I've got a rant about TV

[Geophyrd]

Ok, I'm really pretty annoyed about American TV. Since I've only ever watched a foreign tv once or twice, I can't speak for it. But damned if they could be any more stupid than American TV seems to be. Yesterday, they cancelled Commander In Chief. Its not that the show was great, although it was pretty good. TV did it to themselves, shot themselves in the foot yet again. Here's whats bugging me: 1). If a TV show carries a dramatic arc, it ought to be shown in order and (hopefully) more than once a week. You miss one episode of 24 and you're screwed for the rest of the season. This has killed many a great show...Firefly (great show) being a good example. 2). If there has to be a hiatus, let it be a maximum of 1 week. Commander in Chief didn't just fail for its managerial changes. No one knew when the thing was one. It went a month and a half without a new episode and then they put it on another night. I don't know a single show out there that's capable of carrying a dramatic arc for a month and a half. I don't remember what CiC's cliffhanger was before their big hiatus but its return would have just elicited a yawn from me had I known it was one. On the other hand, I waited a year and a half for Sopranos... 3). FX, HBO, Showtime seem to have the right ideas when it comes to their programming. Finish the season and then repeat the last two. I defy anyone who wanted to see The Shield, Rescue Me, Sopranos, Deadwood, L Word, etc that couldn't find it. 4). Sweeps weeks are ruining TV! How much better would TV be if sweeps was done by random sampling throughout a year? Instead of reruns until sweeps and then reruns until the next sweeps, we'd have quality programming more constantly. Its why I have trouble recalling what the hell I saw three weeks ago on the last new episode of Lost (yes, I know it was a new one last night...I'm making a point) 5). When a show is cancelled...cancel it. Fat Actress is still 'on hiatus' and Kirstie Alley is no longer fat. Sleeper Cell (great show which was killed by a moronic marketing campaigh) is probably never coming back but at least tell me so I stop looking for it! Other shows, like Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Family Business were in the can ages ago and they simply never got around to showing it. BTW, Family Business did start up again a week ago. Bull****, the Penn and Teller show, is also back but they're showing like 2 new episodes a week. Only way I discovered it was by looking at Showtime's website. 6). Stop cancelling shows that are really good. If the economics no longer work, then rework the economics. The only good reason to cancel The West Wing is because the actors cost too much. Get some new actors. Better yet, get Aaron Sorkin back and working! I only hope that Battlestar Galactica doesn't run into the same problems. I only worry because with the announcement of the new series, Caprica, I don't want them to retire BSG before I get a chance to sleep with Starbuck. Make now mistake...its a golden age of TV. There's a lot of TV that's better than any movie out there (and crap too...MoH was crap IMHO) Now if they'd quit screwing it up...

[p2501]

a couple responses. about the dramatic arc thing. with 24 if you miss an Ep or two your not that bad off. the "previously on 24" thing at the start of each episode is usually enough info to get you up to speed. like wise with Lost. Beyond that, if your really into a show and miss a crutial EP, you can always download it off of the web, either on a pay site, or by theiving it. A sofr the Hiatus and sweeps bits, that's TV in a nut shell. if yuo watch network TV your going to be stuck with that. unless.... you have a tivo, DVR, or comcat's "on demand" services, they you can just dial up whatever show you wnt when you want. this goes double for Showtime stuff. they usually have the most current EP available on, On Demand within 12 hours of the episode initially airing. I'd say beyond the shows you like being canceled, which i understand ("the Unit" best be back next year), if these problems really annoy you just buy a TiVo and call it a day.

[Danny]

i think everyone hates american censors, they screw up most american tv and make it take an extra 6 months to 2 years before it appears in the uk.

[MinionZombie]

Yes! Yes! YES! I F*CKING HATE American show 'hiatus' time. WTF is that crap?! 24 thankfully caught on that shows should be shown non-stop from start to finish over time, just like here in the UK (save for the odd week once, maybe twice during the overall run for special reasons). "Lost" has been buggered around with so much this season that's it's ruined all continuity, I love it, but I'd love it more if I could remember what happened last week - 1 minute of recaps won't remind me, week-to-week continuity will! And stopping mid-seasons - WTF!!!??? Family Guy did it (now it sucks ass), South Park did it (it still rocks, but season 9 was retarded for having MONTHS off mid-way). I'm hoping it doesn't happen again this time around. Strange that in a time when American TV has become quality and easily surpassed the ailing film industry (cos of crap movies), that the networks insist on f*cking up schedules ... really retarded. Maybe you guys shouldn't be in charge of a stack of nuclear weapons, lol ------ Not really to do with the censors when the show airs, but I know what you mean Hellsing. Something that the FCC (censors) is really gay about is having any mature content in anything. Violence, sex, swearing. Goddamn, you can't even say "goddamn" without being beeped, f*cking hell. The whole FCC wave is dripping with "prude juice" ... just look what happened when *gasp* a NIPPLE slipped out on Super Bowl Sunday. Holy-f*cking-monkies!!! Slam that red button people, a NIPPLE ON TV!!!! *sigh*

[Danny]

tell me about it why stop mid season anyway?

[Tullaryx]

Actually, you can't blame the hiatus system for Commander-in-Chief being cancelled. The show itself started out strong with its first couple episodes, but its producer and writer, Rod Lurie took so long to write the script and get an episode done that he pretty much got fired and a new group of people brought in.

[Danny]

if theres one thing we can take solace in, at least they cancelled jag

[creepntom]

the only thing i watch regularly is 24, but as of late i've added deadliest catch & various food network programs, regular tv just doesn't cut it anymore

[Danny]

and to my shame ive slowly become addicted to mythbusters and american chopper on discovery