June 24, 200917 yr While I don't necessarily disagree with any particular point made so far I will say that the development of the narrative on TV has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 10-15 years. Shows that are more than just episodic entities that hit the reset button every week are far more enticing to me than those that just tell encapsulated stories that don't relate to any other episode. HBO has been leading the way on that one(with many shows) with FX and AMC picking up along with shows like The Shield and Mad Men. When it comes to sitcoms though, it is hard to beat the older ones. Most new ones are just recycling the original stuff from the eras before them. Now reality shows are just a lazy way to avoid telling a story and I don't count those in my view of good television. Agreed, HBO has raised the bar and, in my humble opinion, has produced the best two shows ever put on television in "The Wire" and "The Sopranos." A lot of people like to look with nostalgia on the TV of yesteryear but, I have to say, a lot of it is pretty dumb. Nothing would make me happier than the final demise of the three-camera sitcom, which has been a staple of network shows since the 50s. I also don't have some nostalgia for the old days because of what I watch most on TV: sports. There is NO WAY to say that sport television hasn't improved by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, not to mention the 30 years prior to that. When there were only three channels, netoworks had all the viewers and all the money. They still managed to make some terrible shows. Cable has changed everything, I think, for the better as far as television goes. TNT and USA are absolutely killing the networks in ratings for new shows this summer. That said, I do love variety shows and wish someone with some talent could do one again.
June 24, 200917 yr Ed passing away got me thinking. I'm 31 years old, and barely remember some things on T.V. and others I remember well. To me it seemed T.V. was just better then, I love watching old Late Night Show, Laugh In, and especially The Dean Martin Show. Anyone feel the same? JD, imo it is not just you. I am 51 and television (sitcoms and late night) were FAR better years ago. Late night had Johnny Carson, no one will ever be as good at what he did than Carson. Leno was pretty good and Letterman, Conan, Fergeuson and the others were/are sitill complete jokes....with Leno gone from the tonight show now there imo is no late night t.v.. Sit coms like "All in the Family", "Andy Griffith" (best of all time imo), :"the Honeymooners" "M.A.S.H.", "Sanford and Son", "Cheers" along with some others imo would be an emabarrasment to compare them to todays t.v.. "Seinfield" is not as old a some of the ones in the past I mentioined but it definately belongs in the group of great sit coms as well. I find myself watching Seinfield reruns and the TVLand network to watch these old shows instead of todays, there is no comparison. I wish there would be someone that would start airing the old toinight show with Johnny Carson. "Two and a Half Men" is imo very good sit com that is on today, that's about it.
June 24, 200917 yr All great shows that are listed and everyone is correct. TV was much better then. Reality shows are awful. :thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:
June 24, 200917 yr Does anyone remember the plastic sheet you used to be able to buy that had different colors on it? You would put it on your black and white tv set so that you had a color tv?
June 24, 200917 yr Agreed, HBO has raised the bar and, in my humble opinion, has produced the best two shows ever put on television in "The Wire" and "The Sopranos." A lot of people like to look with nostalgia on the TV of yesteryear but, I have to say, a lot of it is pretty dumb. Nothing would make me happier than the final demise of the three-camera sitcom, which has been a staple of network shows since the 50s. I also don't have some nostalgia for the old days because of what I watch most on TV: sports. There is NO WAY to say that sport television hasn't improved by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, not to mention the 30 years prior to that. When there were only three channels, netoworks had all the viewers and all the money. They still managed to make some terrible shows. Cable has changed everything, I think, for the better as far as television goes. TNT and USA are absolutely killing the networks in ratings for new shows this summer. That said, I do love variety shows and wish someone with some talent could do one again. I was going to chime in with an obligatory "The Wire is the greatest" post. Thanks for saving me the time. Seriously though, there were great shows on TV back in the day and I still regularly watch some of them. I think the main difference is the really good shows have now moved off of network TV and onto cable. Right now the best show on TV and one which rivals The Wire and The Sopranosis on AMC...Mad Men. The one problem with TV today is there aren't very many good sitcoms out there on network TV. In fact if you eliminate adult cartoons (South Park, King of the Hill, The Simpsons, etc.) I'm not sure if there is any good comedy/sitcom currently running. I will find much more laughs rewatching The Andy Griffith Show, Cheers, or Seinfeld than any of the poor sitcoms currently on network TV. And I agree with the what most people have said that reality TV has caused the demise of good sitcoms on network TV. Though with shows such as Weeds I think the shift to cable is starting to happen there too.
June 24, 200917 yr There are a lot of good shows on today, but just so many more options. In turn you get a lot of bad shows. Nostalgia takes over in a lot of these debates and people wish they could return to the days of 6 channels and The Andy Griffith Show with one sports game a week. If that happened, people would be missing their fix for ESPN and Food Network. TV, while a lot more unique (and overrun with reality shows), is a lot better now than it was back in the day. Edited June 24, 200917 yr by bugatti
June 24, 200917 yr TV has been pretty weak, overall, since the '80s. Most of my faves, as far as sitcoms go, comes from the '80s or before. M*A*S*H (which I watch almost every day, sometimes as many as 2-3 hours) All In The Family Barney Miller Hogan's Heroes WKRP in Cincinnati The Bob Newhart Show Cheers The Jeffersons I am proud to say that I have thoroughly indoctrinated my children into my love of the show. My 12 year old Daughter and 18 year old Son both watch it every chance they get. :thumb:
June 30, 200917 yr Funny clip from Sandford and Son http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikaCekLYMHQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fblog%2Ekentuckysportsradio%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded
June 30, 200917 yr I agree with previous posters that The Andy Griffith Show was the best of all time. Characters like Ernest T.,the Darlings, Floyd the barber, and Otis the town drunk were classic. I loved Barney and Otis in an arguement. There once was a deputy named Fife, Who carried a gun and a knife. The gun was all rusty and the knife was all dusty cause he never caught a crook in his life!!:clap::clap:
June 30, 200917 yr I agree with previous posters that The Andy Griffith Show was the best of all time. Characters like Ernest T.,: Its me. Its me.
June 30, 200917 yr Everyone always talks about how everything used to be better than it is now. So predictable. Agree to disagree on this one. It's easy to list the bad shows because there are 200 channels these days. There are a lot of good ones too though.
June 30, 200917 yr Everyone always talks about how everything used to be better than it is now. So predictable. Agree to disagree on this one. It's easy to list the bad shows because there are 200 channels these days. There are a lot of good ones too though. I mostly agree with this.. While maybe not the correct thread for it, I always find it humorous to think that it's generally the people that talk about how great things used to be and wish we could go back... But typically they grew up as a part generation that is responsible for the change in the first place... Like those "Remember how we could run outside and play for hours on end and stay out until the street lights were on swimming in the river.. We didn't need video games to have fun" threads and chain emails that circulate once very couple of months but are all the same. The kids didn't invent/advance video games or discover swimming in river water might not be the healthiest thing for them -- You did. It's basically the same with the reality shows that people complain about, really. People say they have ruined TV, but they still watch them and they get great ratings. That's why they keep making more of them. If everyone stops watching reality shows and starts watching something else, the tide will turn. You can't blame networks for showing what is making them money, though. Blame viewers for not demanding a change. For myself personally... I don't spend a lot of time watching television. When I do, it's a sports event or show most of the time. Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks are two of my favorite shows ever, though... Curb Your Enthusiasm which still comes on is up there too. Friday Night Lights is also great. Too bad too many people are watching reality shows to notice.
July 4, 200917 yr I mostly agree with this.. While maybe not the correct thread for it, I always find it humorous to think that it's generally the people that talk about how great things used to be and wish we could go back... But typically they grew up as a part generation that is responsible for the change in the first place... Like those "Remember how we could run outside and play for hours on end and stay out until the street lights were on swimming in the river.. We didn't need video games to have fun" threads and chain emails that circulate once very couple of months but are all the same. The kids didn't invent/advance video games or discover swimming in river water might not be the healthiest thing for them -- You did. It's basically the same with the reality shows that people complain about, really. People say they have ruined TV, but they still watch them and they get great ratings. That's why they keep making more of them. If everyone stops watching reality shows and starts watching something else, the tide will turn. You can't blame networks for showing what is making them money, though. Blame viewers for not demanding a change. For myself personally... I don't spend a lot of time watching television. When I do, it's a sports event or show most of the time. Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks are two of my favorite shows ever, though... Curb Your Enthusiasm which still comes on is up there too. Friday Night Lights is also great. Too bad too many people are watching reality shows to notice. Im glad someone besides me mentioned Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is very funny. Has anyone been watching Trailor Park Boys? The language is terrible but its very funny!
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.