Oh, and being able to buy cable channels a la carte would fucking rock.

Another good example of a writer/director doing some kids stuff after having children of his own is Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids movies.

and I would love to be able to buy my channels in some sort of ala carte fashion. there would be NO espn or golf channels. or shoping channels for that matter. I assume that even with an a la carte type menu - there would be some sort of package - to lure people into other channels

I'd hope so. Even though I get a lot of channels I don't ever watch, there are others that I've stumbled upon and grown to really value, or that I don't watch regularly but once in a while have something that's a must-see. Channels like Animal Planet would probably be very badly served, frankly, by strictly a la carte cable line-ups.

Imagine if TiVo could recommend shows to you that you don't actually get. But could get.

Channels like Animal Planet would probably be very badly served, frankly, by strictly a la carte cable line-ups

Maybe, but I know more than one person who subscribes to digital cable solely to watch Animal Planet.

Yep, Anne did, which gives me hope that I could someday move out of NYC without throwing away all my stuff. I am terrified by the stories I've heard of long-distance movers. Every time I've moved far in the past, I've done it myself, but never again.

Someone please remind me of this if when I finally start my 3000 mile move to the other coast. Ack.

I loved early Cosby. I also totally agree with Hec re: Elmo.

Cable Channels I'd definitely pony up for ala carte:

Independent Film Channel
Food TV
Comedy Central
Turner Classic Movies
Cartoon Network
BBC America (though I keep forgetting it's there)

Channels that have gone downhill, but still program stuff I tune into occasionally:

AMC
Bravo
A&E
SciFi

Channels I don't watch that have stuff I should check out:

FX
Discovery
Animal Planet

I subscribe to digital cable to watch the history international, national geographic, science, and discovery times channel. The other ~70? I don't want, although I would probably subscribe to Noggin ala carte too, for the kids. In fact, I don't want most of the channels I get either on my regular cable package, or the expanded digital tier. I want PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, UPN, WB, CNN, History, Travel, and I think that's it. In reality, I have channels between 2 and 88, and between 100 and 152, (there are probably some blank spots in there) when at most I watch 14--15, if we count NESN, which we only really watch during baseball season.

What they could really do is mini-packages by subject -- all the classic movie channels, all the makeover channels, all the sports channels, etc.

I would love to get BBC America. But, I'd have to buy $30 extra dollars worth of digital cable (and reconfigure the TiVo, aiiieee!).