I’m writing a new work of fiction, but it’s coming along slowly. For the first time in years, I am not reading a book.

The main reason? I watch more television this season than I have in several years. As I wrote this post, I became alarmed at how much I watch — 5.5 hours per week, not counting Razorbacks games when they’re televised. I suppose that still averages out to less than an hour per night, but it feels like a lot when writing about it.

My wife and I have spent the last two nights getting her caught up on the show “Flash Forward.” The DVR now has more free space, and we have only two episodes to go. I hope it fares better than two other recent shows that hooked me in the first episode.

Like “Heroes,” and the new “Battlestar Galactica,” this show came out of the gate very strong, and the entire first season (so far) maintained a high level of character development and storyline originality. Sadly, “Heroes” held me for only one more season, and although I stuck it out longer for BSG, it eventually became a letdown.

I’m hoping that “Flash Forward” either stops after a great standalone first season, as “Heroes” definitely could have, or stays strong for a second season. Pieces are falling into place much more quickly than I thought they would, so unless the pace slows considerably I’m not sure how they will keep it going.

I’m not saying I could do any better at any of the above; it’s just hard to stop expecting riveting entertainment once the bar has been set. “Flash Forward” has set that bar very high.

Sadly, “Dollhouse” has not turned out as well as I had hoped. In fact, I barely tuned in for the second season and have lost track of it after it took a week off. No character in it had enough redeeming qualities to keep me interested. It’s too bad that the one character I can pull for is played by Eliza Dushku. Although she worked great for 2003’s Wrong Turn, she is not versatile enough to play the multiple roles required by this show’s plot.

This bothers me because “Dollhouse” is the brainchild of Joss Whedon, whose wonderful series “Firefly,” and subsequent (if delayed) movie Serenity were some of the best fun ever on the small and big screens. Sorry, all you Whedon diehards, but I couldn’t get beyond the sixth episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” before losing interest. It just didn’t measure up to “Firefly.” Had I picked it up back when it first appeared, and when I was younger, maybe I would have liked it better.

A show I was glad to see back, and on which I now have my wife hooked, is “Castle.” Nathan Fillion plays a murder mystery writer who, through his friendship with the mayor, tags along with a detective. He’s a very good actor and perfect for this role. Shannon and I enjoy trying to guess whodunit, and get at least a few good chuckles from the comedic moments.

We have picked up the original (and still our only) “CSI” again, and it’s still a very strong show despite the impossible things they do when zooming in on low-resolution images. I suspect that CSI’s don’t really interrogate suspects as depicted in the show, but my direct experience with police work was troubleshooting the department’s computers.

We also watch “Grey’s Anatomy” together. It is not nearly as good as it was the first and second seasons, and I hold my tongue only most of the time when it wanders into soap opera territory. The lessons that the characters learn from the patients are far too predictable and come across as ploys to make it a serious show.

This brings me to the reason I haven’t kept up with “The Office” this season: when it is on, so are “Grey’s” and “CSI,” and the DVR’s dual-tuner does just that. I tried to compensate by watching it online, but after looking at a computer screen all day at work, and using it to write, the last thing I want to do is use it to watch TV shows (another thing “Buffy” had working against it).

Our one sitcom is “Two and a Half Men,” which as the most popular comedy doesn’t set us apart from the rest of TV viewers. I laughed the two times I watched “The Big Bang Theory,” but I just didn’t feel up to adding another show.

We watch only one “reality” show. Unlike most of its competitors (which it consistently defeats at the Emmy Awards) “The Amazing Race” does not incude voting out the participants. This focuses attention on completing the challenges rather than on lying, cheating, and scheming. Barring any “the fix is in” scenarios, it is the most “real” show of its genre.

Coincidentally, while I dropped Whedon’s “Dollhouse” before Fox did, three of the stars of one of his greatest achievements figure in the shows I either watch or wish I watched. Fillion stars in “Castle,” where his character hilariously dressed up as “Firefly” captain Mal Reynolds for Halloween, and Gina Torres plays a part in “Flash Forward.” The remake of “V,” which I have not watched, stars magnetic onscreen presence Morena Baccarin as the alien leader.

Regardless of what I’m watching, it’s a passive endeavor, an act of consumption. Here’s hoping that once the reruns begin, I will read and write more.

What are you watching?