When you need to rant...

[Drtooth]

In similar news, TV Land is apparently going to be airing reruns of Steve Harvey's Family Feud, showing that they've completely given up on their network. When you're taking the Game Show Network's leftovers, something has gone wrong.

Makes me wonder. Is a retro-network like that considered unprofitable since we now have hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, official Youtube Uploads, and DVD box sets? I mean, we're even seeing Batman released on DVD (albeit expensive as shell)... something that we never thought would actually be done. Because I see plenty of retro based networks out there that are doing fine. A little heavy on the Cowboy shows, maybe... but there are better alternatives to TV Land.

Cracked spelled out why MTV sucks now, anyway... here's the link if you want to bother... language is a little NSFW... But it made 2 very specific points.

1) Music Videos were made chiefly to sell CD's. No one wants to buy albums anymore, and therefore there's no reason to advertise. And music videos that are made have to have an insane amount of product placement to even bother making money on the internet, where everyone watches them anyway.

2) If they did still play music videos, they'd all be the artists you don't like that are popular anyway.

Similar, and germane to the conversation. But the beauty point is, there are great alternative retro TV stations out there than TVLand. As far as syndication goes, it sucks. I remember seeing old (and some slightly current) sitcoms being played in syndication when I was younger. Now the sleaze talk show and judge TV show (both of which won't die!!!) have sewn that up with the 2 Doctor related programs and TMZ clones. I'm more annoyed about that.

 

[charlietheowl]

I think that MTV has moved all their music videos to their own channel. I used to get when I had Comcast MTV Jams (which aired rap/hip-hop videos) and VH1 Soul (which aired soul/R&B/adult contemporary videos). So music videos have moved to channels just like the Music Choice ones.

At least MTV is starting to de-emphasize reality shows for scripted dramas. They may not be the best ones, but anything is better than another show with Rob Drydek.

 

[Drtooth]

At least MTV is starting to de-emphasize reality shows for scripted dramas. They may not be the best ones, but anything is better than another show with Rob Drydek.

I stated this in the "annoying TV Show" thread, but I saw some clip of a documentary about Rob, and the female head of Viacom was creepily obsessed with him. I said something I can't repeat here, and in a AVGN tone as well. She has hot stalker inappropriate crush syndrome for Rob baaaaaaad.

Seriously... the fact he has what could easily be the worst cartoon ever associated with Nickelodeon (and that includes Fanboy and Chum Chum) can only be attributed to how much the Viacom head absolutely fawns and drools over him.

Her words? "Too much Rob Drydek is never enough."

Dude, a quantum singularity of Rob Drydek is waaaaaaaay too much.

 

[D'Snowth]

Cracked spelled out why MTV sucks now, anyway... here's the link if you want to bother... language is a little NSFW...

That's basically how TV Land has been responding to people who have been complaining about them phasing out classic television in favor of their own original sitcoms: apparently classic sitcoms were only appealing to older audiences, and God forbid we cater to older audiences, it's the 18-25 crowd that networks so covet when it comes to broadcasting, and apparently 18-25-year-olds are so desensitized by what's on television, that they would become so bored and disinterested with shows that feature intelligent writing and likeable characters. Oh yeah, and by producing their own programming, TV Land can actually make money for themselves... what's that trope called? Oh yeah... Money, Dear Boy.

Matter of fact, when TV Land recently gave Kirstie Alley a new show (seriously, who even likes Kirstie Alley?), people were complaining about how adult the show is by saying, "Dear TV Land, I was watching wholesome programming like THE BRADY BUNCH and THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW with my kids, when all of the sudden, we see a commercial for KIRSTIE in which the characters are talking about sex and virginity, prompting my kids to ask me what these words mean, how dare you promote such dirty things during a time when families would be watching programming."

Yeah, there's hulu (with commercials), YouTube (with commercials), and alternate channel sources (MeTV is a really good alternative, albeit their schedules and programming are kind of inconsistent), but DVD really is the best route, because a lot of the older shows are restored and remastered compared to how they look on TV, not to mention they're uncut, so yeah.

 

[Drtooth]

That's basically how TV Land has been responding to people who have been complaining about them phasing out classic television in favor of their own original sitcoms: apparently classic sitcoms were only appealing to older audiences, and God forbid we cater to older audiences, it's the 18-25 crowd that networks so covet when it comes to broadcasting, and apparently 18-25-year-olds are so desensitized by what's on television, that they would become so bored and disinterested with shows that feature intelligent writing and likeable characters. Oh yeah, and by producing their own programming, TV Land can actually make money for themselves... what's that trope called? Oh yeah... Money, Dear Boy.

I honestly can't believe anyone under the age of 40 liked Hot in Cleveland. I just don't buy it. It screams housewife demo to me. I don't think any 18-24 year olds want to watch a show about middleaged women talking about sex, unless they have a cougar fetish. The Betty White meme disappeared as quickly as it started, so it doesn't really have that going for it.

But riddle me this.... Movie channels want to run only original programming, original programming channels want to only run movies.

I kind of expect channels to screw up and pander to a group that's happy with what they're watching already. Though CN has pretty much given up on live action programming no one likes, and that's an improvement there. So far, anyway. My only real beef is Nicktoons having that awful Nick Sports block. The two worst cartoons on their network and a crappy NFL digest show. No thank you.

 

[CensoredAlso]

it's the 18-25 crowd that networks so covet

Because probably the 19-25 crowd isn't watching as much TV anymore. These networks have no clue how to compete with the Web.

 

[Drtooth]

And they only have themselves to blame when their favorite shows get cancelled and replaced by garbage no one actually likes in the first place. The ratings system has always been screwed up and illogical, the networks don't know how to count hulu/netflix/their own sites views as ratings quite yet.

Still, you have a network that middle aged people constantly watch, yet replacing the shows with something other middle aged people would watch. I doubt the average Hot in Cleveland viewer is younger than their mid-30's at the youngest.

 

[fuzzygobo]

Syndication was dead to me the minute my Fox affiliate killed reruns of The Simpsons for non-stop TMZ/some TMZ ripoff showings, multiple times per day. Well, the hours that aren't filled by their news cast.

That said, I'm sure Hot in Cleveland plays to aging women, and that's their only major demographic for the show. At least they seem to like it... I guess. Then again, they syndicated reruns of New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, and even Till Death. Now, I understand the first 2 actually had ratings, I can't fathom that either managed to last more than a season. They're awful. I actually pretend that Agent Coulson had to infiltrate the cast and writers of Old Christine to make sure the show was horridly unfunny to prevent some HYDRA conspiracy. And that Adam Sandler bribed CBS so David Spade actually had a career. But NO ONE liked Till Death. NO ONE! And it's on all these channels. A show Fox kept forcing on the American people that no one liked managed to get enough episodes to rerun.

Say hello to the ONE person who actually LIKED "Til Death" (does this mean I have to get out of Dodge by sundown?). I didn't catch it during its original run, and it beats me why AntennaTV (dedicated to classic TV, like TVLand's original incarnation) justifies adding it to its lineup. But just because nobody liked it (except one) doesn't mean it was bad.

There are far worse shows they could stick on at 1 a.m. But Brad Garrett was decent, and for a newer sitcom (even one "nobody" liked) to hold my attention, that takes some doing.

I'm not part of "no one", so now your claim takes on a new paradigm: " No one (but one, maybe two) liked "Til Death".

P.S. Will you still respect my opinion in the morning?

 

[Drtooth]

The problem with Till Death is this. The same people who did King of Queens did that one, and it was hard not to see the characters as expies of Doug and Carrie, only replacing Doug's fatness with Brad Garret's tallness. After watching several episodes, it felt like they just recycled unused scripts from King of Queens.

I'll admit, it wasn't a bad show, just an unremarkable one. What really was baffling was that cancel crazy Fox that cancelled better shows that got better ratings kept forcing the show on the viewers and it never took. Then they woke up and just dumped the rest of the episodes in the summer burn off months, back to back.

Now, I full well know the pain of liking something that never gets the following it deserves. I loved most of the cartoons on Fox Kids, for crying out loud. The "everything but Power Rangers needs to be swept under the rug" network. That used to really tick me off when I was younger. Now I just sadly realize an unpopular show wasn't meant to be, collect the merchandise if any exists at bargain prices, and move on. Which is why I hate when there's something a small amount of people or no actual viewers like that networks force down and keep around.

 

[D'Snowth]

Ah, Jimmy Kimmel was speaking my mind tonight, going over all of the popular shows for the current season, and remarking, "So, you can either watch doctors having sex, politicians having sex, or now lawyers having sex."

Need I say more? Need I say more?