I rarely watch t.v. (for many years now), but am "hooked" on British imports. Our cable t.v. has an annual price increase and at the same time, moves good channels from Extended Basic to a higher priced package. Late last year, we did what we had been threatening to do for years and cancelled all but Basic. (If we cancelled Basic too, our internet price part of the package would shoot up another $20.00/month ... they get ya coming & going.) That first week of just Basic, I missed "New Tricks" and part I of Stephen Frye's drive across America & I almost had a hissy fit. So we dropped cable t.v. (& now pay the extra for the internet) & got a satellite dish & 3 receivers, 2 of which record programs. I signed a 2-year agreement and I like it better than cable; I can record network shows that are 45% or more commercials, watch them later & fast forward over the commercials. My DH is disabled and cannot do much, so we really need t.v. so he can watch "How It's Made" & other educational shows. We can't go the Netflix route, as neither one of us are big movie fans; it must be a short attention span problem.
I, too, question this fascination with reality shows. What's with that? Doesn't everyone have his/her own reality on a day-to-day basis? I, for one, don't need my nose rubbed in someone else's reality, some of which is unbelievable, if the previews are any indication.