We are weak....weak, weak, weak. :D
So after our first week of being good and sticking to our 2 ep limit for The West Wing....we went ahead the next week and watched 6. .....Then this week we watched 4. Okay so an average of 4 eps a week is actually pretty good for us. -That's almost season 2 pace.
I think we will probably stick to blocks of 4 or 5 eps for the last few. We do have drinking week in their to drown our sorrows.
I will admit that the original limit of 2 eps was unrealistic....but it actually didn't feel wrong that we only watched two.....just like this week it didn't feel wrong that we watched just 4....even though we both kinda wanted to get to ep 5....but at the same time didn't....
I think we both are dying to get to the end...but don't want to get to the end at the same time. -Its a confusing set of feelings.
As far as other tv goes....its the end of the TV season. ER is gone, I've seen the end of Lost, Brothers and Sisters, and every other show I watch, 'cept Greys.
I've got nothing else to watch...nothing waiting for me. This means I will have to start downloading some other things....like the rest of NCIS -which has been my on hold show. I think I've got 3 or 4 eps of that left to see. I've also got to get season 3 of Brotherhood...but I have a feeling its gonna suck - I hope not. Then there is a few mini-series I want to watch, and a couple of movies I've got to track down. But I think I'm going to be very bored over the next few months.
-and waiting till Jan/Feb for new LOST is gonna be hard...this season was TOO good!!!!
-Carlie
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Monday, 4 May 2009
What Happened to The TV Viewers?
Did they all suddenly get dumber, and stupid - unable to appreciate good writing, directing, performance and overall creativity???? It feels like it. Maybe they just became jaded.
Over the last few years, ratings keep dropping for new shows. People are just not tuning in for the good stuff. There could be a billion different reasons why shows are not lasting anymore.
I grew up on shows that were institutions. They lasted at least 3 seasons and often went to 5 or more. So what has changed? Is it the audience? The content? Or are the networks just not giving things a go anymore?
I argue it's a bit of all three.
Firstly, I think the popularity of the internet gave people something else to do. It got people away from their televisions. I also think that the introduction and excess of reality programs has really dumbed down the audience. Additionally, those shows are cheaper to make and easier to sell.
There are very very few shows begun after 2002 that really were good! There are always exceptions and we have seen them. In the 20th century somehow there were more shows being given a chance by networks. Nowdays its all about ratings. If something does not rate high straight off the bat, it is doomed. If they had thought that way in the old days, The Brady Bunch and many other iconic shows would never have made it! -Just something to think about.
I think that nowadays the audiences EXPECT new shows to not last. So they are not tuning in in the first place! They would rather wait till it has a good shot, and catch up by watching online or dvd. I find even I think that way. I know what is coming, I know who is in it and sometimes I really really like it (eg. Pushing Daisies, Better Off Ted), and want it to do well, but sometimes even though I want to....I just automatically expect that anything new will not last. (eg. Cupid)
Even with TIVO, people are still not watching the new stuff.
DVD's I think are also to blame. Now people can watch their old faves over and over and over again without having to care about the new stuff that isn't going to last more than a season. Not that there is anything wrong with watching old stuff.....I'm all for it. -You've seen my dvd collection and read my ranting about The West Wing. But its a factor nonetheless.
It really makes me worry about the future of tv. A lot of the BIG shows (in my lifetime) ended from 2004-2006. Today's big shows started around that time...but they are just not quite at the same standard of excellence and consistancy of quality that the old ones were. -Seriously, you cannot argue that season 5 of Grey's Anatomy is as good as season 5 of Friends. (or for a better example the first 12 seasons of ER vs. the last few)
I wonder what will happen when these big shows we have now call it quits. What will the landscape of American television look like when Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Heroes, LOST etc. end. I doubt Mad Men will go for more than a few more seasons. Maybe by that time we will be ready to accept some of the old quality back again. Maybe by then we will see some more top shelf stuff make it past season 1, by the likes of J.J Abrams, Aaron Sorkin, Amy Sherman-Palladino, John Wells, the creators of Friends, Will and Grace, and other sitcoms, and any one of other greats I'm sure I've forgotton.
Stay tuned for my next rant.....on the death of the Sitcom!
----
Carlie
Over the last few years, ratings keep dropping for new shows. People are just not tuning in for the good stuff. There could be a billion different reasons why shows are not lasting anymore.
I grew up on shows that were institutions. They lasted at least 3 seasons and often went to 5 or more. So what has changed? Is it the audience? The content? Or are the networks just not giving things a go anymore?
I argue it's a bit of all three.
Firstly, I think the popularity of the internet gave people something else to do. It got people away from their televisions. I also think that the introduction and excess of reality programs has really dumbed down the audience. Additionally, those shows are cheaper to make and easier to sell.
There are very very few shows begun after 2002 that really were good! There are always exceptions and we have seen them. In the 20th century somehow there were more shows being given a chance by networks. Nowdays its all about ratings. If something does not rate high straight off the bat, it is doomed. If they had thought that way in the old days, The Brady Bunch and many other iconic shows would never have made it! -Just something to think about.
I think that nowadays the audiences EXPECT new shows to not last. So they are not tuning in in the first place! They would rather wait till it has a good shot, and catch up by watching online or dvd. I find even I think that way. I know what is coming, I know who is in it and sometimes I really really like it (eg. Pushing Daisies, Better Off Ted), and want it to do well, but sometimes even though I want to....I just automatically expect that anything new will not last. (eg. Cupid)
Even with TIVO, people are still not watching the new stuff.
DVD's I think are also to blame. Now people can watch their old faves over and over and over again without having to care about the new stuff that isn't going to last more than a season. Not that there is anything wrong with watching old stuff.....I'm all for it. -You've seen my dvd collection and read my ranting about The West Wing. But its a factor nonetheless.
It really makes me worry about the future of tv. A lot of the BIG shows (in my lifetime) ended from 2004-2006. Today's big shows started around that time...but they are just not quite at the same standard of excellence and consistancy of quality that the old ones were. -Seriously, you cannot argue that season 5 of Grey's Anatomy is as good as season 5 of Friends. (or for a better example the first 12 seasons of ER vs. the last few)
I wonder what will happen when these big shows we have now call it quits. What will the landscape of American television look like when Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Heroes, LOST etc. end. I doubt Mad Men will go for more than a few more seasons. Maybe by that time we will be ready to accept some of the old quality back again. Maybe by then we will see some more top shelf stuff make it past season 1, by the likes of J.J Abrams, Aaron Sorkin, Amy Sherman-Palladino, John Wells, the creators of Friends, Will and Grace, and other sitcoms, and any one of other greats I'm sure I've forgotton.
Stay tuned for my next rant.....on the death of the Sitcom!
----
Carlie
Sunday, 3 May 2009
The Predictions Update
So pretty much all my predictions or hopes for the ER finale didn't happen....'cept that Susan, Lydia and others came back...which was AWESOME; and that they put the credits back in!!!
On the West Wing front, we finished season 6 a few weeks ago...we managed to slow things down a bit. We had a whole 2 weeks break between ending season 6 and starting season 7, including a whole week without either of us watching any old eps or even clips on the computer. -Strangely enough it wasn't as hard as it sounded...which I guess is a really GOOD thing.
We now have a plan for watching season 7. Since we have so many other things that we've been meaning to watch, we're going to watch a few movies and things, and then watch 2 (or 3......) eps of The West Wing. Just to hold off getting to the end a little. -Wish us luck :D
As far as my predictions go.....since the first ep of season 7 started with a flash forward 3 years into the future....some things were alluded too...involving all the characters who I had NO idea what they would end up doing...which was helpful. Some I guessed randomly....some I had a couple of ideas.
It's going to be a very interesting next few weeks.
-----
Carlie
On the West Wing front, we finished season 6 a few weeks ago...we managed to slow things down a bit. We had a whole 2 weeks break between ending season 6 and starting season 7, including a whole week without either of us watching any old eps or even clips on the computer. -Strangely enough it wasn't as hard as it sounded...which I guess is a really GOOD thing.
We now have a plan for watching season 7. Since we have so many other things that we've been meaning to watch, we're going to watch a few movies and things, and then watch 2 (or 3......) eps of The West Wing. Just to hold off getting to the end a little. -Wish us luck :D
As far as my predictions go.....since the first ep of season 7 started with a flash forward 3 years into the future....some things were alluded too...involving all the characters who I had NO idea what they would end up doing...which was helpful. Some I guessed randomly....some I had a couple of ideas.
It's going to be a very interesting next few weeks.
-----
Carlie
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