Decline of American TV

zacb · Post by **zacb** » March 4th, 2013, 8:38 am

Have you noticed how most US tv has gotten really crappy as of late? Even the History Channel, which seems like a decent channel, seems like a bunch of reality tv show. The only reason I liked cable was because of CNBC and sports. But now that Roku has both, I don't regret cutting the cord. Plus they have netflix and Crackle, which has some classic programming like All in the Family and Sanford and Son, along with the Three Stooges. To me Roku is a Godsend. As of right now I can't use it, since I am staying at someone else house, but I would say it is defiantly a good investment. It also has a lot of live broadcasts like Al Jazeera and RT. I also tend to use movie2k to watch movies and shows , but before I used torrents, before I got a dcma notice.

Anyways though, I just think the quality has been declining as of late. Even as a kid, I used to watch a lot of tv, and it seemed like they were decently produced. You had Rescue Heroes, cartoons based on video games, along with all the classics. Now What do you have? FlapJack and Adventure Time. Or even for newer tv, what do you have? A bunch of detective shows. About the only show as of late that looks interesting is 24 (not running any more) and Southpark. Maybe I am getting old, but I just think the dumbing down of America is on course.

aozora13 · Post by **aozora13** » March 4th, 2013, 10:39 am

I do agree with you that most television is not worth watching now. I actually think it was in the mid-late 1990s to present that television has gone down hill in terms of programming. Reality TV, police shows, and horrible daytime tv shows. I used to watch some good TV such as sci-fi shows that were well produced and some suspense-TV shows. Now, I watch some shows because of actors I know but really not as much as I used too.

zacb · Post by **zacb** » March 4th, 2013, 11:00 am

Same. I came of age in the 90's and earlier 2000's . Honestly, I look back and think to myself that I actually like the stuff from the 80's and 90's better. I guess one less expense.

zboy1 · Post by **zboy1** » March 4th, 2013, 1:36 pm

zacb wrote:Have you noticed how most US tv has gotten really crappy as of late? Even the History Channel, which seems like a decent channel, seems like a bunch of reality tv show. The only reason I liked cable was because of CNBC and sports. But now that Roku has both, I don't regret cutting the cord. Plus they have netflix and Crackle, which has some classic programming like All in the Family and Sanford and Son, along with the Three Stooges. To me Roku is a Godsend. As of right now I can't use it, since I am staying at someone else house, but I would say it is defiantly a good investment. It also has a lot of live broadcasts like Al Jazeera and RT. I also tend to use movie2k to watch movies and shows , but before I used torrents, before I got a dcma notice.

Anyways though, I just think the quality has been declining as of late. Even as a kid, I used to watch a lot of tv, and it seemed like they were decently produced. You had Rescue Heroes, cartoons based on video games, along with all the classics. Now What do you have? FlapJack and Adventure Time. Or even for newer tv, what do you have? A bunch of detective shows. About the only show as of late that looks interesting is 24 (not running any more) and Southpark. Maybe I am getting old, but I just think the dumbing down of America is on course.

You needed cable TV to find good shows this decade: Walking Dead, Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, etc.

I miss the Wire (greatest show in the past decade)

The Wire Season 1 Recap

THE WIRE - 100 Greatest Quotes

As for network TV, the only shows I watch (or watched) with any regularity was Hawaii 5-0, Lost, and Pan Am (sadly cancelled

).

abcdavid01 · Post by **abcdavid01** » March 4th, 2013, 3:07 pm

What zboy said. Also, The Following is pretty good. You must be nuts because Adventure Time is amazing. The whole thing takes place after a post apocalyptic war. How dark is that?

zacb · Post by **zacb** » March 4th, 2013, 5:49 pm

I guess I don't like the randomness. Yes you could argue shows like Ed, Ed, and Eddy were somewhat random, but it just seems like that is a good chunk of what is on.

E_Irizarry · Post by **E_Irizarry** » March 4th, 2013, 6:09 pm

zacb wrote:Have you noticed how most US tv has gotten really crappy as of late? Even the History Channel, which seems like a decent channel, seems like a bunch of reality tv show. The only reason I liked cable was because of CNBC and sports. But now that Roku has both, I don't regret cutting the cord. Plus they have netflix and Crackle, which has some classic programming like All in the Family and Sanford and Son, along with the Three Stooges. To me Roku is a Godsend. As of right now I can't use it, since I am staying at someone else house, but I would say it is defiantly a good investment. It also has a lot of live broadcasts like Al Jazeera and RT. I also tend to use movie2k to watch movies and shows , but before I used torrents, before I got a dcma notice.

Anyways though, I just think the quality has been declining as of late. Even as a kid, I used to watch a lot of tv, and it seemed like they were decently produced. You had Rescue Heroes, cartoons based on video games, along with all the classics. Now What do you have? FlapJack and Adventure Time. Or even for newer tv, what do you have? A bunch of detective shows. About the only show as of late that looks interesting is 24 (not running any more) and Southpark. Maybe I am getting old, but I just think the dumbing down of America is on course.

They have a lot of detective shows because they want their viewers to become impromptu deputized agents for the government (as if those viewers were real-life detectives), and to implore fear of what the government would do the viewer if he or she were to commit that crime. They want human manned drones, and artificial unmanned drones: the programming is blatantly obvious.

By the way, Zacb you know that you like Logo TV. LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *psych* I was just kidding, dude.

Jester · Post by **Jester** » March 4th, 2013, 10:58 pm

E_Irizarry wrote: They have a lot of detective shows because they want their viewers to become impromptu deputized agents for the government (as if those viewers were real-life detectives), and to implore fear of what the government would do the viewer if he or she were to commit that crime. They want human manned drones, and artificial unmanned drones: the programming is blatantly obvious.

+1

HenryGeorge · Post by **HenryGeorge** » March 4th, 2013, 11:19 pm

Even the movies from back then were better too.

noog · Post by **noog** » March 5th, 2013, 8:14 pm

I don't watch much TV at all, literally all the TV I have seen in the last month has been watching a basketball game every now and then. And when I do, I see so many of these ads depicting Americans as a bunch of redneck lemmings that can't live 5 minutes without their TV programs. I find these stereotypes disgusting and I'm sure the cable/dish/direct whatever conglomerates are laughing all the way to the bank -

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7d__/dish-hopper-anywhere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2seQ8bUmaQ

Jester · Post by **Jester** » March 5th, 2013, 8:44 pm

When I watch news channels I get a nonstop stream of ads about loathsome diseases, or about prescription drugs with loathsome side effects, or about lawsuits for damages stemming from loathsome diseases.

I feel like they are selling me the disease, and won't be satisfied till I buy. Until then, I am only a prospect, not a customer.

celery2010 · Post by **celery2010** » March 5th, 2013, 10:13 pm

I agree with this. I'll sit there and think, what's on TV tonite, and all i'll see are reality shows.

Not a single produced show. And yes, since Law & Order was a consistently good show, they just took a successful formula and multiplied it a million times.

I saw a few decent shows on paid channels a few years ago, but i no longer have paid channels.

Shameless on showtime is a decent show. Californication was good the first few seasons.

I actually remember people in the 90's who would actually go home on Sunday nights, and would stop hanging out, just to watch the X-Files. Now that was a decent show worth watching.

However, i do have to agree that the better shows have gotten better, though. Production values are higher, but it's surprising how good shows can't seem to be made anymore. And the shows are just getting wackier and wackier. They think that's what successful is. modern family? 3 guys with kids?

aozora13 · Post by **aozora13** » March 6th, 2013, 6:48 am

Actually shows like The Following is good but it seems really dark to me. There are a lot of police shows now that is really annoying. Production value is better but I guess some the originality was good 20 years ago. Shows are getting wackier and lack of a good plot. It is similar to movies as it seems you have decent shows but movies are borrowing to much and not having original ideas.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » March 6th, 2013, 2:23 pm

The only thing I watch on TV now is the UFC (and even that's starting to get stale.) I foresee a wide open space in my living room where my TV used to be in the not too distant future.

zacb · Post by **zacb** » March 6th, 2013, 5:33 pm

The only thing I watch on TV now is the UFC (and even that's starting to get stale.) I foresee a wide open space in my living room where my TV used to be in the not too distant future.

Perhaps you could get roku.

Decline of American TV

Decline of American TV

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