TSAS

With season finale's beginning for the current TV season, it's hard not to feel a little lost on what to do while our shows are on hiatus for the summer. Luckily some networks have caught on to this and have created summer programming. This has helped me get through the lull of when I'm not out enjoying the sun or working. Let's just say my DVR is in constant recording mode year round. I know it's a sickness, but one I enjoy.

Well this current season not have I only had to prepare for season finale's, but also series finale's of a few favorite shows, and I don't like it. Earlier this year I said goodbye to an all-time favorite, Chuck (I really don't understand why these networks decide that they need to cancel smart shows, but they do). And soon I will have to say goodbye to House, Eureka and Desperate Housewives. I'm torn on how to feel about House, seeing as how I've mentioned before (here) my mixed feelings. I'm still finding myself crying at the end of each episode and I know I'm going to want more, even though I know the show has run its course (damn you first world dilemmas!). As for Eureka, even though I only started watching the show the first of this year, it has fast become a favorite, and to find out that it's too coming to an end saddens me greatly. I can't explain how much this show is the ultimate geek show. I'm not as heartbroken about Desperate Housewives. I've mainly watched it because I always have. It's a guilty pleasure that's lost its luster, but alas another show I'm losing.

And in knowing that I'm losing these shows, I thought that I would take some time to discuss what I call TSAS (TV Show Abandonment Syndrome). This syndrome occurs when you're way too emotionally invested in a TV show that's future has been severed. TSAS has many symptoms like; uncontrollable crying, depression, the need to watch past episodes over and over, and the need to fill a void. These symptoms will pass over time and typically diminish when you have found a replacement TV show. There are some residual symptoms though that can last years depending on how emotionally invested you truly were in the show. These residual symptoms are the ones that should be addressed. The best way to keep these at bay are by watching the series repeats. This way you get your fix, but you are also coming to terms with knowing that there will be no new episodes, and you will eventually accept this and be able to move on.

This has been so, for me, with the show Friends. 10 years of my life were spent watching this show, planning for a new episode every week by scheduling my social calendar around the day and time slot for the show. 10 years I spent doing this, and when the show came to an end, TSAS kicked in. It took years for me to curb my symptoms, but I am better now. I can go months without needing to watch an episode now. Although, I do from time to time need to fall back on Friends and other favorites to help my TSAS stay at bay. I similarly had this same issue when Smallville ended last year. I ended up watching the entire series from beginning to end to help my TSAS, and it did.

I can feel my TSAS is on the verge of rearing its ugly head again. And I've got to figure out a way to deal with it, because this particular season has been a lot harder with the fact that I have more than one show that is going away for good. And let's not even start on the surprise cancellations that usually happen between now and the Fall (for which I refer to the .gif below as provided by the awesome Wil Wheaton).

So I'm asking all my readers out there to help me discover some new shows to help me avoid a major TSAS inflammation. And in return I will continue to help anyone else that suffers from this affliction, by writing about the great shows I watch that you may not be watching.