400+ cable stations - but nothing to watch!

"Joe, step away from the TV."

That was a comment a former co-worker posted on Facebook back in December after reading a few remarks I posted on her page referencing various television shows.

Although I am 110 percent certain she was joking, I admit I was a little offended, at first, as she made it sound as though all I do on my off time is watch television. In fact, that's far from the fact. To be precise, ever since I got hooked up with AT&T U-verse back in 2007 I've got 400+ cable stations (I don't have the movie stations) and I still can't find anything to watch!

Truth be damned, I sit for hours at my job, so between working in front of the computer, blogging and going to see movies, the last thing I truly want to do when I get home is watch television.

In fact, I am not the least bit sorry I haven't kept up with a majority of what today's viewing audience watches. I have no idea the dirty laundry the women of Wisteria Lane on "Desperate Housewives" have been up to for a few seasons now. I can't remember what the last episode of "The Simpsons" I saw. I don't know why viewers love "Modern Family" and I'm not interested in finding out.

I am not sorry I missed the several train wrecks on "Dancing With the Stars" seeing various celebrities prove to audiences they have rhythm. However, I did catch five minutes of reality star Kate Gosselin dancing last season and quickly concluded she can't dance. This is coming from someone who also has no rhythm.

It doesn't upset me to have missed Simon Cowell belittle hundreds of contestants on "American Idol."

I am literally bored to death (no pun intended) by all the "Law & Order," " CSI," "NCIS" spin-offs and forensics shows like "Bones."

I am interested in seeing AMC's "The Walking Dead" one of these days but not now. That's what DVD/Blu-ray season box sets are for.

As I read through the list of new shows for the Fall 2011-12 season, I can't say I am terribly excited about any of the major network's offerings either. NBC dropped "Wonder Woman,"and the other two shows I have a vague interest in watching, like "Pan Am" a drama about female flight attendants set during the airline's early days and "The Playboy Club," about gorgeous female bunnies in their skimpy outfits back in the 1960s, will be nothing more than male eye candy.

The truth is, television today has changed. There is no such thing anymore as "Must See TV" on Thursdays the mid-1980s when shows like "The Cosby Show" (1984-1992), "Cheers" (1982-1993) and "Night Court" (1984-1992) were on. There are no worthy dramas out there like "Hill Street Blues" (1981-1987), "St. Elsewhere" (1982-1988) or "Dallas" (1978-1991).

Most everything in terms of award-winning dramas (and I can't really say any of them are "award winning") has gone to the cable networks, if for no other reason than they are cheaper for the studios to produce because they always have to churn out a full season of 20+ episodes.

Television to me has gotten to the point where the best thing to do now is to just turn it off. To quote a scene from a classic TV series of "The Cosby Show"where Rudy (Keshia Knight Pullliam) can't find anything to do, Cliff (Bill Cosby) tells her he has over a million dollars worth of books sitting in her room that she could read.

I've got quite a few books and magazines all sitting in storage that I hope to read one of these days. I have often considered just turning "The Boob Tube" off and doing just that. There lies the problem. I like to read when I know I won't have any distractions. I don't have that luxury right now.

Sitting in bed at night trying to read George W. Bush's "Decision Points," I find it hard to not to pick up that remote on my nightstand. Like everything else, looking to see what's on television is like an addiction. No matter how much I complain that there's nothing worth my time, I just can't bring myself to leave that damn remote al    one.

Excuse me now while I go look for something to watch.