Before the fabulous inventions of mobile applications and video games, TV was often my only form of entertainment.
While I did have my favorite shows, such as “Crime Scene Investigation: Los Angeles” or “Hell’s Kitchen,” I mostly found myself flipping through dozens of TV shows that often had no point or value.
However, after stopping to watch some of these shows, I found them entertaining.
For example, take the TV show “Splash.” When a friend showed me an episode, I did not know what to say or how to react.
At first, when British diving star Tom Daley made an appearance on the show, I assumed the show would involve some expert diving. However, five minutes into the show, my opinion had turned for the worse.
As it turned out, Daley was only a mentor for celebrities who dive off platforms in order to be judged for the entertainment of viewers. I found the show to be too light-hearted, without a critical judge like “American Idol’s” Simon or “Masterchef’s” Gordon Ramsay. The audience cheered for every idol, regardless whether the dive was a complete flop or a rousing success.
However, “Splash” proved more to be than just a belly flop. I enjoyed taking my mind off homework while watching it. The determination of the contestants to stay on the show despite various handicaps, such as an abnormal amount of body mass, inspired me to try harder in school.
Another example is “Total Blackout,” featuring contestants who have to perform certain tasks, such as gathering eels while going through an obstacle course, in total darkness.
At a first glance, “Total Blackout” seemed to be a spinoff of “Fear Factor” with contestants completing tasks such as walking on broken glass and dipping themselves in ice-filled water.
Unexpectedly, as I watched more episodes of “Total Blackout,” I found that the show fell into an entirely different genre than “Fear Factor.”
By filming the contestants as they slide and stumble throughout the challenge area, I thought that there was some humor value put into the show. Another different quality of “Total Blackout” was that for the first time in awhile, I found a show where there was no panel of judges evaluating the actions of each and every contestant. Speed was the main factor in deciding who would win the $5,000 reward instead of quality.
Before watching these shows, I immediately classified them as stupid and unadmirable in any way. Now, I have redeemed these “stupid” shows in my mind and would like to give other shows of their kind, such as “Loiter Squad,” a try.
So next time you’re tired of endless homework, turn on the TV and watch a few minutes of a mindless television show. Who knows, you may end up liking it!
