Network TV's Case of the Missing Men (Or, "The Day TV Died")

fox ^ | 11-21-03

[steppenwolffe]

Young man, turn on your television. Please. The networks are begging you.

Due to an exodus of 18- to 34-year-old male viewers, the four networks' new TV shows are getting booted off the air faster than "Survivor" contestants this season.

[Adder]

"Sunday eve at 9 PM, if anyone's interested."

Not until after football season...maybe it will still be around.

[Enterprise]

I'll take a stab at it. This age group is the "aggressive" group of males. Now the network execs could get off their collective butts and see what their own kids are or are not watching, or they can ask what their kids friends are watching, but that would be too obvious.

This group of males is heavily into violent, sexy, video games. It's that simple. Of course, TV could try to make some show about young males who are aggressive but at some point they would put in the obligatory politically correct "aggressive" female who could hold her own with the males, then the guys would tune out again.

In any event, I don't want the networks to figure it out and I hope they all fail.

[Benrand]

It's easy, you bring back shows like Vegas and Cannon and Mannix, shows that guys want to watch and that validates men's view of themselves as a suave PI or a ball busting sargent and not Dharma and Greg and shows filled with stupid fat white guys.

Who wants to watch a show that tells you you are a moron???

[banjo joe]

"[all] of the programming just sucked... but we thought the morons would swallow it whole anyway - they always have before..." NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker admitted.

[Alberta's Child]

It's actually quite simple. People in the 18-to-34 age group are turning off the television because the programming is aimed at an audience of adolescents with an IQ of 75.

[RileyD, nwJ]

1) CSI when I can stand the gore ...
2) PBS specials (Johnny Cash) while holding my nose
3) Law & Order - Criminal Intent
4) West Wing - saw my first in watching their interpetation of the government shutdown budget battle between the branches.

Now two words to describe the cause of the decline in Prime Time TV on ABCNBCCBS ... "GAY TV"

[steppenwolffe]

I just read about another game, "Call of Duty." Supposedly awesome graphics. But I've got to add more RAM, first.

[headsonpikes]

Girls on Trampolines bump.

[DEPUTYMAYTAG]

Yeah, I'm male,54, and not in that age group but my 4 sons are, they are sick of ''gay'' situations, and other incredubally ignorant ass programming, including surviver and other dating and marrige contests.
It appears this is all programmed to appeal to young girls age 12-17 and or retarded adults.

[leadpencil1]

TV is a total waste of time, for the most part. Why would you want some loser in Hollyweird feeding your brain or your kids brain every evening?

[HamiltonJay]

SCRUBS RULES!!!

[Luke21]

Quite right. Political correctness mandates a certain worldview, and our sons are sick of it. The only men on these brain-dead shows are metrosexuals, who are constantly put down and shown up by hip slick and cool women. The shows aren't funny because so much is off limits in this p.c. universe the libs have thrust on us.

Wild Wild West was a great show. So was Mannix. So was Kojak. Can't do those now.

Let them go in the tank. They certainly deserve to reap what they have sewn.

[SunStar]

I would add in HBO's "The Wire" too. Engaging storyline, no preachy "drugs are bad" or "drug dealers are just misunderstood" lines. Their 6 Feet Under is good as well.

I agree with this choice. I was trying to name network shows besides 24 and NYPD Blue.

When it comes to non-network shows, I also like plenty on Comedy Central, FX and other networks, including:

Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn
The Shield
The Sopranos (whenever HBO decides to air new episodes)

[TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa]

TV is being written by seventh grade boys who have a slight interest in homosexuality.

[cibco]

"I'd like to see more gay oriented sit-coms, left leaning news programs and shows that make people eat really strange things..."

LOL!!

Seriously... those sre the reasons I avoid network TV. You should be a consultant to them a$$clowns. You hit with a short, sweet barb. ;0)

[oyez]

Used to be my wife would argue about what watch on TV. Nowdays we are in agreement. "Leave it off!"

Another indication of p*ss poor programing that she is starting to watch football and other sports.

[HamiltonJay]

Frankly Network prime time sucks for the most part, one notable exception is SCRUBS!!!

Every show is either some inane reality nonsense or or feels it has to have some gay character or subplot... largely either pointlessly pandering to homosexual activists, or playing the foolish flaming jester.

Joan of Arcadia is probably the one exception among new shows, and even it has its token "lesbian"... though I am begining to wonder if she is, or if she just dresses and acts masculine to keep people at a distance.

I would say these are the shows I make an effort to watch:

Scrubs,
Joan of Arcadia,
Law and Order franchise
The Simpsons
Angel

And have found myself watching ER again this season some, something I hadn't watched in years.

For the life of me I can't think of another NETWORK show I go out of my way to try to catch. All the quasi/pseudo reality stuff is complete waste, and nearly everything else has PC claptrap all through it.

And I am sick of the all gay all the time crap... yes, there are gay people in this world... but they are far far overrepresented in prime time these days! I don't need to know or care about the sexual orientation of every minor walk on character!

[Freebird Forever]

If y’all get the chance, check out the George Lopez show (Friday nights - ABC).

He’s done some anti immigration & anti Castro jokes that were really funny!

[Space Wrangler]

My guess would be that network execs and their potential audiences live in totally different worlds. But what do I know? I'm just some schmuck living in flyover country....that doesn't watch network tv!!

[Rummyfan]

Hyped programs like NBC's "Coupling" and Fox's "Skin" have already been dumped, and others like "Miss Match" starring Alicia Silverstone (NBC), "Karen Sisco" (ABC) and Rob Lowe's "Lyon's Den" (Fox) are seriously floundering. Even long-running favorites like "Friends" and "ER" have lost viewers.

Gee, with shows like these why aren't they getting viewers???