Box Sets to Relax

I appear to have a new addiction. Last week I bought seasons one to five of The Big Bang Theory. I had some Tesco vouchers to use before they ran out and have had the box set on my wish list for a while, so I decided rather than buying something sensible that we needed like food or bedding or Christmas presents or any number of other things, I’d just get something I wanted and might lead to some laughing and relaxation.

Anyway, I opened the box on Friday night and by the time I went to bed on Saturday I’d watched the 17 episodes of season one and a couple of season two. That’s six episodes Friday evening and 13 on Saturday. Yes, 11. Er… oops.

It’s just a tad addictive.

What is it about this show that has me hooked? Well I love Sheldon’s perfectly sensible and logical but equally ridiculous monologues, the fact it’s all based on science that seems very plausible (it’s probably either all garbage or totally correct but obviously I am not a physicist with two PhDs so quite a lot of it goes right over my head), the notes to science fiction films and television programmes and comic books, the fact that Penny forces the four nerds to confront their social inadequacies. All of those things and more. It’s simply very funny.

It’s totally the the same as with some of my friends and, well, Friends, or Downton Abbey (actually I’ve never seen a Downton episode, I’ve been lent the series one DVD to see if I like it), or anything other programme available in a box set for that matter.

Stuff like this helps us relax. Sitcoms like Big Bang Theory can be watched on your own or with your family, you can sit and concentrate or just have them on in the background. They help us while away the hours on a dark and rainy evening (we seem to be having loads of them at the moment), something that doesn’t need thinking about. We can allow our brains time to switch off, exercise our laughter muscles, and think about nothing other than what the characters on the screen are doing.

It’s important to find time to relax, to switch off. There are so many ways to do it. Do you like box sets? Which sitcoms make you laugh? Which dramas make you cry? Do you end up putting a DVD box set on one minute and realise you’re still sat there hours later? Which box set should I be getting next?

Would love to hear your comments. In the mean time I’m off to sit in front of the telly in my pyjamas and (new gorgeously soft) dressing gown (How Many Dressing Gowns?!) to continue with season two. Night!