24 October 2008

I did not leave broadcast TV, broadcast TV left me

For some time now, I’ve been pondering the state of broadcast TV. Saddled with reality programming and mind-numbing dumb scripted shows, I’m watching less and less of it. Perhaps its age, and I’m very much aware that I no longer am in the demographic advertisers want. Still, the few shows that I do like, seemed doomed to failure because American’s feel threatened by their intelligence.

Take, for example, 30 Rock. For two years in a row, the brilliant send-up of an SNL type show has won the Emmy for best sitcom -and this year, both its stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, won Emmy’s for their acting, a combo feat not done since the 1970's. Yet ratings have not shown a huge improvement (which is exactly what happened to one of the other great comedies, Arrested Development on FOX).

Hopefully, this year will be different. Since Fey’s dead-on impersonation of Sarah Palin has brought her star up, and NBC actually going out of its way to promote the series season opener on October 30th, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that more American’s will tune in and boost the ratings. Still, 30 Rock airs at 9:30 -smack in the middle of TeeVee’s number #1 drama, CSI.

Still, looking at the scripted shows on, I can only name a few I really want to watch. Monday has Chuck, Heroes and The Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. All three of these are well written, character driven shows, with stories that have layers. Yet all are facing problems with audience erosion, as CBS continues to dominate with The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Three and Half Men, Worst Week and CSI: Miami. Those not watching the Tiffinay Network seemed obsessed with ABC’s dumb as a box of rocks, Dancing With The Stars.

Then, of course, there is Gossip Girl over at the CW, which is just plain horrible and not good, even in any sort of campy way.

Tuesday has nothing, with the exception of NCIS, one of two procedural show I watch, if only because the show does not take itself too seriously, unlike its cousins, the CSI franchise.

Wednesday has two shows, but since they are opposite each other, I tend to miss one. Right now, Pushing Daisies remains one of the best shows on TV, a whimsical often very funny fairy tale of series. Yet its ratings too suffer, up against the revamped Knight Rider.

Really, America? Knight Rider? Really?

Bones gets the other nod, if only because like NCIS, it has fun with its concept, adding character development and a lot of smart humor.

Which brings me back to Thursday. I like Ugly Betty, but don’t love it. It has its appeal, but I find it also annoying, with some bad stereotypes and dumb plot lines. The Office and 30 Rock are big highlights of the night, yet there are times I find The Office lowering itself in intelligent humor to appease the masses -much as happened with 30 Rock. Season two was a bit of a let down, as it became obvious Tina Fey and Company was forced to tone down some its topical references and sometimes dense, non sequitur humor.

Friday offers nothing, except Everybody Hates Chris, which deserves a better day than the graveyard that Friday has become since the heyday of The X Files.

Even the networks have given up on Saturday. Move along to Sunday. If it was not for The Simpsons, I think that day is a waste. And half the time, if I miss The Simpsons, I don't care.

So, 11 shows out of some 70 shows that the five networks air.

Now most of these shows -not all - are some the lowest rated shows on the primetime schedule. All I like because they are mostly character-based shows, not plot driven like the CSI, Law & Order franchise. Reality programs are just plain dumb, and try as they like, Survivor and The Amazing Race are games shows, and should be called that.

And while I could be reaching, the current economic turndown can also be applied, I think to TV. See, the networks know shows like American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, America’s Top Model, Stylista , Moment of Truth, Kitchen Nightmares, Deal or No Deal, Wife Swap, Supernanny, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Survivor, Amazing Race and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are low cost programs that make huge profits in advertising.

These cheaply made shows that score huge ratings are killing scripted shows because that’s all the networks head care about: money, and they will sacrifice syndicated profits for the quick buck these shows make.

Anyways, the point is that shows like 30 Rock, (and the late, beloved Arrested Development) which depend on people paying attention to the stories, the jokes are in danger of being replaced with dumb, humorless sitcoms like Three and Half Men.

And Pushing Daisies getting beaten by Knight Rider just fucks with the mind. How could Daisies be beat by that piece of worthless shit?

It boggles the mind how only a few years ago, the audience where asking for better shows, better dramas, better sitcoms. But instead of watching them, they would rather watch Knight Rider.

Its like this election. It seems likely today that Obama will be our next president. But as my house mate suggested, when these American’s get in the voting booth on November 4th and they actually have to choose between McCain and Obama, how many of those liberal democrats, independent, undecided voters will turn the other switch towards McCain when they realize they are really voting for a black man?

Because telling a political pollster one thing and actually doing what you told them are two different things. Which is why survey’s and polls are fundamentally flawed. Same thing with TV shows its seems. We got quality shows with Pushing Daisies, 30 Rock, The Office, Chuck, Heroes and even NCIS.

But what are these same people doing?

Watching Knight Rider.

Idiots.

2 comments:

tornwordo said...

I always laugh at Old Christine. Wife Swap is always good for a laugh too. Pushing Daisies is good, and Ugly Betty is getting old quickly. I sorely miss Arrested Development.

Anonymous said...

God help me, but nobody cracks me up these days quite like Joy on MY NAME IS EARL. (I stand red-faced and ashamed at this admission.)

The remainder of my tv viewing time goes to MAD MEN, LOST, PROJECT RUNWAY, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA,
PUSHING DAISIES, HEROES, and DOCTOR WHO.