A cup of tea and the remote, that's two hours spent with my buddy in the morning; then we meet at night after 10 pm.

But my devotion to my new best friend, my television, is total! And why not! It makes me laugh, it makes me cry...and above everything else, it also helps me earn my bread and butter!

Sex and the City: Women - single and ready to mingle!

Now, when I switch on my pal at those hours, I catch up on shows that really make me think...I relate to the characters as if they were part of my closest circle. I often think of Carrie (Sex and the City) and how she must be perceived! Is she too brash for an average Indian like me (single, urban, independent, living in a metro types!) Or is she just like a friend I had in college -- forthright about her views on almost everything, from her sex life to her eating habits. Ryan's dilemma in Zee Cafe and Star World's OC is something that's so present -- the story of a misfit, whose background is a culture shock for the society that he lives in! There is something so intense in these stories that keeps me hooked.
I have often wondered why Friends continues to be a personal favourite even after such a long time.

Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe: Friends, forever!

Now, I know. When I was in high school, the life of Monica and Rachel was something that I yearned for (without the cooking and baking bit); when in college, I made that journey outside my home and family, I enjoyed every bit of the independence that I had. At that time it felt as if I was closest to their lives. But today it's a different story, the show today makes me remember those good old days! Today, more than any other time in the past, I have realised why Friends is such a hit among all age groups and truely, this is the kind of show that makes television viewing worth the effort! Has Kyunki....ever had a similar effect on me?

Ha.

Daddy dearest!

Kevin Hill, Everybody loves Raymond, Will and Grace or Caroline in the City, these are shows that highlight what our society is really like, not what we expect it to be! I can well imagine urban households turning into virtual battlefields between generations when the Saat Pheres and the Kyunkis clash with shows like OC and Sex and the City.

1O Rules....: Beware of this daddy!

What is amazing is also the fact that not only the themes, but the language of these shows too have an appeal for the urban upmarket teen! Imagine a scene from Star World's show, My Wife and Kids where a dad says that he's the 'dic', the better part of the word 'dictator' whose rules have to be followed around the house and another from 10 Simple Rules..., where the father says to his girls, "The first word that you ever said was no, and now you behave as if you have never heard it!" These are lines straight out of a teen's 'hatebook'.

OC: dealing with being a misfit

Moreover shows like CSI, Las Vegas, Sopranos and Medical Investigation are shows that have high production values. Armed with sleek moves and amazing locales, they attract late night surfers (quite like me!), who are looking to catch a complete episode than an entire series. Perhaps the most impressive of the current lot is OC (the title track is quite something). (It's not a surprise that Ekta Kapoor is drawing heavy duty inspiration for her show, Krimson Skies from OC) What makes it really watchable is the intense drama that unfolds, without the usual histrionics that we relate to a Hindi soap. A rich man loses all his money....his wife leaves, but with no soppy farewells! A husband doesn't give a damn when his wife helps out her out of work ex-flame! These are things that really reflect the mindset of Gen Y!

Fat is handsome!

Then there are the comedies that really stand out! Grounded for Life or The King of Queens or for that matter, Will and Grace -- all draw humour from the silly things in life! Grace is selfish and useless; Caroline (Caroline in the City), is sloppy; Dough (The King of Queens) is fat and lazy; Raymond (Everybody Loves Raymond) is a scatterbrain, but there is something that is utterly likeable about all of them!

All in all, the firang fare on the telly is quite a catch and frankly speaking...I'd rather see a Kevin change diapers, than wait for Kyunki...to take another leap!

What say you???????