As for scripted entertainment, TV always seems to be dominated by weak imitations of innovative series that peaked several years ago. For much of the '90s, we got sitcoms that ripped off "Seinfeld" (including modest hits like "Ellen" and bombs like "The Single Guy"); now we've got courtroom dramas that aren't as good as early episodes of "Law & Order" (such as "The Practice" and "Family Law").

My flagging interest in the idiot box ("boob tube" was never uttered by my easily embarrassed mother) may have something to do with the fact that I just turned 37, putting me at the midpoint of life expectancy. Suddenly it hurts to waste three minutes sitting through a commercial break, trying not to glance at all the unread books I've carted around from apartment to apartment. Even worse is breaking my life into half-hour chunks in order to accommodate a TV schedule. I might cut off a perfectly enjoyable phone conversation just to catch the beginning of "Frasier." If I've got 10 minutes before "Survivor," I might kill the time by flipping channels -- since I'm usually too lethargic for any activity that would require me to pull down the window shades.

Television's emphasis on youth is also getting harder to take, now that mine is gone. I can no longer emulate the behavior on shows like "Ally McBeal" and "Friends" without feeling like -- well, an idiot. Aching for stability in my own life, I'm getting tired of watching disastrous dates and aborted weddings on never-ending TV series. I don't need to watch anyone else die prematurely on "NYPD Blue."

I still believe that television can be as intriguing as film, music or theater, but it can't replace any of them. And the more I watch TV, the more I miss those other forms of artistic expression.

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