Remedy your TV withdrawal

With the end of the fourth season of “Lost” a week ago and the calendar reading June, we’ve officially entered the worst time of the year for TV aficionados like myself: summer. \nNo more waiting each week for our favorite shows to come on, no more patrolling the message boards in search of common thought about that week’s episode. Instead, the waiting game begins until September premieres for most shows, and even longer for some others – January for “Lost,” and “24” won’t return until midseason. As far as TV, summer brings such a deflating, sickening feeling.\nBut there is one thing out there that can be the antidote for you fellow TV freaks like myself: TV on DVD.\nInstead of trying to drown your sorrows with summer programming like “So You Think You Can Dance?” or “Celebrity Circus,” try picking up some higher-brow material on DVD. Summertime is the perfect time to watch TV shows on DVD. The extended amount of free time allows for extended viewing. Chances are that a truly dedicated person could finish entire seasons at a one-per-week clip. \nWatching TV on DVD can help an individual in a variety of ways. First of all, someone can catch up on episodes or seasons of their favorite shows that they happened to miss because the show’s time slot changed or because their TiVo was just too packed. This seems to be the route a lot of viewers are taking nowadays, especially when it comes to more serialized shows like “Lost” or “Battlestar Galactica.” \nSecond, summer’s extended time can permit people to dive into a show that they’ve always wanted to watch, but never had the time or resources to do so. For example, never being an HBO subscriber, I’ve been unable to check out “The Wire” since its creation. I have been forced to sit idly by while other viewers and critics call it one of the best in TV history. But TV on DVD has given me the opportunity to do exactly as I wished. \nEven more, TV on DVD provides an opportunity to refresh on seasons past and get yourself excited for the premieres coming in the fall or winter. It’s like reuniting with an old friend that you haven’t spoken with in a long time. \nHowever, the mass intake of TV on DVD does have its detractions. Most season sets run at least $35 each, and the price of renting a disc at a time just almost doesn’t seem worth it. The semi-high prices could lead you down the sad road into illegal online streaming, but resist the temptation. Split the price with a friend or sign up for a Netflix account; don’t let the downturn in the economy stop important TV viewing.\nIf you’re a person who really enjoys television, there is no good reason that you should let it cease during the summer. And when the fall season rolls around and you realize that you are now watching 11 different programs, you’ll be proud. If you miss some episodes then, you can always catch up on DVD next summer.