My TiVos need something to do... (1 Viewer)

[Brad Porter]

Notes from the adventures of a television junkie...

I have two TiVos, both upgraded with extra storage space. I set them both up to only record first run showings on season passes, so they have both reduced their To Do Lists extensively this past week. The massive one (403 hours basic capacity - unimaginitively named TiVo #2) has Trading Spaces, World Poker Tour,Lucky, Junkyard Mega-Wars, Ebert & Roeper, the Adult Swim lineup on The Cartoon Network, and a few of the remaining Law & Order: Criminal Intent airings on the USA network to record. The not-so-massive-but-still-quite-respectable one (109 hours basic capacity - dubbed TiVo #1) has The Indy 500 and new episodes of The Wire. That's it!

I'm trying to find more content for them to record in the coming months. Here's my process.

Step 1: Scan the suggestions list.

TiVo #1 is hooked into the digital cable box and is therefore used to record movies and original shows on the pay networks. For this reason, the suggestions list is packed full of movies. I have 18 of the suggested movies on DVD. I've seen most of the rest. Scanning this list gets me to add Run Silent, Run Deep, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, and Straw Dogs to the list.

TiVo #2 catches everything on the big networks and basic cable, so its suggestions list if full of sitcoms, cop shows, and Discovery Channel filler shows (you know, shows with the word "extreme" in the title). Although I've seen every episode multiple times, I've decided to add a Northern Exposure season pass since it is one of my favorite shows of all time and there's no indication of it being released on DVD in a timely manner.

Step 2: TiVolution Magazine

After extensive scanning, TiVo #1 gets My House in Umbria, Human Nature, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, Night Nurse, The Big Clock, The Glass Key, The Party, Zelig, and The Rainmaker, although I'm really concerned about whether these films airing on AMC are cut for content or commercials. TiVo #2 gains nothing from this search.

So the total is now 12 movies for TiVo #1 and one show for TiVo #2. After some scanning around I add Season Passes for Coupling and The Office on BBC America.

Are there shows that you are watching now that I'm missing out on? I guess I just feel strange when my TiVos aren't doing something productive, although I should really use this programming lull to catch up on my backlog of recorded shows. I've got an entire season of Crossing Jordan, The Dead Zone, and Dragnet to watch at some point. What are you watching now?

Brad

 

[Jason Seaver]

My Replay has:

* 3 episodes of Charmed that I can't get enthused about watching,
* the ABC expanded version of A Charlie Brown Christmas that I never got around to watching in December,
* the complete run of Strange World, recorded off Sci-Fi last year,
* 10 episodes of Big Guy & Rusty The Boy Robot that I'd dub to tape like the first 14 except that there are 2 episodes missing (anyone have "Harddrive" and/or "The Lower Depths"?)

During the summer, it'll be fed a steady diet of The Amazing Race, Keen Eddie, Stargate SG-1 and Tremors.

And baseball games. The Replay is great for watching baseball; I set it with 90 minutes of padding at the end, start watching at 8pm, and can usually catch up by the end of the game.

 

[RickGr]

I use the summer to watch the backlog recorded during the winter.

 

[Brad Porter]

That's right, I was going to start watching The Amazing Race. Starts May 29th. Added to TiVo #2.

There's also Out of Order starting on Showtime June 1. The cast list is certainly very impressive. Added to TiVo #1.

Brad

 

[Scott Weinberg]

My TiVo has about 25 Simpsons and 15 Futurama episodes just waiting for my perusal.

What more does one need??

OH yeah! Try checking out Dinner for Five! Excellent show!

Other than a handful of shows and local sports, I hate TV programming. Plus the movies are all big and Fullframey. :frowning:

 

[Jeremiah]

I love Dinner For Five, it's a great show.

My dad and I were talking about how there is not much on our 'To Do' lists for our TiVo's. I am just going to go into search titles, start at A, and thumb down the list, there has to be something I want to watch on. Right?

I will probably have it save more than my 5 Seinfelds now and looks like I will have to add The Simpsons also.

Brad, if you like stand up comedians go to Comedy Central Presents, they have some good comics on there. On HBO The Wire[/] new season is starting next Sunday night, I loved the first Season.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Showtime's taped version of the recent B'way production of Our Town, starring Paul Newman. Premieres tonight (5/24), but I assume it will be repeated.

If you receive Trio, look for upcoming reruns of their specials Brilliant but Cancelled and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. Both are excellent documentaries, the former about TV and the latter about film. Trio likes to program around a theme; the theme for June is "uncensored comedy" and includes documentaries on Lenny Bruce and Amos 'n' Andy.

I also suggest a review of upcoming programs on Sundance, IFC and Turner Classic Movies.

Plus the movies are all big and Fullframey.

Precisely why the above three channels are worth checking out. Also Fox Movie Channel, if you receive it.

M.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

If you receive Trio, look for upcoming reruns of their specials Brilliant but Cancelled and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.

Great call, Mike! I saw ERRB at the Slamdance Film Festival and found myself absolutely hypnotized by it. I did not know it was being rerun, and now I can TiVo it! Thanks.

 

[Brad Porter]

If you receive Trio

Sadly, this is one of the stations that doesn't get sent on my digital cable package. Both this and Fox Movies have a channel assigned to them, but I get a nasty "Not Authorized" message when I tune them in. :frowning:

Hey! TechTV has Robot Wars on right now! Woohoo!

Brad

 

[Chris Beveridge]

Mine is filled with Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, Clifford and Teletubbies.

So, screw you all.

Tivo is a godsend as a parent, let me tell you.

 

[Brad Porter]

Tivo is a godsend as a parent, let me tell you.

Do you show them the same episodes over and over? Is there any noticeable difference between one episode of Teletubbies and the next?

Brad

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Well I've got all 14 episodes of Andy Richter Controls the Universe still archived on my TiVos.

That IS a nice cache to have! I'd throw those onto a VHS tape. I'm quite anal about clutter in my "Now Playing List".

 

[Brad Porter]

... a VHS tape

Actually, I've been debating making an medium sized investment in the recordable DVD market, but I have no idea whether the technology has finally stabilized enough for me to get in cheap and avoid choosing an obsolete path. Perhaps if there was a forum on the internet where they discussed such things...

Brad

 

[Brad Porter]

clutter in my "Now Playing List".

You want clutter?
82 recordings on big TiVo.
27 on small TiVo (although one of these is just a five minute segment of The Hot Spot - you know which scene )

Brad

 

[Brad Porter]

The Amazing Race was kind of fun. I'll keep the season pass. For a slower, less competitive, more witty trek around the globe, I set up a season pass for Michael Palin's Travels: Around the World in 80 Days airing on Bravo starting June 8.

Also, there are new seasons of Monk, The Dead Zone, and Sex and the City on the way.

Brad