The addiction returns

It's been years. In fact, I can tell you approximately how long: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. That's how long it's been since I had to record a TV show so I could return to it again and again.

I know now that I would have felt that way about Firefly and Wonderfalls if I'd known they were there at the time, but even though good series have come along over the years, I haven't felt this level of addiction. I love a few current shows - Monk, House, Battlestar Gallactica - but not at the gotta-have-an-archive level.

Now, all of a sudden, I've got two of 'em. I realized that as I was dubbing the first two of this season's episodes of Veronica Mars from VHS onto DVD, extracting the commercials, and trying to figure out when I'd have the time to do the same with the first three Heroes. That reminds me, I have to set the recorder for tonight.

If you haven't encountered Veronica before, get the first two seasons in your Netflix queue or catch up somehow. But allow yourself some time - I pretty much guarantee you'll want to watch several episodes at once. If you haven't encountered Heroes yet, well, it's on NBC Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern. You've missed the first three but I think you can pick it up as you go along at this stage. Oh! gee, I'd better get to programming the TV before I leave for work ...