The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:07 AM PST

The Spudniks share their TV resolutions for the new year.

SOMEONE asked me if I was going to watch less TV in 2013. I laughed. What an odd notion!

My answer, of course, was a swift and vehement "No!". But it did get me thinking about my TV resolutions for 2013. I managed to come up with five.

Like most resolutions, these will probably be broken by the second week of the new year. Still, there's no harm in trying, right?

1. Watch more Tamil dramas or movies.

Ever since I lost my grandparents, my ability to converse in Tamil has gone from bad to very, very bad. They were the only people with whom I spoke Tamil. I didn't realise how out of touch I was with the language until last week when I had to converse with someone who spoke no English and hardly any Bahasa Malaysia.

After 10 minutes of neither of us understanding what the other was saying, I passed the phone to my sister who acted as my translator. It was embarrassing. I never want to go through that again.

So, this year, I resolve to brush up on my Tamil by watching more Tamil shows on TV. (My colleagues warn me that this may only help if I intend on throwing a dramatic tantrum, but I am hopeful nonetheless.)

Ann Marie Chandy (AMC) comments: Indra's Tamil is way better than mine – I know maybe 10 words in total. And I don't think watching Tamil movies will improve my ability to speak the language because I will always be reading the subtitles.

However, I don't mind tuning in if the actors are cute. I'll probably watch Hindi movies instead, and ogle handsome stars like Aamir Khan. That can be a resolution, right?

2. I vow to stop watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

I recently got hooked on this series (yeah, about 13 years behind everyone else) and have, for the last couple of months, been watching at least five episodes per day to catch up.

How's that for crazy? I hear the trademark sound – "chang chang" – in my head all the time now and just last week, I dreamt of Detective Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni). We were having dinner and I was telling him about all the people I work with. For some reason, he was laughing like crazy.

Another sign that I should wean myself off the show? I size up everyone I meet as a possible perpetrator of crimes I imagine they may be guilty of. I think I am obsessed.

AMC: I actually like SVU, but it disturbs me that it all comes from one man's head. I mean is anyone worried about Dick Wolf? I think he needs to have some New Year resolutions about the shows he creates. I mean, how does one go from writing commercials for Crest toothpaste to coming up with something like SVU?

Indra adds: Speaking of which, did you know that Jeff Lindsay, the guy who created the character Dexter (Dexter) in both the novels and series is married to Ernest Hemingway's daughter? Just thought I'd add that... 3. I will not use TV as an excuse to not cook a proper dinner for myself or my family.

AMC: I will not use dinner as an excuse to not watch TV properly by myself or with my family.

4. I will not ignore phone calls in the middle of a show I am watching. (If it's urgent, text me, OK?)

AMC: Press pause-lah. Then rewind, forward, loop the loop. In this day and age, you can cook dinner, watch TV, answer your calls and do the Gangnam Style gallop all at the same time. 5. I will try not to write about Dexter in every instalment of Spudniks.

AMC: We'll see.

2013 vows

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:07 AM PST

Indra has conveniently stolen all my ideas. I was planning to make a resolution to stop raving about Nathan Fillion in every instalment of Spudniks but since she's pinched that idea (with Dexter),

I guess I am free to rave on. (I follow his tweets by the way ... ahh, isn't Nathan Fillion just so darn lovely?) 1. I am going to try and watch a TV series by the episode and not whichever one comes my way.

I have a really bad habit of just watching anything, so I get mixed up with seasons and cast members and plotlines all the time. Wait, didn't what's-his-name die already? And how come Jack (he's the one with the dog right?) likes the horrible sister instead of the lovely but revengeful heroine? You get the drift.

Indra comments: Mind you, this NEVER stops Ann Marie from insisting she is right. Did I say NEVER?

2. I am going to make time for all the great series I have missed in the past – Justified, Breaking Bad, Mad Men.

So many shows, so little time. But 2013 is going to be different.

Indra: Don't forget Dexter! The latest season is airing on HyppTV as we breathe.

3. I am NOT going to let my children win when it comes to battling for the remote.

Why shouldn't my son Ryan wait to check the football score updates if I am watching Castle and Bones back-to-back? And why does my daughter Raena need to watch The Lord Of The Rings or Star Trek or (God forbid) The Tooth Fairy every time they show it on TV? Am I not the boss of my house and my television, I ask you?

Indra: Buy another TV. A true addict has at least two TV sets in the house. 4. I will not just watch shows with good looking actors in it.

I will give every actor a fair chance regardless of how hideous he may be. I am, after all, NOT the "lookist" my friends claim I am.

Indra: I'll believe it when it happens. Hey, wait a minute ... you watch Glee. Who is good looking in that show? Haha. 5. I will not pretend to know about quantum mechanics just because I watch Big Bang Theory.

Have you seen my Shrodinger's Cat T-shirt? Don't you just love Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger's thought experiment about quantum entanglement?).

Indra: Betcha didn't know there are TWO Schrodinger equations! Give me that darn T-shirt already ...

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Selasa, 1 Januari 2013