Closing of Doors

I've talked about this before in my life with friends and they look at me like I'm dumb so I'll throw it at you guys and see what you think.  I've spent a great deal of time in my life with various groups of people.  Here's where the curve ball gets thrown.  These ensembles I have dedicated so much of my life to are fictional.  Casts of televisions shows and I have to ask forgiveness and some latitude here before you start with the straight jackets and padded rooms.  When you have an hour long scripted program that airs once a week for 23 weeks, that's 23 hours you spend with these characters.  If the writing is worth a damn, you should develop some connection with the characters and if the writing is really good, when something bad happens to the characters, you should feel it as well.

This past television season, I said goodbye to more shows as they weren't renewed (United States of Tara) or they ran their run (Smallville).  On top of that, there have been shows that I have completed watching the full runs of and am either current with or have watched all the episodes that were created.  So I do tend to get wrapped in the lives of the characters on television.

Even though new doors get opened ever season, there's nothing like being able to sit down with people you've established relationships with and catch up on what's happening in their life this week.  I am a super fan of scripted television and I think that reality based programming is the downfall of our entertainment.  I have room in my life for some unscripted shows but they have to be very special.  So you'll have to forgive me for wanting to commit random acts of self mutilation over the next episode of Jersey Shore or Real Housewives.

So what say you, readers....is it an appropriate response to get drawn into scripted television and get sad and stuff when bad stuff happens or am I totally mental?