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+--- Thread: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? (/showthread.php?tid=95671)
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Buzz - 04-12-2010
it's all about the money.
everybody wants a piece, and there are no standards to ensure good programming...
maybe if the FCC, or Congress, or whatever body in charge, mandated that a weekly series needed to have at least 38 new episodes per year, the quality would pick up... so much TV is based on grabbing your attention, and if it doesn't work, bail. the stars want to grab the big bucks up front, and the networks are always jockeying for position. If shows required such a huge commitment to make it on the air, the overall quality would have to improve, or non-network TV would grab even more market share. Look at all the old classics that are still around in syndication. I do think the actors deserve a better deal on syndication, as it their performances that ultimately determine the show's success in syndication. Tie the sports and other high profile events to the success of regular programming; not who pays the most for the rights, w/ the league getting a certain percentage of the ad revenue. A lot of brain rotting TV would be eliminated.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Will Collier - 04-12-2010
AlphaDog wrote:
I happen to think that if you are of the opinion that TV programming sucks and it will not get better and that there are too many commercials, etc., then you ought to just quit watching TV.
Quite ready to put that into practice. I'm about six weeks (the remainders of "24" and "Lost") away from not watching a single broadcast network for anything but sports. And I don't think I'm going to miss them a bit.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Lew Zealand - 04-12-2010
So you're complaining about something that's free?
The point of most TV is to deliver eyeballs to the commercial sponsors. If you deliver more eyeballs, you can negotiate more $$ from the sponsors. That's it.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Doc - 04-12-2010
> do you agree that it sucks?
No.
There's just high quality programming to give me a few hours of viewing every single night of the week.
...Thanks to Hulu.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Seacrest - 04-12-2010
Doc wrote:
> do you agree that it sucks?
No.
There's just high quality programming to give me a few hours of viewing every single night of the week.
...Thanks to Hulu.
...and SouthParkStudios.com
I wish EVERYTHING were available on Hulu.
It was a really good idea that the major media conglomerates are intent on destroying -- even while they jointly own the thing.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Silencio - 04-12-2010
The quality of the best TV shows today is really, really high. Of course, the worst shows are plumbing new depths of absurdity and horror in order to compensate. Thankfully we don't have to waste time watching them.
What really burns me is that we're still stuck in the archaic cable / satellite programming model where you have to buy big blocs of programming to get the few channels you might actually want to watch. I'd almost rather buy individual TV shows or series a la carte, but the current pricing structures through iTunes, et al, don't quite work for me. Guess the entrenched interests still need to protect their precious DVD sales, advertising revenues, aforementioned bloated cable packages, &c.
Netflix streaming is pretty sweet. We're finally getting around to watching Dexter though this avenue, but of course they only have seasons 1 and 2 available for streaming. Hulu is a good idea, but I dislike being tied to a computer to watch it, and they don't tend to keep older episodes available for viewing.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Go To Top - 04-12-2010
HBO, PBS and some others have no ads. Worth every penny.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - Seacrest - 04-12-2010
I had HBO at some point during the '90s (this was even before Sopranos and the Wire -- which I consider their Golden Age).
The problem with HBO is that the cable companies force you to buy so many tiers in order to have the "privilege" of paying extra for HBO.
I just got sick of it (paying), plus Netflix and DVDs came along, which end up being cheaper than cable + HBO/Sho.
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - GeneL - 04-12-2010
AlphaDog wrote:
I happen to think that if you are of the opinion that TV programming sucks and it will not get better and that there are too many commercials, etc., then you ought to just quit watching TV.
I can see how you might feel that way, Alphadog, but while I have my complaints about broadcast programming, or scheduling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_programming, I have to say that over the years there have been many shows that I enjoyed. Making it possible to find and to have a show that you enjoy to continue, is what we're talking about here.
The problem is not that there are no "worthwhile" shows, but as I and others have mentioned, the issues of how those shows are scheduled and presented creates a distinctively dysfunctional viewing environment, IMHO.
As far as judging the quality of the shows themselves, as cbelt3 put it, “there is no disputing about tastes.” He must be watching “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” a lot.(tu)
Re: TV programming, do you agree that it sucks? - PeterB - 04-12-2010
Buzz has it right, it's all about the money.
If you want quality programming, get rid of all the reality schmutz and look at something like PBS. Most people ARE willing to pay for quality programming, with a minimum of ads. Also, look at what has driven up the costs of programming: people getting paid outrageous amounts-- certain actors making many thousands per episode, advertisers-- especially drug companies-- buying airtime to market their pharmaceuticals, etc.