My love affair with television started at a young age. My parents had the ultimate babysitter for me, the good ol’ boob tube. If my parents ever wanted me to be quiet or distracted, they would sit me down in front of “Sesame Street,” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” or “Reading Rainbow.” Then they would come back several hours later to find me unmoved, eyes still glued to any children’s TV show.

Today, since I don’t see as much television, I have to choose my programming choices very carefully. I can’t waste time watching whatever is on. I need to have my weekly fix of quality television entertainment.

But there has been a dry spell of funny and entertaining shows to watch.

Until a few weeks ago.

That’s when “The Osbournes” debuted on MTV Tuesdays.

This reality-comedy television show follows the lives of Ozzy Osbourne and his family through their day-to-day events. There is no script. Just cameras following the Osbournes around their house, concerts and shopping.

The characters are great.

There’s Ozzy. The rock legend lies around the house in sweatpants yelling at his dog, the cat, the children and of course, his wife Sharon.

He says things like “Last week a major thing happened. I actually invited my wife out for dinner. Picked the right suit out, picked the right shirt, picked the right clothes . because usually I go, `Do you want to go out?’ and she’ll say `Yes,’ but something happens and that collapses before we even get there. And she came back and says, `Oh, that’s great!’ Usually she comes out and goes, “Are you fucking joking, you’re going to walk down the street like that?” I haven’t got a clue on dressing myself. I mean, we had a great night. We tried it again the next night and the kids got a hold of the wine and the next thing you know – `Mom, Kelly’s called me an asshole.'”

There are also the times when Ozzy is mumbling to himself. You have no idea what he is saying, but yet it is still funny to watch.

Next is Sharon, Ozzy’s wife, who plans everything. She is a control freak who has the ultimate power in editing the show. Sharon is Ozzy’s manager. She is Ozzy’s maid. She is Ozzy’s cook. She is Ozzy’s everything. She also appears to be only sane person in the household.

Then there’s Kelly. You can’t miss her. She is the 17-year-old, pink-haired daughter that complains about everything ranging from feeding the dog to wearing thong underwear.

In one of my favorite episodes, Kelly tells Sharon she can’t feed the dog because her thong keeps going up her butt crack.

This seems a logical excuse for any 17-year-old, but if you are the spoiled daughter of the Lord of Darkness, these kinds of family arguments can be documented for all the MTV viewing world to see.

I enjoy Kelly a lot.

Finally there is 16-year-old Jack, who like everyone else is the house, is partly crazy. But he is partly crazy while roaming around the house in a military-style hat. According to his bio on MTV’s Web site he “never plans to move out of his parents’ house and he has bought one pair of jeans in the last eight years.”

Silly Jack. One of the highlights of Jack is watching him fight with Kelly. It reminds me of my sisters and me.

So the combination of these people in one home can only yield one thing – quality television.

And the popularity of “The Osbournes” will only grow. This show is the talk of the town.

I haven’t seen people this excited about television since “Seinfield.” Just like that humorous show, everyone watches it one night a week, then talks about it all week long.

So instead of television viewers saying remember the “Soup Nazi” episode, it’s “the best one is when I saw Ozzy fall off that chair.”

Or what about the episode when Ozzy chases after the cat? Or the Osbournes throw food at their neighbors?

The possibilities are only limited by the number of television shows produced.

Why am I so in love with the Osbournes? Why am I scheduling work and classes around this once-a-week, 30-minute family sitcom? Where does my obsession of this twisted British family stem from?

I think the answer is pretty simple.

I laugh at the Osbournes, just as I laugh at my family.

I roll my eyes at Ozzy’s attempt to talk seriously with his children as I do with my father.

I recognize Sharon’s organizational skills that keep a household running just like my mother does.

I like the Osbournes because they are like my family. Crazy, bizarre and a little weird.

But instead of living it, I get to watch it.

Michelle Kann is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Garnavillo. She is newsroom managing editor of the Daily.