TV- Is it getting better or worse?

[DinanM3_S2]

Over the last couple of years I have noticed a significant change in the quality of TV and I want to know what everyone thinks about this. Personally I think that it has become much better with the exception of the news and MTV.

I can't think of a Drama off the top of my head that I've enjoyed as much as House, 24, or most of all... Battlestar (yes, I'm a giant nerd, but its probably the best show that nobody knows about). Compare Battlestar to Star Trek.... any of them. The characters in Battlestar actually develop over the course of the show and have deep character flaws that have been absent in most Sci Fi shows. Star Trek portrayed a near impossibly perfect society, while Battlestar portrays a more realistic one. I loved Picard and Worf, but Adama and Starbuck are so much more convincing.

Comedy took a huge blow by losing Seinfeld, but today we have The Office, Entourage, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and South Park which I think collectively more then make up for Seinfeld.

I feel that news has become weaker. Perhaps its the loss of the big-3 anchors to retirement and death, or perhaps its the rediculous political talk shows (they all are terrible unless they are on public broadcasting), or perhaps still its the sensationalism, or is it the amount of time they've spent on Anna Nicole Smith.... but probably its a combination. How many people here remember when MTV played music videos and Unplugged?

[Muscletang]

It's worse.

The 90's were like the shit.

[sickcallawayc12]

Originally Posted by Muscletang

It's worse.

The 90's were like the shit.

[Damien]

I love it! 90's were great when I was younger and now I think kid shows have went down hill, but I remeber what came on then and I think it's beter now.

Obviously you can't touch Seinfield or Friends which ruled the better part of the 90's. Then the dramas, sure they're classics, but eh...I still hate Law & Order shows.

[2.2 Straight six]

it's bittersweet. there are loads and loads of good things on, all the dramas series etc..

but there's also a lot of (excuse my french) shit. all this crap about celebrities, and famous people. there are also loads of cheaply-made tv shows that just aren't good. series that should've died long ago, still going because the production companies have money from other shows so they keep everything going.

[00accord44]

Originally Posted by 2.2 Straight six

(excuse my french) le shit...

fixed

I think its gotten better. There were alot of shows that I miss from the 80s and 90s (ALF, Webster, Perfect Strangers, Cosby Show...) that represented a style of TV show that we don't see anymore. But there are some great new shows now (House, South Park, Chappelle's Show RIP, Sopranos...) that are great in the new era of series.

But yes, there are a lot of shitty shows on tv now and it seems like there weren't as many back then. Of course there were 1/16th as many channels available.

['97ventureowner]

Coming in with a different perspective, I've seen tv from the early '70s to today and I think it's gotten worse. My biggest complaint is how the networks air episodes today vs. past years. The shows that come to mind are Lost, Jericho, Desperate Housewives among others. Years ago the season began sometime in September and ran until May. They rarely showed repeats, which were reserved for the summer months. You could follow along in sequence throughout the season without repeats , split seasons, "catch-up" shows and the like.
On the "newsfront" I think it's a double edged sword. On the positive side access to news has increased with 24 hour news stations,and the use of more modern technology to gather and cover the news. The downside is that we are exposed 24/7 to news and the repeated images seem to be "deadening" our senses to it.How many times can they show the same story or images? Also we tend to tune out while watching the news so networks have adapted to keeping our attention by using overused terms such as "Breaking News" and sometimes apply it to stories that don't really deserve that label.
The next issue is a touchy one with many groups in this country and has been the basis of much debate, so I'm going to touch on it briefly. I've also noticed more murder, "horrendous" crimes, extra marital affairs(including increased exposure to more sex),and overall violence in the shows that are on. Some say that this is now "mirrored" in society with a decrease in moral values.
There also has been an increase in the number of tv stations/networks since the '70s, but does it really have a positive effect? To those who have cable/satelite tv, how many times have you turned on the tv and really found nothing of interest to watch with all of the stations available?
I will say, however, that tv is getting a little better in the past few years with the number of shows that I would be interested in watching. With shows like the CSI trilogy, Law&Order series, Rescue Me, 4400,The Shield among others, I find myself watching more shows now than just a few years ago. Back about 5 years ago or so I was lamenting that they didn't have shows like I used to watch as a kid like Charlies Angels, Wonder Woman, The Rookies, Adam 12 Hunter,Vegas, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, etc.These newer crime dramas tend to make you think while watching the shows, trying to put the clues together, and predict "Who did it" and be surprised when there is a turn of events and the person you thought did it isn't the one in the end who did.
And finally, the rise of "reality" tv has not really improved the quality of tv in recent years. It seems every time you turn around there is talk of a new reality tv show being proposed, some more ridiculous than others.
One could further take some of the points I made regarding tv now and then and break them down even further and analyze them, and it could be the base for some interesting debates.

[turtlecrxsi]

I agree with 97ventureowner as I have been exposed to tv since the late seventies. I've enjoyed many seventies tv shows through reruns in the eighties as a kid so I can appreciate it. TV today is a lot more violent and in your face. Reality tv may have had a big part in this (which sucks imo) but also the 24/7 news programs or if you don't have cable/satellite, there are always "updates" and tickers all the time.

I just got cable at my new place. I haven't had cable/sattelite in over 6 years. The channels are pretty much the same but it's nice to see reruns. In just a brief time surfing I got to see part of an episode of Dukes of Hazard where the Duke Boys were racing some bumpkin in a truck then were working on some farmers roof shirtless only to come down the ladder to ogle at the teenage-looking farmer's daughter, showing a good portion of skin. I hate to say it but times weren't so goody-two-shoes back then either. It was just slightly less in your face... haha.

I have comedy central now so maybe I'll laugh more when watching tv. I've seen some Chapelle show episodes on DVD but now I get to watch reruns on cc. I got to see the skit with Chapelle doing Cribs. That had me rolling on the floor. I was tempted to go to MTV to see the comparison to the actual show Cribs but didn't want to go there in the fear of seeing some big similarities (hopefully not the frying up of tyranosaurus rex eggs... LOL).

[alphalanos]

i hardly watch tv anymore. the only things i like to watch are on at obscure times.

[00accord44]

^strictly porn now eh?

[Damien]

Well, I only used to watch a few select shows but it seems every night there's something good on. Thursdays are still may days though, on another channel. Rememeber Must See TV on thursdays???

[xeroinfinity]

I think its going down the tube, no pune intended!

All these reality shows are realy lame and they keep making them.
I do see why, they are cheap and they dont have to work to hard with anything in the show making process.