Friday, July 11, 2008

How Bleak the Summer TV Programming

I am sure everyone has noticed it---the offerings of TV fare since the ending of what the TV Industry now calls the end of the season . There is a lot of confusion over what constitutes a "season" now---back when TV was good---and only us old people remember that time---there were only two seasons---Fall/Winter---and Summer. The Fall/Winter season began like the first week of September (about time the young'uns had to go back to school), and lasted for 39 weeks. (they were not interrupted with breaking news events---or other network excuses), then, just as the kids are getting out of school, (first week of June), the fall schedule programs ended and were replaced by the Summer program schedules. As a rule the summer shows were somewhat weaker (that is to say less interesting) than the Winter/Fall programs, but----not infrequently a summer show would do better in the viewer ratings than the winter/fall programs they replaced and VOILA, come fall, they were continued, and the old winter/fall program became history.
Course this was back when TV was good---back then there were Movie theaters, Live Stage productions and TV-----now of course, we got Movie theaters, Live Stage, TV, and "PAY TV" (aka cable, satellite---). The quality of "free" TV of course has plummeted, as those people can't afford to pay for good writers and directors---as such they only offer us , the sad "reality" shows for the most part. What shows they offer with real writers need be cut up so bad with commercials to cover the costs that----well its hard to enjoy---and now a word from our sponsors every five minutes, does kinda break one's mood , ya know?
So here we are , we have finished the "Fall/Winter" schedule, and we got what to watch??---re-runs of the somewhat good shows we watched before, --- and the dreaded reality crap. So much for regular TV. ON the Cable/satellite channels which some can afford to pay for we got??---ooh my reruns of the shows we watched during the winter season?? (and now wonder again why we are paying a monthly fee to watch TV??)
Have YOU been to your local library lately---or maybe discovered Netflix? -----well if not, the Summer Olympics is coming in August---along with the comedy of both National Political Conventions----and hopefully the TV people both the public and Pay TV people will offer us something to watch by early Sept, when School starts-------(I ain't holding my breath).

2 comments:

  1. I hear ya. It sucks not having my "regular" shows on at this time of year, but I do do much more reading and I have my TV on way less.

    I'm not watching the Olympics, however.

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  2. I gave up several years ago trying to get in sync with Television. Two reasons. One I watch much less than I used to and the odd cycle of Cable seasons is beyond my ability or interest to try and figure out. Network TV has sucked for years. And Cable is nothing but brief moments of some good, mostly bad with a high concentration of filler we call re-runs. It's all garbage in my opinion. Reading sounds better. Blogging is definitely better. With both of them I actually have to think some.

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