What has happened to TV

[Jesda]

I had no idea Lie to Me was that popular. I always felt like I was the only person watching.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2201055/

[Razi]

I had no idea Lie to Me was that popular. I always felt like I was the only person watching.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2201055/

Same here.
Now I got my dad and his co-workers watching it.

[infinitgkid]

My TV experience includes:

G4
HBO
Showtime
Cinemax
Other movie channels (i.e. Sundance, IFC, etc.)
Sports (only when my favorite ones are in season)

[marlin29311]

Internet TV is your friend.

Set it up in Windows Media Center...if you have that. You'll find more of the things you're interested it.

[Speedy7_7]

In no particular order I will list 10 shows that you are still on t.v. or that you can buy the entire series on dvd.

The Wire
Trueblood
Sons of Anarchy
Squidbillys
Entourage
Hung
Californication
East Bound and Down
Dexter
House
The X Files
I could keep going, but, alas mine arms tire from the fruitless typing.

[Bubba1]

I agree, that traditional newtork TV sucks nowadays. Cheap fabricated reality TV has infested the airwaves. Particularly bad ones include the Housewives of (insert your town), to American Karaoke...er idol, and its clones, KAte +8 and all the other fertility drug abusing families, NASCRAP, and the endless parade of boring untalented Kardassian relatives. You really have to look carefully to find good shows.

There are still some good ones out there including:

Mythbusters
Deadliest Catch
True Blood


There are also good events to look forward
NFC EAst football, especially when Dallas loses j/k
Barrett Jackson/Mecum auto auctions.

[vikesfankevin1986]

I might look into that whole internet TV thing. A lot of the shows you guys listed were not on TV when I made this post. Its like they can't put one worth while thing on TV at 3 in the afternoon. I get it that most kids are at school and most Americans are working at that time but that doesn't mean you need to show something that has the quality and production value of me grabbing my video camera and recording a dog taking a s***. Replay something good for these times...

[HashiriyaS14]

This thread reminded me to go pay my $180 Comcast bill, lol. Ouch.

Includes internet, but it's still a lot. I'm probably going to tone down the channel package a bit, as I don't watch a lot of them.

Only problem is if you want Digital (which I do, I use "On Demand" a lot), you pretty much have to buy everything.

[Encryptshun]

OP, I agree with pretty much everything you said. If you really want to understand why "reality" TV is so popular, read the book "Farenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.

We are rapidly approaching the elements of that book around immersive participatory usage in social media.

[Bubba1]

DVR is a great feature. My wife records her soap opera with it everyday. I'll use it occasionally to see program that interests me while I'm away. So much easier than the old fashioned VCR.

[AppleBonker]

So much easier than the old fashioned VCR.

The heck is a VCR?

Actually, I had a friend's younger brother not know what a VHS tape was. Am I really that old?

[Bubba1]

So much easier than the old fashioned VCR.

The heck is a VCR?

Actually, I had a friend's younger brother not know what a VHS tape was. Am I really that old?

That is funny. It's also hard to believe there was life before cell phones. I recently tossed out my wife's first "car phone", back when they were fixed into the car itself...

[Encryptshun]

That is funny. It's also hard to believe there was life before cell phones. I recently tossed out my wife's first "car phone", back when they were fixed into the car itself...

Man, you should have put that on e-bay. There's an entire mod community built around putting new guts in old phones so they are usable on today's networks.

I want a goddam rotary phone for my car.

[infinitgkid]

There's an entire mod community built around putting new guts in old phones so they are usable on today's networks.

Is there really? That's awesome!

I want to see some proof!

[vikesfankevin1986]

OP, I agree with pretty much everything you said. If you really want to understand why "reality" TV is so popular, read the book "Farenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.

We are rapidly approaching the elements of that book around immersive participatory usage in social media.

I will look into that.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

I LOL'd.

I completely feel you dude with the stuff they have on TV, I mean come on, CBS is putting a remake of Hawaii 5-0 on this fall, really, what's next Magnum PI, Kojak, The A-Team. Didn't they learn their lesson when NBC tried to bring Knight Rider back? Most of my DVR is full of absolute crap because of the GF, she is on that crack called MTV, so there's Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, Real World, and of The City/The Hills at any given point in time and she's going to be 28 this year. She doesn't understand demographics apparently, then I have to deal with OTH, Desperate Housewives, and of course 90210, and The Vampire Diaries in the winter and of course she has to see her soaps (General Hospital and One Life to Live) Blechhh.

The only shows I really care about are NCIS (reg and LA), CSI, Rescue Me, and TNT has Dark Blue and Southland. Besides that most of what I watch is what ever she has decided we both are watching which includes Cake Boss, Little Couple, Little People Big World, Ghost Hunters (all flavors) Ghost Adventures (which honestly is pretty good) and a few others. Whatever, I'll watch most anything, but some stuff I just can't do.

Reality shows suck and have eaten what's left of our brains, CBS and VH1 are notorious for them, I could care less about any of them, but the girl likes them, namely American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. All of it is crap. Discovery is a better channel than TLC, which is odd because they are owned by the same company that owns History, Science, and Discovery Health channels. There are still some good channels out there, you just have to find them. A&E, The Biography channel, AMC, G4,and BBC America are some decent channels as is FX and Tru TV (which was better when it was Court TV). AMC would be a much better channel if it didn't have commercials or censoring because they show old movies that most people have forgotten about, BBC has Top Gear and some pretty decent shows from across the pond, A&E has the Soprano's repeats, Mad Men, and a couple other decent shows, plus their daytime line up is pretty good. FX has Always Sunny, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy and show some decent movies. Spike isn't bad, but meh.

Oh and if you're trying to find something to watch during non primetime hours you're fighting a losing battle, They know most people are at work and don't show anything worth watching. Might I suggest for daytime tv you watch the Nat Geo channel or possibly TV Land or the Game Show Network.

Edit: TLC stands for The Learning Channel, what's there to learn from shows about cakes, little people, or people who can't close their legs or dress themselves?

[flohtingPoint]

My favorite shows get canceled =/ My favorite comedy of the past year or so (Better Off Ted) got axed this year...

[Frank E Bones]

So what has happened to TV?

Just like our movie and music industries, I believe it's gone down the drain (with very few exceptions in either category) I guess its just lack of originality or creativity. Just like its been mentioned in numerous post in this thread, a lot of us are married to the same people who are responsible for this. As bad as some of this crap thats being passed as entertaintment is, there will always be someone willing to watch it.

[LEMHEAD16]

Mythbusters
Deadliest Catch
True Blood

Mythbusters has gone downhill in the last few seasons. I loved it in the beginning, no it all seems waaaayyy to scripted, but I love watching things blow up so it's still worth watching.

The only things I watch any more are Powerblock on Spike, Tosh.0, and lately a new shoe called "The Glades" it's another cop show but I like the cocky guy. He reminds me of a better looking a wittier me.

[Razi]

I miss Arrested Development.

[AppleBonker]

I miss Arrested Development.

[Zydeco]

Breaking Bad was pretty sweet.

...and WRC is on HD Theater!!

HD Theater is by far the best channel we get.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

The only series I like is Burn Notice. Other than that, I just watch the news and random shows.

I like Family Guy as well but it can get old.

[Bubba1]

Breaking Bad was pretty sweet.

...and WRC is on HD Theater!!

HD Theater is by far the best channel we get.

I agree, there are some good shows on HDT. Chasing Classic Cars, What's my car worth, Mecum, WRC.

[HashiriyaS14]

Lately (in the last year) I've been on:

-Mad Men (always)
-Big Love
-Weeds (watched last night, was good. I like Shane as a murderer)
-Pawn Stars
-Through the Wormhole
-It's Effin Science
-Chasing Classic Cars
-Tosh.0

[Speedy7_7]

I miss Arrested Development.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5_Y6Nn- ... ure=search[/youtube]

[Razi]

[MellowZ32]

they're gonna make an Arrested Development movie y0!

[Razi]

Yep!

[Speedy7_7]

they're gonna make an Arrested Development movie y0!

That would be as good as a banger in the mouth. Or do you yanks say "A sausage in the mouth."?