Last week

was Turn Off TV week, and let me just start by saying

"Yeah, right."

Sure, it's

a good idea. People watch too much TV. But last week?

Why? Why not in the summer when all of TV is full of

reruns?

Did the

people behind Turn Off TV week really think I wouldn't

watch the episode of "Friends" guest starring

Bruce Willis? Am I not going to watch the first new

episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in five

weeks? And, hello, "Who Wants To Be A

Millionaire" is all new as well.

Not to

mention that the NHL and NBA are in the playoff portions

of their seasons.

If you

really want people to get behind your idea, show that you

care about their feelings and wait until these things are

over.

I used to

work at a cable company, so believe me when I say that I

understand the rationale behind Turn Off TV week. I would

get calls at all hours about a channel being fuzzy or a

program not being on that the TV Guide had listed as

being on. People are freaks about TV. Half of the time

that I talked with these irate customers, I would think

to myself, "Read a book. Play with your kids. Go

outside!" I would realize years later, though, that

I am no different from these customers... I like my share

of programs too.

Some people

argue that television has no value, that much of what is

on the air is violent, perverse, naughty and rude. And

that is just daytime TV. To this I say, of course

television has value. For every episode of

"Titus" you fire at me, I throw back an episode

of "The West Wing." And vice versa.

I remember

the uproar when "The Simpsons" started, and now

it is the longest running sitcom still on the air. And

now it is beloved, so beloved.

TV has the

power to educate, inform, entertain and unite. How many

conversations at the water cooler did you have about

"Seinfeld" or "The Sopranos"? We all

remember the final episodes of "M*A*S*H,"

"Mary Tyler Moore" and "Cheers" (even

though I saw many of them in reruns). That's part of our

shared history. It may not be an annual town taffy pull,

but there are millions of people in this country who can

remember where they were, who they were with and what

they ate. That can't be a bad thing, can it ?

So, here's

my proposal. Chances are you didn't shut off your TV last

week. Why not pick a day each week for the next seven

weeks. This way, you can read your TV Guide, see what is

on and plan accordingly. After all, the season finales

are just around the corner and it would be wrong to miss

them. I mean, "90210" and "Party of

Five" are going away forever; don't they at least

deserve a nice sendoff?

One day a

week without TV will give you time to read, exercise,

garden, write letters, pay bills, call loved ones, or

start a hobby. As for me, I'm going to focus on bird

calls and practice writing columns. I'll be back in a few

months, during Put That Dang Book Down Week.

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