Umbran said:...How is paying a few bucks to cover production costs of a program really any different from paying a few bucks for a season of that show on DVD?
I don't think there's much difference at all.
... If each of those people donated about $12 to their show, they'd pay for the whole season.
I'd be perfectly happy to pay $12/season to the producers of the shows I like to watch.
Provided that in return the producers provide me a COMMERCIAL FREE copy of the show, just like I get when I buy the DVD's.