[mythtv-users] Watching TV the "MythTV way" and finding new programs

[Bruce Markey]

Michael T. Dean wrote:
...
> Then, when I see a new series, I create a rule.  I have my Myth box 
> record "anytime on any channel" every new TV series (except Reality 
> shows, of course ;) and--wait for it...--I don't watch them.

Ironically, I have another rule "New Reality" which is a
variation of First Episodes but it actively records every
first episode of reality shows except MTV crud:

program.programid LIKE 'EP%0001'
AND program.originalairdate = DATE(program.starttime)
AND programgenres.genre = 'Reality'
AND channel.callsign != 'MTVP'

[The syntax is different because "DATE" isn't available in
older versions of MySQL. Also, this relates to the issue of
two rules matching the same show. The active "New Reality"
rule beats the inactive "First Episodes" rule so these shows
will record.]

I like reality shows and I have watched--wait for it ...wait for
it,wait for it--Pants Off Dance Off. Oddly, you've emphasized
that you don't like reality shows by quoting a line popularized
by a reality show ;-).

I'd heard about the first season of Survivor and thought it was
about people using survival techniques to live on an island. I
flipped by it when they were setting up for a game and the props
looked like Gilligan's Island. Nix. After the buzz about Susan
Hawks' speech and Richard Hatch winning, I watched the second
season and have watched ever since. I had no interest in American
Idol until even news shows were making a big deal about 'Justin
or Kelly?'

With myth I've caught the first episodes of small summer filler
shows with low expectations like Project Runway and Dancing with
the Stars long before they became widely popular. I've also seen
shows that never got the recognition they deserve like USA's
Made in America about inventors which was much, much better than
American Inventor and ESPN's Beg, Borrow and Deal which may have
been the best reality competition show ever.

--  bjm