As we progress further into fall 2005 and the weather starts to get a little more crisp, a few things start to stir in my mind: Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas shopping and of course my upcoming birthday! In all honesty, I was so caught up with trying to find a Halloween costume and planning a party, that I completely ignored my birthday gift list; I am so selfless.

So, I recently sat down with my trusty number-two pencil and started to pen down a few ideas, which got me thinking about these past twenty-one years of my life. And, scary enough, a lot of my favorite moments centered on the television. I shared my first potty experience with Bert and Ernie, mastered how to share from Papa Smurf, learned the facts of life from watching “The Facts of Life,” and shared in the heartache with the kids from “Dawson’s Creek.” Television really has been a defining factor in the world that is our generation. Could this be the answer to why almost every television show ever made is now on DVD?

Currently on Amazon.com, six of the top ten best DVD sellers are television shows. These include: “Arrested Development” – season two, “Alias” – season four, and “The L Word” – season two. These are three very different shows, but all in high demand. Is it because of a large fan base that these DVD sets are so popular, or is it something else? Have we gotten to the point where we are too lazy to live life that we would rather watch someone else live for us? Maybe. Maybe not, none-the-less, we are obsessed with television. And it’s not just our generation.

Studios are now targeting older audiences with releases of prime time hit series of the past. “Full House,” “Miami Vice” and “21 Jump Street” have been resurrected from the 80s. Some 1970s releases include “The Muppet Show” and “Happy Days.” Even shows from the 50s and 60s are finding their ways to the shelves. “Howdy Doody,” “Leave it to Beaver,” “Dragnet” and “Green Acres” are all going to be available before the year’s end. Not to mention cult favorite shows that were cancelled due to low ratings, but are topping the charts in DVD sales, like “Firefly” and “Undeclared.”

The most recent trend is releasing a complete season a week or two after that Season finale airs. “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “The O.C.” are all riding the wave of their current popularity with immediate release of their DVDs, and encouraging diehard fans to buy them by skimping on the airing of reruns. Sophomore Emily Stevenson bought the second season of “One Tree Hill” last May on the day it was released because, “I am totally obsessed. I love the story line and Lucas and Brooke. Plus, I missed a few episodes” she said.

So is it true? Are we obsessed? Would you rather be watching the college students on “Felicity” fall in and out of love then actually doing it yourself? Is staying home and watching “Dawson’s” ‘Dance’ episode your alternative to actually going out and dancing? These questions are up to you to answer. But if you answered yes; get up and get out! Live! Save reliving the glory days for when you are in the retirement home. Go dance! Go socialize! Go make new friends! Enjoy your glory days while you are able to live them.

In closing, when I finished my list, “Salute Your Shorts,” “Simple Life 3: Interns and “Family Guy – Volume three” were all on the top of my list. I mean, c’mon, we all have faults.

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