While Expanding my television-watching schedule these past few weeks for research purposes, I've come to the following conclusions: TVB Jade's recently completed Angels of Mission - 3D series is highly reminiscent of Charlie's Angels, and America's Next Top Model is an awfully addictive show.
Having returned from the United States, I already know - and must keep my mouth shut about - the conclusion to The Apprentice (which was a favourite of all the business students at my university), and the Japanese anime in the mid-afternoon time slot sucks.
What happened to the good old days of episode after episode of Gundam, Captain Tsubasa, Macross, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ranma 1/2, Slam Dunk, Magic Knight Ray Earth, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Tenchi Muyo, and, yes, even Sailormoon? For that matter, what happened to the re-runs of Studio Ghibli's Laputa, Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke?
Call me old-school, but the tattered TV guide solemnly informs me that Gundam Seed is the only anime worth watching these days. And perhaps I'm dating myself here, but I believe that the lack of decent television programming in those crucial after-school hours is the reason that adolescents are becoming increasingly attracted to other types of entertainment.
There were times in the past when I'd clear my schedule from 3.30pm to 5.30pm just for my favourite shows. Nowadays, nothing quite beats DVDs and the internet for home entertainment.
For all the negative physical effects that sitting in front of the television has,, sitting in front of the computer is just as bad, if not worse. Firstly, the distance from one's eyes to the computer screen is much shorter than that from one's eyes to the television. Secondly, anime at least had the dubious benefit of encouraging other interests.