an apparatus and method is disclosed for blocking specific television commercials from the viewer &# 39 ; s television based upon the characteristics of the television commercial . in the method , characteristics from a first signal containing a television commercial received at a television are determined . the characteristics may include video and / or audio characteristics , and the characteristics may define a signature . characteristics from a second signal , also containing the television commercial , are also received and are compared to the first signature . upon recognizing the second signal , the television commercial is blocked .