The excitement is gone

[oldtvman]

I was in the grocery store today and while waiting to check out I was looking at the new format tv guide.

Back in the day you couldn't wait to see what new programs and specials were slated to be broadcast in living color.

In fact tv guide had a separate category devoted to what was in color for the coming week.

[David Roper]

In fact...

TV Guide had program listings.


Those were the days....

[old_tv_nut]

The main thing I found useful in TV guide was the comprehensive movie listing in the back - when they lost that, they lost me. I see no reason to waste money on a celeb rag.

[OvenMaster]

Instead of like what? 112 different editions? they now have one for the East coast, and the other for the West. I pick one of these new rags up and all I see are networks and cable listings. No local channel numbers or listings of any sort. If you don't go online to each TV station's website or religiously read the daily newspaper for TV listings, you can't tell what's on.
What is it, are people so lazy now that they don't even bother to see in advance what is going to be on the boob tube, and just pick the least offensive show that's on when they're sitting in front of the set? Don't people time-shift anymore? Don't they care what they watch?

What a stupid question. Of course they don't care.

TV Guide in its new, bland, useless, generic state is just one more indication of how lousy U.S. TV has become and another reason why I probably won't bother getting a new TV when it all goes digital in 2009.

Tom

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by OvenMaster

What is it, are people so lazy now that they don't even bother to see in advance what is going to be on the boob tube, and just pick the least offensive show that's on when they're sitting in front of the set?

I think it was Paul Klein of NBC who came up with the "least objectionable program" theory, in the 1970's. And there was Newton Minnow who described broadcast TV as a "vast wasteland" in the 1950's.

I had quit buying TV Guides years ago, when they stopped including the one thing that made it worth paying for rather than using the free guides in newspapers: Program descriptions for shows in non-prime time.

[oldtvman]

But back in the day if you had a color set, you watched what was in color!

Didn't much matter the content of the program, until later.

[JimJ[VT]]

Originally Posted by oldtvman

But back in the day if you had a color set, you watched what was in color!

Didn't much matter the content of the program, until later.

Isn't that a good thing?

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by oldtvman

But back in the day if you had a color set, you watched what was in color!

Didn't much matter the content of the program, until later.

Maybe that would explain the success of shows like "Green Acres"?

The same concept has worked for high-def in recent years. I watched a bunch of miscellaneous shows on Discovery HD just because they looked so clear, other than all the lousy DirecTV artifacts.

[RaymondLeggs]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

Maybe that would explain the success of shows like "Green Acres"?

The same concept has worked for high-def in recent years. I watched a bunch of miscellaneous shows on Discovery HD just because they looked so clear, other than all the lousy DirecTV artifacts.

Now that's a show that was before my time! I used to watch that show a lot on TVLAND when I younger but I don't now because it's kind of annoying. Epecially the theme song!

[frenchy]

====I had quit buying TV Guides years ago, when they stopped including the one thing that made it worth paying for rather than using the free guides in newspapers: Program descriptions for shows in non-prime time====

There's always the tv guide of sorts that comes in my newspaper, I've always used that for primetime. Yeah TV guide is stupid now, just a repetitive listing of show titles that is the same from day to day and week to week, what a waste of paper. As for just watching what is on instead of looking up something in TV Guide of old, I prefer just using the Direct TV guide when I sit down to watch tv, or use the DVR to find things automatically that I know I like already and record them and watch later if I want.

[Celt]

Originally Posted by OvenMaster

TV Guide in its new, bland, useless, generic state is just one more indication of how lousy U.S. TV has become and another reason why I probably won't bother getting a new TV when it all goes digital in 2009.

Tom

Me either. I already know what my local internet/tee-vee cable provider is going to do. The rates will go up and they are going to charge an additional $15 per conversion box for those with old sets. No thanks. I'll kick their service to the curb and use my set for watching rented DVD's. As far as the internet goes, I'll hook up with DSL, that is, if I even care about the internet at that point.

[Carmine]

Pardon me for asking an off-topic question, but it's sorta related...

I haven't had internet in my house for just over a year now. Sometimes I "mooch" internet at a friend's house, or use my phone for quick replies. I dumped dial-up when I dumped my home phone. (Went out to AZ for a couple months and figured it was stupid to keep paying for a utility that only rang when somebody was trying to sell me some crap, now I'm cell-phone only)

Now winter will be setting in, TV sucks (More than ever! See the related content?) and I'd rather decompress with my world-wide old-TV friends than watch "reality" (Proud to say I've never seen an entire episode of that crap).

What would be the best route for me to get internet? I don't know anything about it, but I know a lot of you do. Cable would be a waste, I don't watch TV. Not getting a phone line just for dial-up/DSL. What kind of wireless options are there?

[fsjonsey]

Originally Posted by Carmine

Pardon me for asking an off-topic question, but it's sorta related...

I haven't had internet in my house for just over a year now. Sometimes I "mooch" internet at a friend's house, or use my phone for quick replies. I dumped dial-up when I dumped my home phone. (Went out to AZ for a couple months and figured it was stupid to keep paying for a utility that only rang when somebody was trying to sell me some crap, now I'm cell-phone only)

Now winter will be setting in, TV sucks (More than ever! See the related content?) and I'd rather decompress with my world-wide old-TV friends than watch "reality" (Proud to say I've never seen an entire episode of that crap).

What would be the best route for me to get internet? I don't know anything about it, but I know a lot of you do. Cable would be a waste, I don't watch TV. Not getting a phone line just for dial-up/DSL. What kind of wireless options are there?

Most cable companies provide an internet only package, IE, putting a filter on your line that blocks everything but the frequency range your modem uses.

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by fsjonsey

Most cable companies provide an internet only package, IE, putting a filter on your line that blocks everything but the frequency range your modem uses.

I've never heard of such a thing... I must investigate.. Around here they (cable) are promoting the idea of $33 internet, $33 phone, $33 TV. Catch is, you have to sign-up for all three. I'll be damned if I'm gonna blow $100+ (taxes) on "entertainment". If I added $100 a month to my house payment, I could have a freakin' McMansion!

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by OvenMaster

Instead of like what? 112 different editions? they now have one for the East coast, and the other for the West. I pick one of these new rags up and all I see are networks and cable listings. No local channel numbers or listings of any sort. If you don't go online to each TV station's website or religiously read the daily newspaper for TV listings, you can't tell what's on.
What is it, are people so lazy now that they don't even bother to see in advance what is going to be on the boob tube, and just pick the least offensive show that's on when they're sitting in front of the set? Don't people time-shift anymore? Don't they care what they watch?

What a stupid question. Of course they don't care.

TV Guide in its new, bland, useless, generic state is just one more indication of how lousy U.S. TV has become and another reason why I probably won't bother getting a new TV when it all goes digital in 2009.

Tom

Even some local papers quit publishing the local TV listings such as the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Mom was upset at that. At least the Post Gazette still makes one. TV Guide is just a mere shadow of its former self.