do you remember when ...

[stereofisher]

Originally Posted by Carmine

I suppose it's nice to know that this on-screen trash is hated world-wide, although I wouldn't wish it on anybody!

I'll add to your list of complaints the following...

1) I miss when local newscasts were only 30mins or maybe an hour. Now they're at least 2 hours, and sometimes 3 hours! Still there is about 30mins of "useful" info. The rest of it is made-up BS, "Channel 7 on your side, etc." These investigative reporters are always taking on some story about the widda' lady who paid $5000 to have her furnace cleaned. Does nothing to infom me, but I guess I'm supposed to get the "warm&fuzzies" for some hipocritical TV station that runs 10 hours of get-rich-quick-scam infomercials all weekend.

2) I miss re-runs of good shows like Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Adam-12, Leave-it-to-Beaver, Bonanza, etc. on the independant UHF channels. Now, they run the same crapola 90s "urban-oriented" sit-coms day after day.

2a) Because the UHF channels are no longer independant, we no longer have "The 8 O'clock movie", Perhaps we'd see "Bullit, The 7-ups, Freebie & the Bean, White Lightning, Blues Brothers, etc." All movies I remember seeing on UHF TV. Now it's an endless parade of sit-com/reality excrement from UPN, WB, FOX and whatever half-ass network just got started last week.

3) I really miss the local studio programming from the really cheesy UHF Channels (like old WGPR-62 in Detroit). Often they were laughable dance shows full of high-school kids. These were typically loaded with tons of low-rent graphics, just flashing words on the screen like "wow, fresh, hype".

4) I HATE all syndicated junk shows like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Jerry Springer.


5) Test patterns vs. infomercials (Mostly as it relates to late-night DX'ing)

6) Occasional screw-ups, like seeing a promo card fall down in front of a camera, and then people running around trying to fix it.

7) I miss a lot of the old artwork/styles of network promos. For example, I remember ABC (US) kept their very 70s-ish "Saturday Night At the Movies" promo well into the 90s. (I'm surprised that the very old-looking Law & Order show title/song seems to continue unchanged)

8) The NBC logo that was just a red/blue triangle that looked like an "N".

9) Commercials where REAL dogs chewed bubble-gum in order to "talk" vs. today's scary-looking computer animations.

10) All that garbage about HDTV on shows that would suck just as bad if broadcast on a 35-line mechanical system! Who needs 1000 lines to watch "Happy Family"???

Well guys, that's my top ten. What can you add?

I feel bad for guys a young as Doug, who can't possibly remember when TV wasn't as crass and "corporate". At 31, even I know that I was at the end of that good era.

I loved the old independent stations. Channel 41 in Kansas City! Good sitcoms that are funny. Todays Sitcoms are NOT funny. I hate shows like Access Hollywood. Who gives a s*** about this actor knocking up his wife or girl friend. Most of them will split in 6 months anyway. Yech! My lady friend doesnt understand why I dont give a damned about crap shows like these. In NY its in the 7-8 time span. Used to watch the Untouchables.

The screen icons suck to. Its bad enough to have ABC or CBS but the local affiliate adds theirs too. Too much. Since my 1989 Sony died I broke down and got HD TV. It has a zoom feature on it. You can pull the picture in so its not distorted on regular TV. Cuts out the stupid Icons! It does occasionally cut the tops of peoples heads.

News shows. Why cant the old independents like WWOR (used to be WOR) channel 9, I still call them WOR and WYNY Channel 5, still call them WNEW and the rest at 10 PM run an hour. A half hour is more than enough followed by a good old sitcom. I thinks its a way to keep people employed. At least at 11 PM the networks run only half hours--if you can stay up that late.

One gripe I have is CBS and NBC have three versions Law and Order and CSI. I dont watch the others. Law and Order on NBC and caught CSI Miami. Never watched the NY one. Cant handle the girl in that one having been in the NBC show Providence. ONE version of each is enough. And the reruns. Enough! TBS runs the hell out of Law and Order. Give it a rest!!!!

I think ABC ran out of shows to run so lets run the hell Grey's Anatomy. I like this show but not 100 reruns of the show. Enough!

Finally program director who keep changin when a show is on. PICK a time a leave it there. You get used to it and these morons change it. Leave it alone already!! Boston Public, I liked it on Sunday. Vegas in Mon night, Now its Fri. These over paid idiots cant think of anything to do so lets change the time. Enough.

Great post. I feel better now. Going to sign off now. I have had the radio on during this whole post! Great station on AM from Canada CHWO AM 740. Plays lots of cool stuff from big band,jazz, top 40. Ran a sound track of a Bugs Bunny cartoon last night at 11 PM eastern time.

Eric