I think that one way to deal with uninteresting topics (in this case, shows / sports you don't find valuable to watch) is being able to shift topics. I find thi

I think that one way to deal with uninteresting topics (in this case, shows / sports you don't find valuable to watch) is being able to shift topics. I find this a bit magical sometimes - shuffling through the topics until one of them fits the bill and results in a long discussion. Of course, this is easier to do in one-on-one setting, and when the whole group wants to spend an hour unrelentingly chatting about shows (when you don't watch any) it's a bit daunting to shift their attention to something else. In such situations I tend to find anything I can relate to and introduce the topic. This could be how their description of a show brings another old one I actually had watched, or maybe chat about how many shows they go through daily, do they find their TV good, how many subscriptions do they have to maintain. Anything goes, in my opinion; heck, even throwing the "I don't watch shows" works (as long as you don't make it sound arrogant / condescending).