It's like going home...

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but, of all forms of acting (live theatre, silver screen, television), television is the one that I want to go in to. There are several reasons behind this, including the fact that, if I were to land a sizable part on a successful show, it's a steady job with six months free to do whatever (live theatre, write my novels, raise a family). It also would be more exciting as an actor: I wouldn't be doing the same blasted thing every night of the week and I'd be able to inhabit and develop one character (which really appeals the author me) over an extended period of time.

Funny thing is, for the first, oh, fourteen years of my life, I rarely ever watched television. On those little questionnaires they'd hand out, I'd always answer "I don't watch TV, I read" when asked what my favorite TV show was. Sure, I watched the usual Sesame Street and Barney as a little one, but I'd have rather been reading. I'd watch The Muppet Show, Bill Nye the Science Guy and NBC with Tom Brokaw (who I still have a crush on, by the way... it's the voice) with my parents, but other than that? Nothing much.

When I got to the age where I was staying up past 8pm, 9pm, I actually started joining my parents on Friday nights when they'd be watching some show. Interestingly enough, this happened around the same time they started in on a new show. Their usual favorite had just been cancelled and this other show had had a movie they'd seen (which they hadn't liked) and was on the same network. They decided what the heck and tried it out. Turns out they liked it a lot more than they had liked the movie, though they were coming in on the sixth or seventh season.

It's because of this show I fell in love with television.

Today I finally accomplished something long in the making. I have officially watched all 214 episodes and both movies (not including the one my parents didn't like) of this show. And if you're well versed in television, you will know that only one American science fiction show has ever lasted that long. That would be Stargate: SG-1. We can thank Hulu for putting up all ten seasons.

True, Stargate: SG-1 is no longer my favorite TV show. It's not even number two. I'd probably say it's number three. (Amusingly enough, my favorite TV show is the one that was cancelled right before I started watching television: Farscape. Which, again amusingly, stars two actors who are in Stargate: SG-1. Also amusingly, the reason I was introduced to my number two is because I followed an actor from SG-1 to the show: Burn Notice-the actor was Michael Shanks.)

BUT. Though the first six seasons took me a good year, once I hit season seven and started recognizing things, I blew through the rest of the series and it was like going home. I still cried during the series finale: Unending. (You may ask what initiated the crying... Well, basically the whole episode, but it always starts when Daniel starts yelling at Vala like there's no tomorrow... Michael Shanks' acting... I still cannot get over how phenomenal it is.)

I want to be part of something like that. And I'm determined that I will be.