I used to watch a lot of television. Well, actually I still do. What I used to do was watch a lot of television series. I had a few shows that I watched every week faithfully, sometimes even past the point where I cared what happened to the characters. Point of reference: "Friends", about which I ceased caring roughly three years before it went off the air, but continued watching because it was of the few fun things my wife and I could find to do together that didn't involve our children and/or lying down. "ER" was another one, a show I still found quite entertaining but, frankly, just didn't have the energy to stick with after Anthony Edwards moved on.

Nowadays, there are lots of shows that I dip into, all sitcoms: "Family Guy", "The Simpsons", "Arrested Development", "My Name is Earl", and others. But there is only one show that I never miss, and that is the inimitable "24". I'm a day oner, 96 episodes in, and anxiously awaiting the new season in January. I tape every episode in case something goes awry in my world, and sometimes so that I can check things to make sure I saw or heard what I thought I saw or heard. I've heard a lot of hype about "Prison Break", including from one of my best friends, a fellow Jack Bauer devotee, and he has given me four episodes to watch on VCD. But I just can't bring myself to do it. I simply can't abide by the idea of allowing another hour of my time to be owned by a TV show. I'm not elitist - I just don't have that much bloody time left over. Sitcoms can be visited occasionally, like a really hot but slightly crazy mistress. Dramas are less forgiving of your indiscretions. Like a wife. And I already have one of those.