Confessions of an Addict - II

Perhaps more shameful than my own earlier admitted addiction, is the fact that I have also dragged the Partnerin into the dark world of Anglo-American TV.

We both watch West Wing. Even though it is fairly fast paced and somewhat US-politico jargon laden, she seems to follow on with little or no need for explanation. As an intersting aside, our first visit to the US was during the 2000 elections, during which she really got into the debates, and, to the horror of my family, she really took a liking to Dick Cheney, even though she probably leans more to the SPD on home-turf (to redeem her in most reader's eyes, she can't stomach Bush -- the Cheney thing was probably related to his gravitas). Go figure!

She certainly does not share my liking of 24, etc., but we do watch the odd cooking and travel shows.

We did enjoy the Donald Trump version of The Apprentice, but neither of us can take the British version ... sorry Brit readers, but Sir Alan is not as charming as the Donald ... I don't believe I just said that!

We both watched Paris and Nicole in a combination of amusement and disgust as they worked through the Simple Life. Couldn't take the second series however.

We watched in even more horror as Kathy Hilton ran her own little intern show, "I want to be a Hilton." Don't know if it is just me, but I typically want all of the contestants on these shows to be sacked or to perish.

What she really seems to be hooked on are the home improvement, Real Estate, and decorating shows ... Faves include The House Doctor, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Location, Location, Location.

She's also been hooked on the Fab Five (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), although that must have been in hiatus recently as she stopped watching it once they had gone through the third round of re-runs.

Enough said ... any more and I might be prosecuted for corrupting a perfectly nice German girl.