Wish lists, filters, and the upcoming TV season

(this post features occasional guest author and time-saving maven Merlin Mann of 43 folders fame, and how he uses his TiVo to improve his watching habits)

I’ve only recently learned to appreciate the “wish list” functionality that allows you to view all upcoming programs by keyword, actor, genre, or even movie director. It was during the Olympics that I saw some good reasons to view available shows by Type. Want to see just sports shows or R-rated movies? Not a problem. Just walk through the wish list steps, and you can even set it to record future programs for you automatically. Now our household won’t be missing another TV appearance by Charles Nelson Reilly—no sir, not on my watch.

A more practical application exists if you’re thinking about sorting through some of the fresh leavings that the networks will ease out over the next few weeks. Try making yourself a couple wishlists for “SHOW TYPES/Season Premiere” and “SHOW TYPES/Premiere” and you’ll have a quick guide to what’s new on the low end of your dial. That rascal Joey will be yours to enjoy again and again.

Also remember (at least on my Series I DirecTiVo), you can use “Show Options” to filter the Live TV channel guide for any given genre or show type, greying out any channel whose offering doesn’t meet your craving for the evening. Hello, documentaries!

Comments

[Don]

I've seen similar hints at several TiVo- or otherwise TV-related sites, but my Series 2 TiVo doesn't have SHOW TYPES among its options for setting up either wish lists or program-guide filtering. What gives? Is this only a first-generation TiVo ability?

[Carina]

Ditto. My Series2 doesn't offer this. The TiVo FAQ entry is for DirectTiVo, so perhaps it's only available on those models.

[David Pitkin]

I created the wishlists, the "show types" option was offered as a category after my keyword search for premiere but choosing show types made the wish list not find any upcoming shows. how does the category show types work?

[Merlin]

"how does the category show types work?"

Best I can tell, it just locates programs based on that metadata piece as provided in the listings for the upcoming weeks.

Mine works great for most any facet associated with a program. I’m thinking this might be a DirecTiVo-only thing.

Are any DirecTiVo folks having trouble with this one?

[Matt Haughey]

On my Hughes Series 2 DirecTiVo, I see that show types only shows up as the second step criteria.

1. So go to wishlists, create a new one

2. Pick "category wishlist" then scroll down past movies, sports, etc, and near the bottom, Show Types will be there.

3. waaaay down at the bottom is "Season Premiere" and above that is "Premiere". Click those, and you're golden.

[Matt Haughey]

I forgot:

4. Set the "auto record this wishlist" if you want copies of all premieres.

Great tip Merlin, I had no idea this even existed in the wishlist system!

[Merlin]

Yeah, exactly, Matt. It’s a drill down thing. Here’s the menus on mine: “TiVo > Pick Programs to Record > Search Using WishLists > Create New WishList > Category Only WishList > [select sub-category] > …”

I love the keyword autorecord wishlists. I’ve made these for almost 10 of my favorite bands, and on more than one occasion it’s grabbed something I never would have seen otherwise (Death Cab on “John McEnroe”, Tenacious D on “Craig Kilborne,” &c. )

[Carina]

Nope, definitely not there. Show Types doesn't appear as either a category or subcategory. TiVo Series2 software version 5.3-01-2-540. Is that an out of date version??

[Carina]

(I also tried David Pitkin's keyword method. Show Types isn't given as an option that way either. The last couple of categories on my TiVo are: Interests, Mystery and Suspense, News and Business, Science and Nature, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Talk Shows. That's it.)

[Jeff Bearer]

Also a "Pilot" is a good term to wishlists.

[Teresa Ortega]

Charles Nelson Reilly is so freaking awe-inspiring. I try not to miss him either.