What happened to Television?
The whole NBC has got me thinking about the whole grand scheme of TV, from broadcast networks to cable and satellite only channels...I mean seriously...what the hell happened?
I had recently decided that after I graduated from UT this semester, and once I find a job and move out on my own, I was going to get the DTV converter box, and Netflix, and forget the whole cable or satellite thing.
Growing up we had satellite. It was an old Birdview system, my Dad used to install them, so we had it as well. You could only change the channel from the living room, but my Dad got it hooked up so we could watch it anywhere in the house. The satellite, which while out of service is still in our yard, was a giant fucking thing...looked like one of those stock footage satellites you always see in sci-fi movies...that are like tracking the missiles or UFOs. Its huge. The reception went from good to bad, depending on whether or not a tree was in our way. When I was in high school, I think, my dad finally realized that far too many channels were no longer being carried by the Birdview system (History channel or A&E must have finally disappeared and he had to jump ship) and he weighed the options and we got...Dish Network.
Suddenly we had more channels and two tuners...TWO. We could watching something on satellite in another room...and it wasn't History Channel. Amazing innovation in our household. I loved being able to suddenly have Comedy Central, and watch The Daily Show. By the time I went to College I hadn't actually watched a network television (barring at the time the Office, which I used to be a religious viewer of) in a year or so. I never put it on. Cable/Satellite was where it was at!
So cut to last semester, when I am constantly flipping through my 50 or so channels included in my rent...and I realize that not one damn thing is on. 50 channels, and nothing I am even remotely interested in watching is on. What the fuck happened to these channels?
In the beginning there were three channels. NBC. ABC. CBS. That was it, so creating programming was more competitive...and usually a lot of good programming dominated the ratings game. The ratings system. Neilson needs a makeover - we'll get to that later.
So after a while the networks began to create that lowest common denominator stuff. Try to appeal to everyone and offend no one, all to get the most ratings and plug those commercials. I think things went up in and down in this department. But the main point here is that eventually, to get smarter programming, Cable was invented.
Cable produced channels that were specifically for niche markets, channels that you paid extra for because they had intelligent or better programming that you really wanted to see. A&E for people who enjoyed the arts, History for those who loved history, SciFi for all you science fiction and fantasy needs, HBO for movies, CNN for news, Comedy Central for laughs, Nickelodeon for the kids, and MTV for music videos.
But then came basic cable, packages that included all these channels and they began to get included in the ratings game as well...after a while, these channels are began to show the same lame lowest common denominator programming. Reality shows on every single channel...I can hardly tell the difference between MTV, E!, A&E, Bravo, VH1, History Channel, or NBC. So I began to realize that I don't need or want cable. Even though my current apartment comes with HBO, I ended up downloading every episode of Curb because I don't have DVR and it aired out of my schedule. The Daily Show and Colbert Report, as well as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are all on Hulu, and these are the only shows I watch on cable regularly. Breaking Bad and Curb are pretty easy to download (don't worry I am SO buying the DVDs AMC and HBO, so you are getting your money out of me).
So whats the point of someone like me, who has no fucking interest at all in whatever the hell Jersey Shore actually is, having cable or satellite? The answer is none at all. So I will get the networks and leave it at that...at this point I feel like I'm gonna end up watching a lot of PBS.
NBC shows almost all crap, 30 Rock being the only series I dig on their channel. The Office lost its appeal to me, during that writers strike I watched the British original...I couldn't go back to Steve Carell after Ricky Gervais BLEW MY MIND. I haven't seen Community, though it looks decent, and I like the Soup with Joel McHale. I must admit I recently began re-loving Law and Order. If it were on I might consider it, but I'm not going to seek it out. If I want News I would watch Brian Williams, or Meet the Press, but I first said that a year and a half ago and I still don't watch Brian Williams or meet the press...so we will see when I don't actually have Cable if I would. With Conan on his way out I really do not see myself going to late night with Jay...I just plain hate his jokes.
CBS annoys me, because I while I like Letterman and Ferguson, I absolutely hate Survivor, Amazing Race, or CSI, any of it's spin offs or rip offs (NCIS is so bad), and none of their shitty still using canned laughter sitcoms. So I don't really see myself watching much on that channel. No way would I ever watch Katie Couric.
ABC has always had bad shows. I don't know why, but it usually just does. I don't trust their news with Charles Gibson, I don't like Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Desperate Housewives, or Ugly Betty. I'm not into the Bachelor. I don't see myself watching a lot on this channel.
Hulu I would probably end up watching most of my shows. I am pretty sure, that like Battlestar Galactica before it, I could watch Caprica online. I'll watch Sunny, Daily Show, Colbert Report all online. Curb, Dexter, and Breaking Bad (heres hoping Breaking bad gets full episodes on AMC.com or Hulu, instead of just minisodes) I could just download or wait until Netflx has them. God Netflix is going to be my savior. So between Netflix sending me what I want when I want, and The local Library as my free go and browse video store, and Hulu and the DTV box with those extra little free to air movie channels...why would anyone get cable?
As for the ratings system, at this point it is totally and utterly flawed. Times have changed and the Nielsons still only count first run television. Well guess what Nielson, its a whole new ballgame. People don't usually watch TV first run anymore. Its more convenient to plan your life how you want, and not around the idiot box. No one wants to miss out on doing anything because "Grey's Anatomy" is on. Well just DVR it. Or watch it tomorrow on ABC.com. There are more ways to see television, and ratings do not include hulu, ABC.com, NBC.com, Fox.com, or CBS.com...as well as DVR. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for Nielson to figure out how many views a series has on any of the above websites, and it couldn't be that hard to see how many people tivo'd a show. But the Nielsons remain in 1988, and Conan O'Brien is on his way out because of it.
Like I said I'm going to be watching a lot more PBS. Television is in the shitter...and Networks would do well to start using their best material, instead of sending it to their cable companies or denying them flat out...and sending the creators to HBO or AMC.
The whole NBC has got me thinking about the whole grand scheme of TV, from broadcast networks to cable and satellite only channels...I mean seriously...what the hell happened?
I had recently decided that after I graduated from UT this semester, and once I find a job and move out on my own, I was going to get the DTV converter box, and Netflix, and forget the whole cable or satellite thing.
Growing up we had satellite. It was an old Birdview system, my Dad used to install them, so we had it as well. You could only change the channel from the living room, but my Dad got it hooked up so we could watch it anywhere in the house. The satellite, which while out of service is still in our yard, was a giant fucking thing...looked like one of those stock footage satellites you always see in sci-fi movies...that are like tracking the missiles or UFOs. Its huge. The reception went from good to bad, depending on whether or not a tree was in our way. When I was in high school, I think, my dad finally realized that far too many channels were no longer being carried by the Birdview system (History channel or A&E must have finally disappeared and he had to jump ship) and he weighed the options and we got...Dish Network.
Suddenly we had more channels and two tuners...TWO. We could watching something on satellite in another room...and it wasn't History Channel. Amazing innovation in our household. I loved being able to suddenly have Comedy Central, and watch The Daily Show. By the time I went to College I hadn't actually watched a network television (barring at the time the Office, which I used to be a religious viewer of) in a year or so. I never put it on. Cable/Satellite was where it was at!
So cut to last semester, when I am constantly flipping through my 50 or so channels included in my rent...and I realize that not one damn thing is on. 50 channels, and nothing I am even remotely interested in watching is on. What the fuck happened to these channels?
In the beginning there were three channels. NBC. ABC. CBS. That was it, so creating programming was more competitive...and usually a lot of good programming dominated the ratings game. The ratings system. Neilson needs a makeover - we'll get to that later.
So after a while the networks began to create that lowest common denominator stuff. Try to appeal to everyone and offend no one, all to get the most ratings and plug those commercials. I think things went up in and down in this department. But the main point here is that eventually, to get smarter programming, Cable was invented.
Cable produced channels that were specifically for niche markets, channels that you paid extra for because they had intelligent or better programming that you really wanted to see. A&E for people who enjoyed the arts, History for those who loved history, SciFi for all you science fiction and fantasy needs, HBO for movies, CNN for news, Comedy Central for laughs, Nickelodeon for the kids, and MTV for music videos.
But then came basic cable, packages that included all these channels and they began to get included in the ratings game as well...after a while, these channels are began to show the same lame lowest common denominator programming. Reality shows on every single channel...I can hardly tell the difference between MTV, E!, A&E, Bravo, VH1, History Channel, or NBC. So I began to realize that I don't need or want cable. Even though my current apartment comes with HBO, I ended up downloading every episode of Curb because I don't have DVR and it aired out of my schedule. The Daily Show and Colbert Report, as well as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are all on Hulu, and these are the only shows I watch on cable regularly. Breaking Bad and Curb are pretty easy to download (don't worry I am SO buying the DVDs AMC and HBO, so you are getting your money out of me).
So whats the point of someone like me, who has no fucking interest at all in whatever the hell Jersey Shore actually is, having cable or satellite? The answer is none at all. So I will get the networks and leave it at that...at this point I feel like I'm gonna end up watching a lot of PBS.
NBC shows almost all crap, 30 Rock being the only series I dig on their channel. The Office lost its appeal to me, during that writers strike I watched the British original...I couldn't go back to Steve Carell after Ricky Gervais BLEW MY MIND. I haven't seen Community, though it looks decent, and I like the Soup with Joel McHale. I must admit I recently began re-loving Law and Order. If it were on I might consider it, but I'm not going to seek it out. If I want News I would watch Brian Williams, or Meet the Press, but I first said that a year and a half ago and I still don't watch Brian Williams or meet the press...so we will see when I don't actually have Cable if I would. With Conan on his way out I really do not see myself going to late night with Jay...I just plain hate his jokes.
CBS annoys me, because I while I like Letterman and Ferguson, I absolutely hate Survivor, Amazing Race, or CSI, any of it's spin offs or rip offs (NCIS is so bad), and none of their shitty still using canned laughter sitcoms. So I don't really see myself watching much on that channel. No way would I ever watch Katie Couric.
ABC has always had bad shows. I don't know why, but it usually just does. I don't trust their news with Charles Gibson, I don't like Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Desperate Housewives, or Ugly Betty. I'm not into the Bachelor. I don't see myself watching a lot on this channel.
Hulu I would probably end up watching most of my shows. I am pretty sure, that like Battlestar Galactica before it, I could watch Caprica online. I'll watch Sunny, Daily Show, Colbert Report all online. Curb, Dexter, and Breaking Bad (heres hoping Breaking bad gets full episodes on AMC.com or Hulu, instead of just minisodes) I could just download or wait until Netflx has them. God Netflix is going to be my savior. So between Netflix sending me what I want when I want, and The local Library as my free go and browse video store, and Hulu and the DTV box with those extra little free to air movie channels...why would anyone get cable?
As for the ratings system, at this point it is totally and utterly flawed. Times have changed and the Nielsons still only count first run television. Well guess what Nielson, its a whole new ballgame. People don't usually watch TV first run anymore. Its more convenient to plan your life how you want, and not around the idiot box. No one wants to miss out on doing anything because "Grey's Anatomy" is on. Well just DVR it. Or watch it tomorrow on ABC.com. There are more ways to see television, and ratings do not include hulu, ABC.com, NBC.com, Fox.com, or CBS.com...as well as DVR. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for Nielson to figure out how many views a series has on any of the above websites, and it couldn't be that hard to see how many people tivo'd a show. But the Nielsons remain in 1988, and Conan O'Brien is on his way out because of it.
Like I said I'm going to be watching a lot more PBS. Television is in the shitter...and Networks would do well to start using their best material, instead of sending it to their cable companies or denying them flat out...and sending the creators to HBO or AMC.
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