watching the show and stopped for a little while. However, this season the creators finally figured out the sort of show I want to see with minimum melodrama (coughcoughLanacoughcough) and maximum geekiness. While there have still been misses, the hits are more frequent than ever. Just please have Clark wear the tights and cape in the last episode so give it a sense of closure.

The iPod Touch - It's nice to be able to travel with whatever TV show I want to watch. Yes, the screen is small but it works when one is on a bus or train. Plus there is all kinds of software out there that can rip stuff from DVDs and convert it to a format that plays on the device. If not for my lack of desire at being shackled to AT&T for two years (or paying the early termination fee for leaving), I'd consider getting an iPhone which does all that and more.

Farscape - Like The Big Bang Theory, I just discovered this show this past year and am in the middle of watching it on my aforementioned iPod Touch. The storyline is the most tightly plotted I've seen since Babylon 5 and I'm enjoying it tremendously. It's one of those shows that has to be watched continuously from start to finish in order to appreciate.

The practically infinite library of television content - Thanks to technologies such as the Internet, DVDs and many other related ones, it is now possible for people to watch pretty much any television show in history at any time. There is never nothing to watch anymore.

Remember to thank whatever higher power you believe in for all this marvelous technology and content at our disposal. Happy Thanksgiving, all.