Do You Hulu?

Okay, I'm a TV addict - I freely admit it. I have certain shows I absolutely love and can't think about missing. VCRs and DVD players have been great for recording and playing back programs, so I was ecstatic when we finally got a DVR. No more VHS tapes or discs - now I can record my favorite shows and watch them anytime I want.

Because I'm an insomniac, I typically watch a lot of TV at night after my family has gone to bed. Makes for some "hard to get up" mornings, but then again, I've never been a morning person.

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered Hulu.com! What is Hulu, you may ask? Hulu is a website offering commercial-supported streaming video of TV shows and movies from many of the biggest television networks and movie studios. Hulu videos are currently offered only to users in the United States. And get this - the name Hulu comes from Mandarin Chinese hulu translated as "holder of precious things."

Although Hulu has been up and running for almost a year (March 2008), I did not learn about this neat site until this year's Super Bowl. I know, I know, I'm not a sports fan - I'm one of those nuts who tapes the Super Bowl and then fast-forwards through the game just to watch the commericals! Voila` - Hulu!!

The first commerical I saw starred Alex Baldwin - mooshy, mooshy ...



Since the original commerical, several other TV stars have done Hulu commericals: Eliza Dushku, Homer Simpson, and Family Guys' Seth McFarlane.

Now I can watch many TV shows from my childhood - Starsky and Hutch, Saturday Night Live, Flipper, Lost in Space and Buck Rogers - as well as newer shows which are now off the air - Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Hulu is also great for catching up with current shows you may have missed, or forgotten to program the DVR for - Fringe, Legend of the Seeker, Dollhouse, House or Lie to Me.

Just when you thought television couldn't get any better, along comes Hulu. How do they do it? 'Cause:

They're aliens and that's how they roll ...

Doogie Howser, M.D.

Hulu is taking over our lives - well, not really, just a little portion. This weekend, my hubby has become obsessed with Doogie Howser, M. D. starring a very young Neil Patrick Harris. This television series about a genius teenager who becomes a doctor and was on the air from 1989 until 1993.

I remember us watching this show when it was originally on - this would have been in the first years of our marriage. I thought it was a good show, but not one of those great shows, like Star Trek: The Next Generation or X-Files.

We both enjoy Harris' role on How I Met Your Mother - Barney Stinson is a hilarious character. We also both enjoy his self-portrayal in the Harold and Kumar movies and his singing role in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. So, I guess it's natural for hubby to go back to Harris' original role.

Come to think of it, I may have to check out some Starsky and Hutch or Welcome Back Kotter or Lost in Space or ...