A while back, I whined about how last Fall’s network TV lineup was both inspiring and disappointing. In an update, I revised my opinion of a couple of the shows I had originally chagrined. The long writer’s strike really opened my eyes to the truth: There is very little good on television these days.
When the strike first happened, I found myself wondering how I would get along without my favorite shows to listen to in the mornings as I work out (typically the only time I watch TV). However, I quickly found alternative sources to satisfy my media fix. Namely, Netflix streaming video and Hulu.
Netflix is the online video rental service. We have had an account for several years. I love maintaining a “queue” of movies on-line, having the DVDs delivered to our mailbox, and being able to return them whenever I want via the mail. Turnaround is fast and because the site has recommendations (based on your past viewing), we’ve stumbled across indie and foreign films that have been surprisingly great.
Netflix launched a streaming video service a while back, but it was limited to a certain number of hours a month. Now, with the 3 movies/month a plan and higher, you get unlimited streaming movies and shows. While the catalog isn’t exhaustive, it has a lot of mainstream movies (I even found Batman Beyond and Superman animated feature-length films, which was fun) and TV shows. Most recently, we watched the 80s version of Annie which the kids liked. Perhaps because the site is drawing more viewers, we started to notice performance problems (pauses in the video). Hopefully, they’ll get that fixed.
Hulu is an NBC venture that offers a number of streaming TV shows and movies, too. Until recently, it was in private beta. That’s changed, however, and now anyone can get an account (free). With Hulu, you get access to tons of shows, though often with a strange selection of episodes (e.g., seasons 1 and 3 or random missing episodes in the middle of a season). I have enjoyed getting caught up on missed Simpsons episodes and seeing some shows like “S.W.A.T.” from the 80s for the first time. All shows have “minimal commercials,” which means a single commercial instead of several every 10-15 minutes. Not bad, even though you can’t fast-forward through them.
Check them out and let me know what you think!
In a 
Much of my enjoyment comes from the snappy CIA agent/faux-girlfriend character Sarah and Casey, the perpetually grumpy NSA agent (played by Adam Baldwin). The reality that Chuck faces being forced into the life of a spy is played out with humor, but laced with the reality of having to live a secret life.
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