Why does TV suck now?

  • Thread starter milefile
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The only Law & Order I like is Criminal Intent reruns. Every episode seems like a short movie. SVU got too "touchy/feely" for my taste.

My biggest complaint, and the reason I searched for this thread, is how every show in the US, and I mean EVERY show, always ends up being some reality drama crap. I was watching a show on Science channel today about megamachines. I just wanted to see an in-depth look at the vehicles themselves and the technology behind them, like a documentary. But noooooo.... All of a sudden, there's this deep voiced narration going on about how they have a strict deadline, matters of life and death, and problems that can ruin the job. There are ALWAYS problems in these shows with the lame dramatic music.
I remember shows when I was a kid that focused on the tech. Now it's all, "OH NO! A problem!" Dundundunnnnn.... Seriously, most of the time I feel that it's just scripted, because if the people doing these jobs run into such problems so often, then I would never trust them in the real world. I picture the film crew arriving and they just ask what kind of disaster scenarios might occur, and can we make that happen today?
 
12 year thread-res, hooooo!

I personally think TV's getting better than ever, you've just gotta look hard and cherry pick stuff. Game of Thrones springs to mind as a fictional show that's all-round awesome. Mythbusters is still as fun as ever, etc, etc.

However, yeah, TV is being drowned in inane crap over here, too. The Only Way Is Essex springs to mind as a mind-numbing reality show about morons that half the female population here seems to utterly adore. This is pretty much why I've been driven to start watching anime and other stuff like that.
 
I've read through comments about the age-old "past TV shows are better than today's TV shows" debate several times... and what one person has continually brought up is that even way back then, despite all the "golden shows" you remember, there was likely a large pile of crummy shows that aired during that time as well. Every era of media must've had its fair share of good and bad shows.

The same can be applied in present day. It just may not be found within mainstream media. Do a little digging and you may find something amazing.
 
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There are just so many shows, over the years, that have been so horrible that they've largely been forgotten.

Even some of the "cool" things people look back on with that nostalgic gleam in their eyes are complete and utter garbage in the cold, hard light of adult hindsight. They're only cool now because... well... they're old.
 
Cause they are saving all their good ideas to blow our minds!!!

Also TV as a whole doesn't suck, there are some great shows on still and shows that just recently ended.

EDIT: Just realized how old this thread is
 
Custom878
Fixed.
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My god, you responded to a post I made almost 12 years ago..

12 years ago...holy ****

12 years ago I wasnt able to walk into a store and buy beer
12 years ago I was dreaming about the vehicle that I currently own
12 years ago I was fresh out of high school
12 years ago I was retarded. Thankfully now full cured thanks to simply just aging
12 years ago I used a PII 466mhz computer to post that thread
 
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niky
Even some of the "cool" things people look back on with that nostalgic gleam in their eyes are complete and utter garbage in the cold, hard light of adult hindsight. They're only cool now because... well... they're old.
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A-Team.

There. I said it.
 
TV sucks now because there is just too many reality shows and game shows which are cheap to make unlike drama and documentaries which cost quite a bit. This is all a result of cost cutting by channels and also a general desire for dumming down by the majority of audiences as other stuff like the internet competes for their time.

I swear when they have shows about what clips were on YouTube this week you know TV has hit rock bottom. TV used to be awesome in the 80's and 90's because they put much more effort into it and the funny thing was there was only 4 (then 5) main channels. Now there's 90 channels and nothing to watch!
 
Robin.
TV sucks now because there is just too many reality shows and game shows which are cheap to make unlike drama and documentaries which cost quite a bit. This is all a result of cost cutting by channels and also a general desire for dumming down by the majority of audiences as other stuff like the internet competes for their time.
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Don't worry. Once BBC Three goes, it'll be a rare sign of cost cutting doing a good job. :P

I expect TV quality to skyrocket* in its absence, by virtue of having markedly less teen reality dross on our screens.


*Freeview and Freesat viewers will notice the difference far more than anyone, since Sky and VM have a wider range of channels that broadcast similarly poor programming.
 
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The issue from my perspective is that everyone is scared to make a show that is different, mainly because if it isn't well received, then they go broke. So they just make reality TV shows about people who scream very loudly when their new house has a room dedicated to eating and sitting on the couch at the same time. A room which just allows these people to watch other reality TV shows and scream some more because someone else won something.

I actually don't watch shows on television these days... Ever. I watch like, three different shows which are current, and only one of them actually airs in NZ.
 
Skython
...everyone is scared to make a show that is different, mainly because if it isn't well received, then they go broke.
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There are shows out there that do things which are different to the norm, they are well received, and the creators don't go broke. You just have to dig hard to find them, sturgeon's law and all. See the underlined capital A for more details.
 
Wiegert
Don't worry. Once BBC Three goes, it'll be a rare sign of cost cutting doing a good job. :P

I expect TV quality to skyrocket* in its absence, by virtue of having markedly less teen reality dross on our screens.
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The only channel worse than BBC3 is ITV2... my gosh that channel is just built on trash TV. I don't want to see Tom Daley's gap year, or whatever Z lister of the moment's one off reality thing! and the comedy game shows are pretty cringeworthy.

Oh and C4's Gogglebox.... enough said.

Wiegert
*Freeview and Freesat viewers will notice the difference far more than anyone, since Sky and VM have a wider range of channels that broadcast similarly poor programming.
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Yeah instead of 90 channels of nothing you get 900 channels of nothing.... plus adverts!

I actually remember the days when there were programme clashes and you would have to actually choose between two really good programmes... that doesn’t happen anymore :lol:
 
I was gonna say "because Breaking Bad is over", but then I realized this thread was made before Breaking Bad. :lol:
 
@Robin. I find it both hilarious and disheartening that ITV2 was voted 2013 Channel of the Year.

Granted, it was only the Broadcast Digital Awards. But any award for a channel that prides itself on crap like 'That Show Where Peter Andre Thinks He's Still Relevant Even Though He never Was To Begin With', 'Fake Reaction' - a "comedy" panel game that BBC Three actually rejected after the pilot before ITV commissioned a whole series, then another series a year later - and endless repeats of 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' (both UK and US versions), is undeserved.

Hell, even BBC Three has decent programming every now and again. Even if they're just repeats of shows that originally aired on BBC Two.
 
Skython
The issue from my perspective is that everyone is scared to make a show that is different, mainly because if it isn't well received, then they go broke.
Click to expand...

In a way, I think this can be applied to most entertainment media (including Video games): No one is willing to go outside the box and try something new. People feel safe regurgitating the same formula that has worked for many others.
 
@RACECAR

I wouldn't say that nobody is willing to go outside the box and try something new. Tried and tested formulae do more often than not get regurgitated (in general because they work, let's be honest), but I don't think it's any secret that it's usually the works which do something different to draw people in that gain the most attention. Just look at Portal (I am aware of the existence of Narbacular Drop), which became a phenomenon simply by trying out new stuff. Also, the first letter of my signature. Just, that.
 
Robin.
TV sucks now because there is just too many reality shows and game shows which are cheap to make unlike drama and documentaries which cost quite a bit. This is all a result of cost cutting by channels and also a general desire for dumming down by the majority of audiences as other stuff like the internet competes for their time.

I swear when they have shows about what clips were on YouTube this week you know TV has hit rock bottom. TV used to be awesome in the 80's and 90's because they put much more effort into it and the funny thing was there was only 4 (then 5) main channels. Now there's 90 channels and nothing to watch!
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You and I do not watch the same things on TV.
 
Roger the Horse
There are shows out there that do things which are different to the norm, they are well received, and the creators don't go broke. You just have to dig hard to find them, sturgeon's law and all. See the underlined capital A for more details.
Click to expand...

You're definitely right. But in my opinion there could be far more original ideas if my point wasn't in play.

RACECAR
In a way, I think this can be applied to most entertainment media (including Video games): No one is willing to go outside the box and try something new. People feel safe regurgitating the same formula that has worked for many others.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I was actually going to include a section of my post comparing TV to the video game industry. 👍
 

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