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America’s burned out. Maybe it’s too many town hall meetings or too much Michael Jackson or too much Nancy Grace holding town hall meetings about Michael Jackson.
Whatever the problem is, it has spilled over into the summer television season. Nearly every new TV series debuted this summer has posted lousy ratings. It’s been like a video cash for clunkers program — the networks paid cash to air new shows and they were all clunkers.
Traditionally, a new season of show releases is like going to the animal shelter. There are a bunch of tired and abused premises on display but at least one or two are usually cute enough to catch your eye.
This summer it looks like all the kittens are going to be put to sleep.
The major surprise, according to TV insiders, is that the poor performances span all networks and all genres. As a result, network executives are hard pressed to point to a “trend” which can be used to excuse the failures foisted on the American public. No “America’s tired of sitcoms” or “the country’s just not ready for a TSA musical.”
America has spoken. It’s tired of all the poor writing and mailed-in, formulaic offerings being churned out by the corporate dweebs and their focus groups.
America’s tired of bad knockoffs with Merlin trying to cash in on the Harry Potter craze and failing to capture the magic or the great writing of J.K. Rowling.
We’re all just a little weary of the “let’s take a successful show type and put it in a crazy location” brainstorm which resulted in Defying Gravity a show billed as a Grey’s Anatomy-in-space because presumably everybody gets laid in space, too.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a new season without the obligatory efforts by the networks to explore new depths of humiliation and mutual self-loathing known as reality TV. The result of the continuing reality sausage factory being Hitched or Ditched in which cameras and an accelerated schedule contribute even more angst to what is probably already the single most stressful day in your life — your wedding day.
As various forms of media merge and converge, network executives will come to realize what Internet denizens already know — content is king. There’s just too much good, original stuff out there for people to waste time on sub-par crap.
Not to mention the availability of boxed-set DVDs of great shows like Homicide, The Shield and The Prisoner.
At this point, a Fresh Prince of Bel Air reunion is something to hope for.
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So to you other kids all across the land,
Take it from me,
Networks just don’t understand.
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Image: Zuma Press
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The 60′s saw some great sitcoms and dramas. My favorite show back then was “Gilligan’s Island”, which was camp du jour, but the characters were lovable, the script was occasionally brilliant with satire and comedic value, and the general tone was one of fun and mild drama. How many people today remember “Columbo”; that stumbling, absent-minded detective who tenaciously plodded toward solving a crime we knew the answer to? The cartoons of that era were so memorable, and the characters both unique and easily recognizable on so many levels, they are treasured even today by viewers of all ages. I’m afraid what the media has become is simply propaganda for social movements, and bland, politically correct subjects to ‘influence’ our general behavior and speech. To make a long description short: It SUCKS!
BelieverinNone, okay, I’M AN EXAMPLE. There are no television sitcoms or drama series made today that do not possess the formulaic content described in the article. The actors are formulaic, the writers simply repackage their scripts to fit the plot, and the emphasis on exposing female flesh (especially around the “Sweeps Week” ratings boosting period…) to whet male appetites for their fare is wearing thin. ‘Funny thing is, they haven’t developed a law yet that forces Americans to view their tripe. I’m sure that will be their next “Reality” show plot: “Congress Outlaws Not Viewing New Television Shows”. I’ll probably skip that series, too.
I agree that most shows today are terrible and lack originality nor do programs deliver what they appear to offer. My only issue with your article is: Where are your references? It seems opinionated.
America’s burned out. (How so?). . . Nearly every new TV series debuted this summer has posted lousy ratings. (give data and example.)
I’ve been a fan of “Better Off Ted”, good times and good laughs
TV is definitely sub-par in the content arena. I really enjoyed NBC’s Kings, but I heard it was scrapped. Watching the finale, I noticed that they changed it from “Series Finale” to “Season Finale.” Hopefully, they will bring it back!