Real Men of Genius

Today, we salute you, Mr. Watch-Full-Episodes-Online Inventor...

One of the things I love about the internet is the ability to watch full episodes of my favorite TV shows whenever I want, with very few commercials.  In the old days, if you weren't around when your favorite show was on TV, you had to put a VHS tape in your VCR and try to figure out how to program the thing to record the show.  These days, there's TiVo, which I'm sure has its advantages (I myself don't have one), but you still have to program it to record your shows. 

But thanks to online episodes, I no longer have to worry about missing an episode of Flashpoint or The Office, because I can just go on the show's website and watch them later.  I don't have to wait several months for the season to come out on DVD.  It gives me more freedom to do what I want.  For example, last Friday evening, my folks wanted to watch a movie, though it was going to be overlapping the same time that Flashpoint was on.  Had that been a few years ago, I would have found myself going to another room to watch TV, but instead, I was able to enjoy some quality time with my parents that evening and watch the episode of Flashpoint that I missed over the weekend. 

The ability to watch TV episodes online also enables me to have more of a social life.  In years past, I would never go anywhere on Friday nights, because that was when my two favorite shows - Numb3rs and Flashpoint - were on.  But now, since I can watch them on my own time, I can spend my Friday nights however I want.  For example, just a few weeks ago, some friends of mine invited me to hang out with them on a Friday night.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I could say yes without any hesitation, and I watched Flashpoint after I got home that night.  I wouldn't have been able to do that a few years ago.  And if you're trying to get a date, you'll have a greater chance of success if you ask a girl if she has a free night during the weekend than you would if you ask her for a specific night.  (Disclaimer: For me, this has only worked in theory so far.) 

Finally, if you have two favorite shows that happen to be on at the same time, you don't have to rack your brain trying to decide which one to watch.  This fall, CBS is moving The Big Bang Theory to Thursday nights, in the same time slot that Community is scheduled to air on NBC.  CBS is trying to better compete with NBC, but thanks to the internet, it no longer has to, and I don't have to be T.O.'d at CBS for it. 

Of course, there's some downsides to it - not all shows are available online (e.g., Miami Medical), and most episodes are only available for a limited time after their original air date, but overall, I love being able to watch my favorite shows online whenever I want, free of charge.  It really makes my life a lot easier. 

B-)