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That was always mysterious and rare in some sense. I liked that. As well as when everything wasn't necessarily "Breaking News", and so whenever there was actually a break-in to Mr. Belvedere or Punky Brewster, it was actually a bit startling. It's actually rather funny watching YouTube videos of these various artifacts of our youth.
Yes, the over-use of Breaking News is one of my pet peeves! If it's happened in the last hour, it's Breaking News. Anything past that, it's just plain old news. Some cable news stations have Breaking News on their screens for events that happened 8 hours ago, with nothing new to report!!
When I was a kid watching TV in the afternoons, there was always something that came on between programs called an Editorial. I'm guessing it was locally produced, but I'm not sure. Just some guy (never a woman) reading their opinion piece at a news desk. Borrrrrrring! We couldn't stand them when we were kids.
To this forty-something fogey, TV was better when we had the "big three" networks. The shows were of a higher quality.
For better or worse, I think the big three networks are giving the majority of the public exactly what they want. The public is pretty dumbed down these days in terms of anything even remotely related to culture. For example, the highly educated Michelle Obama admits she watches the Real Housewives shows. Many seemingly mature adults happily admit in public that they are "addicted" to Honey Boo Boo.
Even PBS's programming overall is not as classy as it used to be. But that's not PBS's fault, it's the viewers' fault. When the PBS affiliate in my town has pledge week what do they program? Self-help shows (How to Improve Your Memory, Your Digestive System is the Key to Good Health, Tips for Managing Your Money, etc., etc.) and two-hour long rock and roll programs — sometimes nostalgic gatherings of elderly rockers and other times old films of sixties rock groups "back in the day") that they interrupt every 15 minutes. They undoubtedly research very carefully what gets the best ratings in order to decide when to beg for donations.
The networks spend tens of millions every season testing programming on focus groups from carefully chosen demographics. We see what those groups choose. Dramas are the most expensive programming for networks, which explains their reluctance to schedule fewer of those each year. And if a network banks on an expensive show that doesn't get an immediate return on their investment off it goes. Some network dramas are still pretty reasonable in their quality level but I would agree they are few and far between. The ones that succeed financially are often the ones that exhibit the same hard-to-believe or blow-'em-up qualities today's popular movies feature (all those NCIS, CSI, and fantasy franchises). Some quality dramas don't get high enough ratings that the networks will keep them but they go on to be rescued by a cable channel (Friday Night Lights, Southland)
Actually, the higher quality programming these days has almost totally moved to cable channels. They know they are getting fewer eyeballs but they aim for eyeballs from more educated or financially successful households. While some cable channels have inflicted the Kardashians and child beauty pageants on us, others have fronted the money for some of the best-quality adult-themed entertainment of TV (some recent examples Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Homeland, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and specials like Hatfields and McCoys, Game Change, House of Cards). Some of the Discovery and National Geographic programming is first-rate. And, of course, cable networks and PBS still import quality BBC programs (recently Downton Abbey, Luther, and Sherlock for example).
I won't and really can't compare tv from decades ago to now but I have to say I must be missing something in shows on cable today. I get Netflix and am always excited to see the shows I don't get on my basic cable (that is why I have netflix... anyway) I was really excited to get Boardwalk Empire... love all the actors in it... didn't like it and i tried it for several episodes... same thing for Deadwood, Homeland, and just finished last night several episodes of American Horror Story. I just thought, really? This is it? Again love the actors, but the story, sprinkled with blood and gore is essentially a soap opera of everyday life. Who needs anymore of that in their TV lives?
Regular network TV is just as bad to me.
The last HBO series I saw and really enjoyed was The Tudors. (did love the Soprano"s) Maybe I should stick to period peices... but then Downtown Abbey was a bit of a bust after the 1st season.
Do we really want to argue the merits of, say, The Mod Squad over The Sopranos?
But why should "quality drama" be packed with violence, sexual themes, and "f-bombs" aplenty? That's not real-life - at least it isn't in my corner of the U.S!
I just read a book called Glued to the Set. I highly recommend it. Several of the essays deal with the clashing TV preferences of New York and Los Angeles urbanites versus those of small-town Middle America, where I live. The critics are overwhelmingly residents of NY and LA and they tend to prefer shows like The Sopranos - gritty, downbeat, and cynical - while many other people prefer shows that offer a more upbeat portrayal of humanity.
I used to enjoy PBS, but for the past 15 years or so, I haven't watched it at all. I'm not sure why I'm so turned off to it.
Glued to the Set also contained an essay claiming that public television was a failure. Instead of primarily showing quality "home-grown" programs, we see British imports.
But why should "quality drama" be packed with violence, sexual themes, and "f-bombs" aplenty? That's not real-life - at least it isn't in my corner of the U.S!
I just read a book called Glued to the Set. I highly recommend it. Several of the essays deal with the clashing TV preferences of New York and Los Angeles urbanites versus those of small-town Middle America, where I live. The critics are overwhelmingly residents of NY and LA and they tend to prefer shows like The Sopranos - gritty, downbeat, and cynical - while many other people prefer shows that offer a more upbeat portrayal of humanity.
But then the critics hate shows like NCIS or Two and a Half Men. They're extremely popular with middle America, and they're only upbeat if you think murder or crass humor is upbeat.
But why should "quality drama" be packed with violence, sexual themes, and "f-bombs" aplenty? That's not real-life - at least it isn't in my corner of the U.S!
I just read a book called Glued to the Set. I highly recommend it. Several of the essays deal with the clashing TV preferences of New York and Los Angeles urbanites versus those of small-town Middle America, where I live. The critics are overwhelmingly residents of NY and LA and they tend to prefer shows like The Sopranos - gritty, downbeat, and cynical - while many other people prefer shows that offer a more upbeat portrayal of humanity.
I am far from puritanical or a prude but... all the shows I really wanted to see and like that I eventually tossed was because I thought they went waaaaaaaaaaaaay overboard with the cursing and it was every other word. Did cowboys really use the words coc$ suc$er and the f-word? Really? I really don't need that for effect. I JUST WANT AN INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING STORY!!!! I have guess I am in the minority, oh well...
I started to watch The Following... OMG, what crap. Looked forward and knew the warnings but thought, how bad can it be. BAD... nothing but slasher, gutting, , really? That is what people want I guess.
Glued to the Set also contained an essay claiming that public television was a failure. Instead of primarily showing quality "home-grown" programs, we see British imports.
Just looked the book up on amazon. It was written in late '90' It would be interesting to see an up dated version. I am going to look for it at my library. Thanks
Maybe YOU didn't, but WE did!! The Philly area's WHYY has been on the air for more than 50 years. How else could I have watched Monty Python or Upstairs Downstairs in the 1970s?
But I agree about the Big 3 not showing that type of program. Here it is, Saturday night, and for the umpteenth time, I'm watching the Les Mis 25th Anniversary special on PBS. Love it!
In a year or two, one of the networks will show the current (2012) Les Mis, stretching the 2.5 hr running time to 4 hr with commercials, or maybe squish it into 3 with massive edits... yuk.
I grew up in the NYC metro and we always had PBS too.
Funny coincidence: I spent a good part of the weekend watching the "Les Miserables" 25th anniversary show too, but on DVD.
Have to say that the first time I watched it, on PBS, it did run four hours - it was pledge week.
It is a shame that there is no musical programming on the Big 3 anymore.
Having said that, I have to disagree with the OP. While I watch very little network TV, what I do watch, I enjoy greatly - "Elementary," for example, just keeps getting better. Overall though, I find much better offerings on PBS ("DCI Banks" was great) or on cable where there is no shortage of high quality scripted programming.
Glued to the Set also contained an essay claiming that public television was a failure. Instead of primarily showing quality "home-grown" programs, we see British imports.
Look at how quick politicians are to threaten PBS' public funding. It's difficult to create and maintain quality programming when the budget can be slashed at any time, and it's easier to fund the programming that's already out there. The Brits/BBC are much more supportive of their cultural output and don't seem to make public television a political issue.
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