Alternate Reality

i miss television. i miss sit-coms that were funny. i miss having "a show": that one show that i'd watch every week, without fail. if i couldn't be home, i'd tape it (ie. Queer as Folk and the 1st few seasons of ER). the closest thing i have now is Desperate Housewives on DVD. the problem is, i'm the 1 out of 500,000 americans that hate reality television.
i really think it is the worst thing to happen to tv since Buffy went off the air (ok, i didn't watch it the 1st time around, but i realize now what a travesty it truly was. Joss, i'm sorry, please come back).
i just don't get it. people undercutting each other, eating roaches and demeaning themselves for money isn't entertainment, to me, it's just a reflection of how low we're willing to sink for some cash. gameshows are one thing, but Family Fear Factor is another. i sit at work and listen to people talk about America's Next Top Model and American Idol. they talk like these people competing(?) are their friends or family. they get emotionally invested in their "stories" and i just don't get it. in the 80's did anyone have to compete to be a 1 hit wonder? did we really give a shit about Cindy Crawford's "struggle" to out starve the other girls?
i'll be honest, i'm slightly intrigued by Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Duets, but in the same way i watched Circus of the Stars and Battle of the Network Stars. call it morbid curiosity, but i felt compelled to watch Tracy Gold on a trapeze or Emanuel Lewis attempt the high jump. granted, i'm not going to watch either show (we just started Season 5 of Smallville on DVD), but it makes me happy that Hal Sparks can carry a tune.
maybe there is hope on the horizon: ABC has that new show Six Degrees starting soon and the third season of Desperate Housewives starts this weekend, plus i've very intrigued by Grey's Anatomy, thanks to MS (when did ABC start trumping NBC in the number of watchable shows?). i just hope nobody survives on Survivor. is that wrong?