When did TV get so bad?

Category: Some Thoughts | Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:02 pm

Earlier I made a bite to eat and decided to sit down in front of the glowing box to see what was on. I have been of the opinion for a while that TV is just terrible nowadays. There was nothing on that interested me in the slightest so I ended up watching a TV infomercial just for pure comedic value. But although I laughed (how could one not) it made me sad to think that there are some people who are capable of sitting in front of this drivel all day long.

I suppose I'm not one to talk though. When I was young I was much more interested in staying indoors watching TV. How much of my time was spent soaking up whatever the box had to tell me? I don't even want to know. Now I'm going to sound like an old grandfather figure here but in my day I believe it was much better. No reality shows, less commercials, less celebrity news. Now it seems a lot of programming is all gloss, fast editing, dramatic music and no substance.

There is not a lot I make time to watch on TV these days. In fact the things I do end up watching are films and sitcoms like Seinfeld. Hardly new programming there.

Maybe I've just been spoiled by the variety and interactivity offered by the Internet. Will I be saying the same thing about it as well in 20 years to come. We'll see.

Rant over. Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Last edited: Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:06 pm

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gardenplansireland wrote on Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:21 pm:

"Now it seems a lot of programming is all gloss, fast editing, dramatic music and no substance. "
You noticed this..... that means there is hope for you yet, Grand-dad

eileen wrote on Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:13 pm:

One of the reasons I hardly ever watch 'the box' is because there appears to be nothing but repeats on every time I switch on. The adverts last for so long that I get impatient with them and simply switch off. As for 'reality' television programmes you can keep them as far as I'm concerned as they are the most boring form of, so called, entertainment.
Thankfully there are a few documentaries that I still enjoy and some natural history programmes.

dooley wrote on Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:01 pm:

We have a tv strictly for watching movies from DVD's. We haven't had tv hooked up for years. We have watched it when we visited children and friends and see no need to have one of our own for the programming it offers. dooley

cajunbelle wrote on Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:29 am:

I am not a huge fan of TV, there are a few shows I watch with Richard.

Sports, celebrity yuck and political drivel drive me mad, as do reality shows and most other stuff. I could live without it.

kuntrygal wrote on Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:19 am:

I agree in part with most of you. There are a few movies on Lifetime that I watch, and I am really into anything (real)Forensics, not CSI, CSI Miami, etc. I watch two reality shows...Dancing With the Stars and American Idol. Everything else is pretty much drivel.

Calomaar wrote on Sat Jul 18, 2009 5:22 am:

We live in rural America, and broadcast TV is pretty hard to get. (3 channels) As a result, we subscribe to satellite TV, nearly 200 channels, and some times when I sit down to watch TV, I can't find a thing of interest. Mimi knows that as she comes into the room and finds me asleep. I do enjoy some of the programming on Science channel, Animal Planet and Travel channel. I like American Football, and Baseball, but I am interested in 1 team in each sport, and if they aren't playing I'm likely to switch away. I like movies without ad's so we have a couple pay movie channels. I also like public Television, the British comedies are fun, and Dr. Who, and Nova, and some local programming. If I could find an unbiased news show, I might be interested in that. But for the most part Frank you are right, the garbage that passes for high rated TV is very surprising. It's really something when news shows talk about who might get kicked off some reality show. I won't even get into what the kids are

Calomaar wrote on Sat Jul 18, 2009 5:23 am:

the kids are seeing these days. TV has its place, but it's harder and harder to find worthwhile programming. And I thought it was just here in America. I wonder, do you guys over there, get the same bombardment of satellite channels we get??
Tom

Frank wrote on Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:27 am:

Interesting comments from all.

Tom my brother in Ireland gets the satellite channels and it is basically the same thing there, 200 channels and not much on. I remember growing up with 2 channels but I could have sworn that it seemed like there was much more on. Maybe I am just looking at the past through rose-tinted spectacles.

Calomaar wrote on Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:54 pm:

I think Frank, to varying degrees we all do that, the rose colored glasses thing. I know that I do, seldom do I remember the bad stuff. It also may be that as youngsters we were more easily entertained. And, finally, TV came into existence during my childhood, and just to know someone that had a TV was something, and we would watch most anything just to experience the new thing. After all, we didn't need to use our imagination like we did as we listened to the radio.
Tom

Rozilla wrote on Thu Jun 24, 2010 12:35 am:

Yeah, hard to find anything on TV worth watching, makes me sound like an old curmudgeon, doesn't it? Modern sitcoms are just insipid, and the old reruns of what we watched at kids are worse. Did we really think Gilligan's Island was gripping?

brombear wrote on Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:11 pm:

i have to agree- i never watched much tv, even as a kid and I suppose it of course has sensitised me to it. I have to say I find the majority of tv insulting to our intellects and self respect, much of it seems to be a contrived effort to numb the minds of the masses into a monoculture of superficial mediocrity. We've got one of those set top boxes that just records the programs you want, and then skips through the adds in one minute intervals, so ad breaks are now click- click- click. i love it. yes may I never have to watch another formula written sitcom, or ads that tell me what to think, how to act, what to wear and drive etc again. I'm not saying that tv is inherently bad- nothing is. Nothing wrong with mindless drivel either- in perpsective. Just that in a culture where so much is laid on a plate for us, it's easy not have to think too hard about things, but please people, have some discernment and standards. : )