Why does TV continue to fight the DVR?  Thankfully most DVR are able to adjust to the fucktastic practice that most networks use in primetime to stretch their shows a few minutes before or after their allotted times.  But they just won’t give up when it comes to trying to outsmart the DVR user like me who refuses to watch commercials for previously recorded shows.  Additional commercial breaks have seeped into most shows now.  In fact, some hour-long dramas now have 6 commercial breaks dispersed throughout.  The total amount of advertising time is still the same (about 16 minutes per 60 minute episode) but the uneven break times they incorporate must be insanely annoying to suckers, I mean, people, who still watch these shows live.

Comedy Central is one of the more annoying stations and always has been in terms of commercial breaks.  They were one of the first to have 3 full commercial breaks for a 30 minute episode.  I’m not sure how long this has been going on, but the new South Park season now begins with the theme song and then goes straight into a full commercial break.  At least with most shows, you’ll get at least a 2 or 3 minute teaser segment to at least whet your appetite for the episode.

On a side note, non-premium-channel TV obviously has to have tamer content but I’ve had to add some Quality Kills to my list of original deaths.  Usually these happen in movies where there is more room for imagination but two TV shows this year have straddled the line.  First, Lost had a sweet death a few weeks ago where the village that houses the “others” is protected by these giant sonic barriers.  One guy gets pushed into the barrier and blood starts squirting out of both his ears while foaming at the mouth.  This definitely goes into the Quality Kill category.

Next up was the opening episode of ‘24’ this season where Jack Bauer escapes captivity by biting into a guy’s neck and ripping out a mouthful of flesh and arteries.  With the amount of blood spewing everywhere and Jack spitting out a pound of flesh onto the ground, this also qualifies as a Quality Kill.  I’m sure there are many other examples on shows that I don’t watch which would also be lumped into this category.

I’m eager with anticipation of a new season of The Shield, which is hands-down the best cop show ever.  Gritty, raw, profane, border-pushing cops who have had there share of giving and witnessing Quality Kills.  One of the more memorable scenes from a previous season which wasn’t a Quality Kill but definitely fell into the Quality Torture category was when Vic, the lead cop, pushed a drug dealer’s face onto a hot electric stove range, scarring him permanently.  When you have permanent griddle marks on your face and your skin smells like a Flesh Panini, you know it’s not going to be one of your better days.