Monday, June 07, 2004
I Want My TV Back
What the hell has happened to television? I used to live and breathe TV, scheduling my life around prime time's brightest stars. 7 nights a week, from 8-11 PM, I knew in advance what I would be watching. Nowadays, with more channels than ever, I find myself more and more searching for things to watch. This past season, the only network program I made it a point to never miss was "24". I even missed quite a few of "The Simpsons" episodes this year because of work, and I just didn't bother taping them.
With cable TV more of a threat to network television than ever, you'd think that the nets would be striving to put better and, dare I say it, more original programming on the air. Instead, they trot out more and more sitcom cliches, a fourth variation on "Law & Order", a third re-tread of "C.S.I.," and more lowest-common-denominator reality crap ("The Swan," anyone?). Anytime something daring and new DOES show up, it sinks like a stone and is yanked umercifully ("My So-called Life," "Freaks and Geeks," "Action!").
Unfortunately, I think the problem lies more with 'The General Public' than anything else. Apparently they WANT to be spoon-fed drek by the bucketful. Let's face it, "Coach" was on the air for about 27 years, despite the fact that I never met a living soul who actually watched the damn thing. There's another show on the air right now called "Yes, Dear" that's going into it's 4th season. I defy someone to tell me they've even heard of it. But someone must be watching them. Just not me.
With cable TV more of a threat to network television than ever, you'd think that the nets would be striving to put better and, dare I say it, more original programming on the air. Instead, they trot out more and more sitcom cliches, a fourth variation on "Law & Order", a third re-tread of "C.S.I.," and more lowest-common-denominator reality crap ("The Swan," anyone?). Anytime something daring and new DOES show up, it sinks like a stone and is yanked umercifully ("My So-called Life," "Freaks and Geeks," "Action!").
Unfortunately, I think the problem lies more with 'The General Public' than anything else. Apparently they WANT to be spoon-fed drek by the bucketful. Let's face it, "Coach" was on the air for about 27 years, despite the fact that I never met a living soul who actually watched the damn thing. There's another show on the air right now called "Yes, Dear" that's going into it's 4th season. I defy someone to tell me they've even heard of it. But someone must be watching them. Just not me.
