The proliferation of TV channels: A theory by Dale Wisely

[Walden]

Well, there aren't many shows on broadcast television that seem worth watching. On cable/satellite there is Monk.

I watch very little television. My father and sister seem to have an endless supply of Law & Order (isn't it in its 18th season?) and CSI.

[buddhu]

There was a lot of bad TV back in the day. The A-Team was once the highest rated show on TV, as was The Beverly Hillbillies.

What was wrong with the A-Team?

Crazy fool.


And in response to Avanutria's post I can still recite the whole of the rap at the start of fresh prince:

Now this is the story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down. I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, to tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air.

In west Philadelphia, born and raised. In the playground is where I spent most of my days, chilling out, maxing, relaxing or shooting some b-ball outside of the school. When a couple of guys, up to no good, starting making trouble in the neighbourhood. I got into one little fight and my mom got scared, said "you're moving with your aunt and your uncle in Bel Air".

So I whistled for a cab and when it came near, the licence plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror. If anything I could say that this cab was rare, but I thought nah forget it, yo home to Bel Air.

I pulled up to a house about seven or eight and I yelled to the cab, yo home smell you later. I looked at my kingdom, I was finally there to sit on my throne as the prince of Bel Air.

Get a grip, man.

[buddhu]

Well, there aren't many shows on broadcast television that seem worth watching. On cable/satellite there is Monk...

Yeh, 'Monk'. Where does someone get the idea of an obsessive-compulsive detective? Strangely entertaining show.

[chrisoff]

Get a grip, man.

Guess I'm a child of my times. That opening sequence is burned into my brain. It could be worse, my brother can recite the whole of Will Smith's hit song "Boom! Shake the room".

[djm]

but as long as the old TV works we're not buying HDTV.

Unless I've misremembered, all tv signals in the USA will go digital in Feb 2008. You can keep your old tv, but you will need to get some form of digital interface (cable, satellite). The days of the rabbit ears will be over.

I don't see any use of HDTV for watching tv, but for watching DVDs, and even old VHS tapes, I can't think of anything I want more. Nothing fancy, of course. A 52" would be fine, thx.

djm

[hathair_bláth]

We could consistently get three channels out of the ol' rabbit-ears in the living room- ABC, NBC, CBS, and when the weather was good we could get FOX. The TV in my parent's room was hooked up to a bigger antenna, so we could get PBS in their room, but no FOX. (I'm not quite sure what was up with the local FOX station....it was in the same town as ABC and NBC.) Now my grandparents had cable. We were in hog heaven watching TV at their house. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Family Channel, old Wonder Woman, Batman & Robin, and The Green Hornet episodes on FX....it was wonderful. Now Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are about worthless.

PBS was the afternoon cartoon stop. There was some nature show hosted by two brothers, then Arthur, then ZOOM. When FOX came in I got to watch Power Rangers, which was awesome. Saturday mornings there was Darkwing Duck, Duck Tales, Goof Troop, Gummy Bears, The Cowboys of Moo Mesa, REBOOT, and I've forgotten what all else. But those were the days!

I love it now how my little brother is "rediscovering" old shows my older brother and I used to watch. ABC Family runs Boy Meets World, Step By Step, and Full House. Fresh Prince is on Noggin. But he was so excited to tell us about this awesome "new" show he found.

[Martin Milner]

There is no question that the internet is carving out huge hunks of time formerly spent watching tv or listening to radio (if you're old enough to remember those days). And the tv and radio people know about this.

There's a couple of web sites now available where you can stream your favourite tv shows from. These are actually being set up by the tv channel owners. They are making the same mistakes the music industry made - not allowing you to save or copy your shows. It will take some time to settle down, I think.

People still want programming for free without commercials, and the ability to select what and when. The program owners are determined to screw you for every penny you're worth. The platform may be changing, but the players have not.

djm

Spot on DJM.

I work for an advertising ageny, though I'm actually on the finance side. Only this week the follwing email went round:

Is the digital revolution killing TV advertising?

X and Y (names removed for my security) are to debate whether the digital revolution is killing TV advertising.

X will argue that it is no surprise that the more savvy marketers are turning to the web instead of exclusively TV due to the freedom from time constraints, BACC regulations, lower media outlay and direct interactions or feedback from consumers. Y, on the other hand, will put forward the case that as evidence suggests, so far the shift to a digital world has made TV more effective and efficient.

Says X, "Unless TV radically changes the way it allows consumers to choose content and interact with it, TV companies will struggle to continue generating the revenue they have previously enjoyed."

Says Y, "My guess is that new technology might change the nature of TV advertising a bit, but it won't kill it, and it might even make it work better."

So the advertisers and marketers are worried that we're not watching enough TV.

With Dr Who off the air until the Christmas special, there's only one show we'll sit down specifically to watch all week - Heroes, which is now being aired on BBC2 (no adverts).

Of course we'll check out the News and weather, but not at any specific time.

We usually watch a DVD if we want screen time, or possibly a program we've recorded and can zip through any advert breaks.

[djm]

Mind you, I really got a laugh out of the latest Mac tv commercial where they are dissíng MS Vista's extreme, all-or-nothing approach to secure communications. http://youtube.com/watch?v=80sWifG40B0

"You are coming to a sad realization: Cancel or Allow?"

Priceless!

djm

[fyffer]

my wife and i each have our own personal remotes for the same tv, that works for us. we also have seperate peanut butter, pop, ice cream, and toothpaste. this saves our marriage.

Now, if you had separate toilets (one w/seat up by default, one w/seat down), then I'd really be envious. Or better yet: separate bathrooms ...

[Charlene]

but as long as the old TV works we're not buying HDTV.

Unless I've misremembered, all tv signals in the USA will go digital in Feb 2008. You can keep your old tv, but you will need to get some form of digital interface (cable, satellite). The days of the rabbit ears will be over.

I don't see any use of HDTV for watching tv, but for watching DVDs, and even old VHS tapes, I can't think of anything I want more. Nothing fancy, of course. A 52" would be fine, thx.

djm

I know. We'll see if we can watch anything at all, then probably get an adaptor so my husband can watch Seinfeld, Big Brother, Survivor . . . Of course, the best way to assure that something worth watching is aired will be for me to junk the TV set entirely! Then when I want it, I won't have it.

[Wanderer]

Get a grip, man.

Guess I'm a child of my times. That opening sequence is burned into my brain. It could be worse, my brother can recite the whole of Will Smith's hit song "Boom! Shake the room".

When I got my first tattoo, it took 3 and a half hours to ink, not including all the prep time and after-care instructions and stuff..

The entire time, I was laying back in the equivalent of a dentists chair, forced to sit through a French Prince of Bellaire marathon. Thanks for triggering my PTSD

[The Weekenders]

I actually think tv quality has gone up recently, but of course, not during the summer, when its mostly contests and re-runs. I found myself resenting my tv time during the regular season this year.

Big-name directors and actors are into tv these days. it seems like their best work is on partial season-shows on the upper channels, like FX and USA.

At Casa de Weekender, the top show is Rescue Me, though it's WAY too dirty for kids to even hear. I also like The Shield. And we have been Monk fans since the first year. New one on tonight, btw.

I haven't watched a whole episode of the new Holly Hunter show, but I have been watching Burn Notice and it's not bad. I really like that Donovan guy, ever since he played the guy with the accidental lobotomy. He's a very good actor.

My sons and I, but not the other Weekender, like Man vs. Wild and we have also been "Dirty Jobs" fans for a long time. That show started here in the Bay Area, when Mike Rowe was on the "Evening Magazine" and had a "how do they do that?" segment.

As for regular season shows, I sorta like Numbers, though the actors are wearing thin. I really like 24, too.

For some reason, I can no longer stand LawnOrder of any ilk, though I used to really like CI. I don't know why. Similarly, CSI has worn thin, all of 'em, mostly because of annoying characters. If I had to choose, I would probably still like the Vegas version, because of Grissom. I can barely look at Marg, tho. She really gets on my nerves.

[djm]

I can't think of any American comedy or drama shows I have liked for the last twenty years except for a bit of Trek. I have no use for this crime scene stuff that seems to be choking the airwaves, nor for murder or mystery theatre stuff. I have liked a few BBC shows, but even those are few and far between. I don't understand the label "reality show" when these are the most ridiculously contrived bore-fests on tv. I do like some of the amazing video shows and stuff with real footage taken from cop cars. That's my idea of reality tv.

djm

[fearfaoin]

I actually think tv quality has gone up recently, but of course, not during the summer, when its mostly contests and re-runs. I found myself resenting my tv time during the regular season this year.

I've been impressed with what cable has been doing with Summer
TV recently. What is usually a wasteland is made less so by several
new episodes of (occasionally) interesting shows.

I understand HBO's Flight of the Conchords is an excellent comedy
about musicians, but I'll be danged if I'm giving Ted Turner yet
more of my money.

[The Weekenders]

I actually think tv quality has gone up recently, but of course, not during the summer, when its mostly contests and re-runs. I found myself resenting my tv time during the regular season this year.

I've been impressed with what cable has been doing with Summer
TV recently. What is usually a wasteland is made less so by several
new episodes of (occasionally) interesting shows.

I understand HBO's Flight of the Conchords is an excellent comedy
about musicians, but I'll be danged if I'm giving Ted Turner yet
more of my money.

Yeah, I should have said "regular network" tv, because shows I like are on in the upper channels this summer.

I have never went over to the dark side and paid for HBO. They started showing the Sopranos on A&E and I caught up with it. I like it because they edit all the f- words out. I am pretty L7, so a lot of profanity makes me uncomfortable, even if the ideas are x-rated.

PS. The "Riches" was an odd show. For those abroad, it was a show about Travelling Folk, impersonating a wealthy family of somebody who had died without it being known to the authorities. It showed the insularity of the community, and the resentment and struggles by the protagonist family to distance themselves from that culture.