SUSAN CALMAN Our columnist tries changing her Tv-watching habits
TV has provided welcome release for many of us in recent months, and for our columnist that has meant letting her partner choose what to watch for once
I’m extremely set in my ways in many parts of my life. I like to use the same washing-up liquid and brand of loo roll, and even the way I make my beans on toast never changes (butter on the toast, beans to the side). I like what I like, and I’m not easily persuaded to step outside my comfort zone. I think it’s part of my charm, but it turns out that some people find it quite annoying.
For example, my viewing habits have caused some discord in my relationship over the years. Because (surprise!) I have very specific tastes. I adore a middle-of-the-road crime drama. Give me a Poirot or a Marple – basically anything set in a small English village with multiple suspects – and I’m in heaven. Film-wise,
I like anything with Jason Statham in it. If you don’t know who he is, let me illuminate you. He’s an English actor mostly found in action films where, for 90% of the movie, he loses his shirt, but never a fist fight. He’s my strange crush and I love him.
As is often the way, my better half has completely different tastes in films. She loves a western, mainly because she used to sit with her grandfather and watch John Wayne movies on a Sunday afternoon and it reminds her of happy times. I always disliked cowboy films, mainly because I could never work out why they never ate any pasta in spaghetti westerns (I was an easily confused child).
Recently, my wife asked if we could be more spontaneous about what we watched. Trying to lighten the mood, I said, ‘Fine! When, exactly?’ After a few hours where no one spoke to me (even the cats took her side), I agreed to loosen up a bit and open my mind. So, come the weekend, now we each take a day (she has Saturday, I have Sunday) where we choose a film that we believe the other should watch. So far, I’ve seen not only westerns but also other classics that she loves, such as The Deer Hunter and Marathon Man. And, together, we have watched several brilliant
Jason Statham movies.
I’ve found it quite freeing to loosen my grip on the remote control, and I’m not the only one who has started to broaden their horizons. I’ve long been a fan of travel documentaries, and a friend of mine has often scoffed at them. ‘Who wants to see someone just wandering around?’ she asked. I suggested she try the absolute best – Michael Palin’s Around The World In 80 Days. If that didn’t change her mind, nothing would. I didn’t hear from her for a few days, and I assumed that she had dismissed me as usual, but it was the opposite. She was captivated by the show, and had spent her evenings following the former Python’s adventures. Now she can’t get enough of foreign travel from the comfort of her sofa.
She’s not alone. More than a few of my friends have recently decided to take a dive into new shows. Like my neighbour, who has started watching Game Of Thrones and is ‘coming around to it’, although she leaves the room to make a cup of tea when there’s too much nudity. She’s been drinking an awful lot of tea. And my appearance on Great British Menu inspired my mum to start watching more cooking shows for new ideas. She’s loved the wide variety of kitchen-based TV on offer, although tells me she is still some way from Masterchef. I disagree – her boiled egg in a cup mashed up with butter and salt is worthy of an accolade.
Inspired by my new outlook on life, I’ve kept expanding my boxset collection as well. I’d never seen an episode of Downton Abbey, but one day I sat down and switched it on. I was slightly terrified at first, as it looked like a documentary of my life (I joke, of course, I could never wear a corset for that long), but I found myself escaping to somewhere else, embracing something new and different. And I loved it.
Sometimes, switching on to something unexpected can be brilliant. Take the leap, and who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new favourite show, and also the chance to escape without leaving your sofa.
Why does no one eat pasta in spaghetti westerns?