Ok, I’m not really depressed. This looks like a good season of 24, judging from the season premier tonight.

You know you really love a show when you’re willing to watch it real time. Almost everything I watch is time shifted, but I couldn’t wait for this one. I think those were some of the first commercials I’ve watched (or at least noticed) on TV in a year or so. Of course, I still couldn’t tell you what they were advertising, because I wasn’t paying attention. But I sat through them, for fear of missing 2 seconds of the show.

I don’t like to time shift on NFL playoff games or 24. Just like you can’t be behind real time in your knowledge of an important football game, you also can’t be 10 minutes behind on the new season of 24. It’s a guy thing.

On Friday, I was still out in Silicon Valley and I met with Heidi Roizen (Brad Feld’s partner at Mobius). I spent about 45 minutes at her house talking about TechStars and 24. I think we split our time roughly in half on those two subjects. Heidi seemed to really dig TechStars, and was a huge 24 fan. It was equally fun talking about both.

She told me the story of when Jason Mendelson, Brad, and she visited the set of 24. Heidi told me all about watching a taping (and learning Edgar’s fate too early to her dismay), meeting some of the cast and watching some of the “writing” in action. I never realized (or thought about the fact) that 24 was set about 8 to 10 years in the future. When they’re showing those crazy CTU screens and you’re saying to yourself “that’s not real” - you have to remember this is in the future. Just enough in the future, Heidi said, so that they don’t have to worry about how the cars look, but can take a few liberties with real time cellular video and the like.

Who cares if Jack’s car is faster than Apache helicopters or if the bad guys can tell that a military satellite just focused on them in real time. Jack is a badass so I’ll put up with a fair amount of nonsense.

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This is tough. Do I go and watch the first episode of day 6 off of BitTorrent, or do I wait and watch it live? I’m going for live, since a) it’s legal and b) I’m having people over for a 24 party on Monday. If you’re a fan and watch to join us, lemme know!

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Lost starts up again this Wednesday.

If you’re still not watching it, then DUH. Go out and get yourself a recap. Spend the time to read this text here, or better yet start Tivoing and rent all the DVDs from NetFlix or if you have iTunes, just click here. Somehow, catch up on the first two seasons, which are some of the most creative and fun in the history of TV. Lost is completely addictive, maddening, frustrating, and so much fun to talk about. Everyone is just trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

There are tons of fan theories. My top two theories are 1) it’s Hurley’s dream and 2) it’s a place between heaven and hell to decide which way you’re going.

Seriously, watch it once or twice. Best show on television.

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Ok, here’s where the Tivo list stands as of today.

• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
• Heroes (waiting to see)
• Six Degrees
• Kidnapped (keeper, so far)
• Lost
• 24
• Survivor
• Grey’s Anatomy

The first time I watch a new show, I usually do it with my laptop on my lap. If the show can make me look up and take note, then it’s a good show. If my email is more interesting than the show, I probably won’t watch it any more. I can’t be online during 24 or Lost, because I’m afraid I’ll miss something cool.

I thought Six Degrees was pretty dumb. People bumping into each other, shooting each other, yada, yada. Didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. This one never really kept my attention at all. I didn’t feel like anything interesting really happened.

Kidnapped was pretty good. It reminds me of 24 a little bit (and man do we miss that). The pace was fast and from the previews at the end it looks like it’s going to get even faster. I thought the acting was believable, which is a problem for many shows.

So the only “new this season” show that is still in the running to be kept on our Tivo is now Heroes. We’ll see what happens there next week.

The new season of Survivor is decent so far. We’re basically just addicted to this. The tribes are divided by race this time, so that’s kinda different. So far, no big dramas there.

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Ah, the Tivo is heating up.

Here are the new shows we’re giving a try this season:

• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
• Heroes
• Six Degrees
• Kidnapped

Each season, we Tivo new shows that seem interesting in hopes of finding one to add to our short list of regular shows, which are, in order of priority:

• Lost
• 24
• Survivor
• Grey’s Anatomy

We also always Tivo these shows and watch them on a semi-regular (non fanatical) basis:

• What about Brian
• ER
• Desperate Housewives

Studio 60 premiered tonight and I was bored after about 15 minutes (the opening was good). I didn’t buy Matthew Perry in his role, and I really, really didn’t buy Amanda Peet in her big time TV exec role. I loved The West Wing, and this show has the same feel. However, it’s not nearly as smart and the casting is not nearly as good. I think I’m done with this one already.

I was kind of glad. It’s hard to have more than 3 or 4 to watch each week. Luckily, 24 is offset and starts in January. We’ll see how the other new shows look pretty soon.

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