TV Land responds to Facebook users' demand for more retro shows

http://insidetv.ew.com ^ | March 8, 2011 | Bryan Lufkin

[lowbridge]

It doesn’t take much sleuthing on TV Land’s Facebook page to discover some of the channel’s viewers are downright peeved. Their demands? More classic programming and fewer new shows. “Bring back the classics! Archie Bunker rules!” declares one viewer. “With all these comments, can’t you guys take the hint! You need to revamp the channel,” censures another. One says: “I’d rather watch the Cavs’ losing streak than Hot in Cleveland.”

TV Land’s first original scripted sitcom, Hot in Cleveland (which has just been renewed for a third season), nabbed SAG recognition in January with a nomination for the cast and a win for Betty White, along with the highest ratings in the network’s 15-year history. Capitalizing on their new hit, TV Land debuted their second original comedy, Retired at 35, earlier this year.

But many of TV Land’s Facebook fans are calling for a programming re-haul, and their show requests run the gamut: Get Smart, I Love Lucy, Mork and Mindy, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, That Girl, Barney Miller, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, The Monkees, Hazel, Rhoda, Flipper, and Soap all have fans eager to see their old favorite shows back on air.

But those fans shouldn’t hold their breath. “As time progresses and a network matures, there are still only 24 hours in a day,” Jaci Cohen, Executive Vice President of TV Land’s programming, tells EW. “We’re never able to give everybody what they want, and that’s why shows come and go on our schedule.”

[LukeL]

We also have Antenna TV and METV which have a lot of classic programing.

[bigbob]

They’re just like radio programmers - could care less what people say they want. “We’re smarter than you so quit complaining”.

Gee, sounds a lot like Democrats in Congress doesn’t it?

[cubreporter]

Hot in Cleveland is so obvious it isn’t funny. Come on folks, I like Betty White and as Rose and her other characters in the show with Mary Tyler Moore were VERY FUNNY...I do not think her mouth is funny at all. They have her saying way too many assinine and ridiculous things and she says them. As for the other three...they all have lines and what a waste. Especially the lady that was the gal on Frasier who married Martin. She’s got real talent and it is being wasted on this show. sorry...that’s my opinion about it all.
We need some good solid shows with PLOTS. Good Lord...we LOVED Julia Louis Dreyfus in Seinfeld but...after the first Julia show...didn’t they arealize she was made for the character in Seinfeld? going to the new adventures of the old Julia is ridiculous. Has anyone else see it? I LOVED Elaine but she is awful in this new series. Yes, bring back some of the old shows with real plots and real funny comedy. All that is on now is people hopping in and out of bed with someone. That’s a story????

[discostu]

Most of that stuff people are “demanding” is out on DVD and various legal streaming sources. And those ways have the advantage of not having commercials, it’s a double advantage really because when those shows were new they had less commercial time per hour, which means when they’re on cable they’re shorter, an average of 5 minutes per half hour.

[DemforBush]

I understand where the fans are coming from. I’ve been hoping to see a few more of my old favorites come back. I understand that the network has to keep its ratings up with programs that draw viewers and advertising $$$. And I also get that as the years pass, more recent shows (relatively speaking) become defined as classic/retro - Just Shoot Me, for example.

Still, I’d like to see them run The Bob Newhart Show or the original WKRP in Cincinnati once in a while instead of The Nanny four freakin’ times a day.

BTW, I’m the same way with cooking shows. I can’t stand all the reality crap that’s taken over Food Network. Give me the likes of The Galloping Gourmet and Justin Wilson anyday!

[RegulatorCountry]

There’s an unmet demand for classic television programming. There was once a time when local affiliates had open blocks that were filled with popular reruns. People love those old shows.

With the advent of more bandwidth with digital broadcast, several local stations have cropped up with a lot of these shows. There are two that I can receive with another on the way. They appear to be holding their own as far as ad sales and revenue. Cost of entry must not be nearly so steep as it once was.

[greene66]

TV-Land was a nifty channel in its first few years. Lots of familiar oldies, like “Mannix,” “Sgt. Bilko,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Cannon,” and such, along with a few occasional rarities on weekends, like “Richard Diamond,” “The Rogues,” “Felony Squad,” “The Loner,” “The Detectives,” “Trackdown,” and whatnot. I used to tape a number of such shows, back then. Pretty worthless channel now, though. I haven’t watched anything on it in many years. A lot of things are now available on dvd, but there’s STILL a lot that’s not.

[Robwin]

Still, I’d like to see them run The Bob Newhart Show... That raises an interesting question. At least 1 of the Newhart shows, him as a psychologist, was an MTM production (meow!) as was, of course, The Mary Tyler Show and even the not so hot Rhoda. But I have never seen any of these in rerun syndication. Has anyone? So why is MTM holding these very funny series back? Anyone know?

[skaterboy]

If I wanted to watch Golden Girls I would...not some revamped version in Cleveland

[Lees Swrd]

I go here if you really want retro, at times you may be using HULU or some other video site but it has a lot choices other sites dont. Lots of old movies for sure.

http://retrovision.tv/tv-shows

[bigbob]

Good point, I guess I’ll just have to find a way to generate a composite video output from a PC so I can stream 21st century online content to my B&W 1958 Philco Predicta!

[SJSAMPLE]

Excellent.

Now, somebody get throgh to SyFy (ugh!) and tell them that multiple iterations of “Big Snake Monsters” and “Crazy Natural Disaster” make for really lousy television.

[lmr]

They’re just like radio programmers - could care less what people say they want. “We’re smarter than you so quit complaining”.

I honestly think that the format of this network is proving to be a crappy business model or at least not giving them the ratings and revenue that the execs desire. On a given day, you are going to find people who will watch these reruns, however, this isn't a dedicated audience and their level of commitment is low. Without something fresh, they will only have people popping in and out and never keep the attention of their viewers for very long.

I'm guessing the original programming is being introduced as a way to start filling some prime time evening spots with programs that have a steady audience so that TV land can boost it's ratings, and hence, it's ad revenue. There just isn't enough attention span in the old shows.

MTV had to do the same thing years ago. When all you show are 4-5 minute music videos to easily distracted Teens and Tweens, you aren't going to hold their attention for very long, nor can you count on a steady viewing diet. MTV's audience popped in and out and eventually they had to have original programming. In their case, Reality TV was their staple for awhile, along with a few other things like Beavis and Butthead, etc. These programs kept the audience's attention for more than a few minutes, which is what you need to really be taken seriously by advertisers. It's even better if you can keep the audience's attention for several hours, this is what Network TV does on many given nights.

[discostu]

Heck almost all the video cards have a secondary out these days, you just need to hit radio shack to convert 3 port RCA into something an old TV can handle. Or pickup any bluray player, they pretty much all hit the internet these days.

Which is why the company is bailing on those shows. You can watch them all in a better format, in a more complete form, on your schedule, for free or a one time fee to purchase the DVDs. They can’t compete with that.

[greene66]

Agree about the unmet demand for a true-blue oldies network. In the last ten years, all the mainstay satellite stations (including TV-Land) seem to be morphing into indistinguishable sameness with their programming. You can’t really tell one network from another anymore.

A new network specializing in un-cut, exclusively vintage fare would at very least stand out, and I truly think it could find a receptive audience. I certainly hear this sentiment from all sorts of people, when the subject is discussed. So many folks I talk to are just sick of the sleaze along with the overall abrasiveness of modern-tv, and seem to be craving a safe-harbor of sorts, full of old favorites.

[Dominic01]

there’s a fairly new network called RTV Retro Television that shows a lot of classics. we can catch it in south Texas. a hell of a lot better than TV Land IMHO.

www.myretrotv.com

[lmr]

SyFy is the crappiest network on cable TV. Period. It’s always been crappy even when it was called ‘The SciFi channel.’ Coming from a fan of Science Fiction, all I can say is that it’s a disgraceful network.

[Nowhere Man]

Thanks! Now all I can do is somehow hook this computer up to my 1982 Zenith and I’ll be very happen. B-)

[relictele]

You’ve said it.

We were once fans of BBC America. For one thing the native UK versions of the BBC aren’t available on any satellite due to the licensing (taxes) of the Beeb in the UK. They also carried EastEnders, Britain’s most popular soap.

In 2003 they dropped EastEnders claiming it was a ratings drag (despite it being a perennial top 3 ratings winner in the UK). The channel president was a shameful coward throughout and, as it turned out, a liar. Today BBC America airs a very limited slate of current UK programming and has been reduced to airing (wait for it) reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the US version of Dancing With The Stars (!?!)

But as you say the programmers are ivory tower TV types who ‘know better’ and when they make a mockery of their channel’s very name they still don’t get it.

We probably haven’t watched 10 cumulative hours of BBCA since then. Thank God for torrents and loads of helpful people capping and posting shows all over the world.

The programmers are programming themselves out of a job. May it arrive quickly.