TV personality

The writers strike hurts. It hurts a lot. It hurts everybody: the writers, the cast and crew, the networks -- and, of course, the families of everyone involved.

But most of all, it really, really hurts me. I mean, I watched bits of "American Idol" this week. Folks, it's gotten that bad.

And now that the studios have canceled the writers' contracts -- what's next? Everything is so up in the air. Will "The Office" be closed next year? A "House" to come home to? And what do I do in the meantime?

I could give in and watch the "reality-based" programming the networks are trying to shove down my throat. But whenever I see those ads for "Moment of Truth," all I can think of is the cheesy reality shows Nicole Kidman's TV exec character hawks at the beginning of "The Stepford Wives." At least in the movie, those were intended to be funny; "Moment of Truth" is supposed to be a real show! And Fox thinks we'll accept this as a replacement for "House"? Um, no thanks.

So, to ease the pain, I've been turning to my extensive DVD collection a lot lately. And here are a couple recommendations:

My favorite movie, probably ever, is "Adaptation." It's the single best depiction I've ever seen of the creative process. There have been lots of movies and books about writers, but no one has nailed it like this. And I wasn't even that crazy about it the first time I saw it; this is one of those films that sticks with you, and a few months later you just have to see it again. And then, if you're like me, it ends up in permanent rotation at your house, until you watch it once a month or so. Which is great, because every time you do, you notice one more clever little thing you missed the last hundred times.

The recent DVD release "Once," last year's musical from Ireland, bears repeat viewings as well -- not just because it's a sweet, perfect little film, but because the music is sublime and will have you either humming or singing at the top of your lungs in the car. Not that I would do the latter.