Television, a personal Rant

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

On another Forum there was a discussion on why many had quit watching regular shows and many abandoned Cable and Satellite. It was interesting to read and go through so many posts and many similar why we in our household turned to DVDs and over the air, and watch so little regular programs anymore.

First its that we aren't hard of hearing, but so many actors/actresses have turned to mumbling their dialogue'

Second, most regular programing has only 10 or 12  episodes so we tended to forget and lost interest in trying to remember what happened last.

Third, with all the channels on Satellite, there were days were there was nothing to watch and we were paying for channels we had no interest in or ever watched, but had to pay for the privilege of the few which we did want in the package.

 

End result- We now save 177.00 a month. We spend more time reading books and listening to music and visiting friends.

Oh we still watch TV, but can count on only 5 shows and only turn on TV at 5PM to listen to local news and weather, then its turned off for supper.

Our DVD player is getting a work out watching old classics we have, both movies and old TV shows.

With the coming of Cable, Satellite offering hundreds if not thousands of channels its odd how for so long most of us grew up with 3 channels and were so entertained.

Same for Movies, we haven't gone to see a movie in 5 years and those nominated and winning Oscars we have never heard of nor wanted to see when we had cable and satellite.

[Pat Riot]

2 hours ago, Marshal Dan Troop 70448 said:

With the coming of Cable, Satellite offering hundreds if not thousands of channels its odd how for so long most of us grew up with 3 channels and were so entertained.

I think it’s because they actually had shows worth watching, well, some. 
Also, shows had 52 minutes of air time and 8 minutes of commercials. Over time that has changed to 40-42 minutes of show and 18-20 minutes of commercials.

Shows didn’t have as many socio-political messages being crammed down people’s throats. It seems for a while every show had a racial formula. The main characters had to have a color mix that included one or two whites, one black and one brown and/or one yellow actor. (Yeah, I know that’s no PC, but I don’t care) Then came the LGBTQ coalition. Now every show has to have its gay characters so the 1% are represented. 
Shows also had to meet certain “moral codes” back in the old days. The good guys always won. Bad guys for what they deserved. There was often an uplifting message. Though I thought those codes were not representative of real life they at least provided something of a moral compass. 

 

I haven’t watched “regular TV” in years. I got tired of it. I got tired of abrasive chefs, moronic celebrities, PC news, shows with no substance, the idolization of scum, the promotion of all things dirtbag and the subjugation of decency and morality. 
 

I use WiFi to watch shows I want to watch when I want to watch them. I use Netflix and Amazon to watch what I want. Those companies have had their issues but at least I can control what I watch without commercials. I don’t watch Free Vee on Amazon either. 

 

 

[Dantankerous]

Get the boxed DVD set of M.A.S.H. and the movies. Some of the best real TV ever. 11 seasons will keep you busy whenever the weather is too crappy to be outside.

[Pat Riot]

3 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

Get the boxed DVD set of M.A.S.H. and the movies. Some of the best real TV ever. 11 seasons will keep you busy whenever the weather is too crappy to be outside.

Yes, I have a bunch of DVDs too. I forgot to mention that. Thanks. 

[Dantankerous]

When you're done watching M.A.S.H., get the Barney Miller DVD collection.

 

 

And for laughs from real, good, solid, clean comedy...

 

WKRP in Cincinatti.

 

 

[Pat Riot]

23 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

When you're done watching M.A.S.H., get the Barney Miller DVD collection.

 

 

And for laughs from real, good, solid, clean comedy...

 

WKRP in Cincinatti.

 

 

Actually, I don’t have my MASH set anymore. I lended them to a friend and he still has them. 
 

Two series I have on DVD that I love are “The Untouchables” and “Peter Gunn”. They make you want to go shoot your DA revolvers and they spark a yearning for another 1911 in me. 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

I haven't watched any current TV in 15 years or so.  I watch some reruns on streaming tv...just watched the first season of "House".  14 episodes took me a month to watch.  Mostly I watch video channels on youtube, and old movies where I can find them.  The wife is a TVaholic, though, and has something on most all the time.  Usually its 1950s, 60s and 70s comedy series, like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, and (her current favorite) Night Court.  Another favorite of hers is the QVC channel on youtube.  She doesn't buy much there, but she likes hearing voices while she does computer or house cleaning.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

5 hours ago, Marshal Dan Troop 70448 said:

We spend more time reading books

 

Fortunately I have not gotten that desparate yet.  

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

I have to watch the news to keep up with the latest craziness. Since Rush passed away, I have turned to Hannity, to fill in the gap, plus he is Irish, like me, so that helps as well. I get furious, watching the news, but I have to know what is going on, so I don't get blindsided by the insanity. 

I do watch Moonshiners, and that is about all, on regular t.v.. On cable, I watch the gun shows, and on the i-net I watch Duelist1954, and Hickok45, among others. So far, the marxists haven't banned either one of them.  

The dvd's are a mainstay, at my house, as well.

Yep, we have more channel's available, but most of the "choices" are not fit to watch, or are as dull as dishwater. 

Where is Captain Kangaroo, and Mr. Green-Jeans, and Mr. Moose, when you really need them???? 

 

[DeaconKC]

+1 to the above. Plus. I am tired of un-necessary swearing on shows. I spent 26 years dealing with violent, convicted felons, so there is NOTHING I haven't heard, but I don't want it in my home.

[Rip Snorter]

When we moved to Montana 15 years ago we dropped TV.  I was enraged by the news and frequently swore at the TV.  I know my BP is lower without it.  All we were watching was History Channel, Home Improvement and Cooking shows.  Both kids, without prompting have gone the same route.  I rarely even watch movies from our collection.  It is not really missed at all.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

TV shows used to be 25 to 30 episodes per season. There are some good series on TV/Cable but the season is 8 episodes and then wait a year for the next half of the series. By the time it comes around you've lost interest or you have to go back and re-watch some.

Agree on whisper dialogue and then the commercials are so loud you have to turn the volume down.

[The Shoer 27979]

Like most of you we don't watch regular  TV, we stream a lot, and most the stuff we watch are from our child hood

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have cable, it's about $110.00 a month but I have a sports package to watch my baseball team and I like Fox news and Encore which has 6 channels all movies including the Westerns channel, no commercials. I don't go out to eat much, I really don't drink and I'm single. I enjoy watching some of the new shows and there's a bunch of channels that have all the old stuff like ya'll are talking about.