I thought it was a lot when American Idol had us hooked for four hours a week.  But I will easily spend more than that in just one day watching the NFL.  Sunday at 1 is a lock.  Continuing on through the 4 0′clock game is highly likely.  Now that the NFL has shifted the marquee match up from Monday night to Sunday night, I will often ride right on through to the 8 o’clock game.  We’re talking ten hours in front of the TV.

Then there’s Monday Night Football.  It’s no longer the event that it once was.  Since MNF moved from ABC to ESPN, it has lost some of its luster.  But the sound of the theme song – dah-dah-dah-daaaah – is enough to set off a Pavlovian reaction in any self-respecting NFL fan.  A classic tune that has endured for over thirty years of MNF action, it has recently been supplemented by Hank Williams Junior’s awesome, updated-weekly “Are You Ready for Some Football?”.  Not to be outdone, NBC’s Sunday Night Football brought in the lovely Faith Hill to perform a rocking rendition of “I’ve Been Waiting All Week for Sunday Night.”

All told, football can drain a good thirteen hours a week of our TV time, not counting the occasional Thursday night game.  Luckily for my family, I’m not much of a fan of college football.  Otherwise, Saturdays would be lost as well.

Despite its relative obscurity, Ninja Warrior is the predecessor and superior of ABC’s hit Wipeout. Ninja Warrior, known as Sasuke in Japan, debuted in 1997. America didn’t get her first taste of the competition until 2005 when G4, a cable network known primarily for pushing the bounds of good taste, brought the program to the New World.

Imagine Wipeout with serious athletes and without the silly gimmicks and tacky innuendo-laden commentary. Ninja Warrior separates itself from the pack of physical competitions in both level of difficulty and results. In 25 biannual contests since 1997, only 3 men have conquered the course to achieve total victory. More often than not, no one will even survive to face the fourth and final stage of the course.

While the show is framed with English narration between competitors, the in-contest announcer from the Japanese airing is retained for the show with English subtitles. Part of the fun of watching Ninja Warrior is the spirited, emotional commentary from the announcer. You can feel the despair when one of the favorites, known as the All Stars, falls into the muddy waters beneath the course. You can’t help but rejoice when the announcer’s voice rises in exaltation upon seeing a competitor overcome the obstacles to finish a level.

As time went on and the show gained a cult following, several Americans have entered the competition. Free runners, stunt men, and Olympic athletes have crossed the Pacific for a shot at conquering the famous course. So far, all have failed. In fact, it is that high failure rate that makes Ninja Warrior so compelling. Unlike most competitions which have a winner every week, Ninja Warrior offers no guarantee that anyone will overcome the obstacles.

After a shoe salesman from Tokyo became the third-ever victor last year, the organizers redesigned the third stage making it virtually impossible for anyone to pass it this time around. As disappointing as it was that no one could conquer it this year, it will be all the more rewarding when a contestant does overcome it next time… or the next.

1.  The opening ceremonies begin at 6:00 pm PT.  So, if you live on the east coast and want to watch the whole ceremony, you should plan on being awake past 10 pm.  Of course, it is Friday, so most likely you can sleep in on Saturday, if you’re not a late night person.

2.  During the opening ceremonies, “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” will premier.  Although the staff at Couch Tuber has searched diligently, there is no exact time for this event.

3.  In addition to the opening ceremonies, the first event occurs today- ski jumping.

4.  For more information regarding events and tv viewing, visit NBC’s Olympics site.