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Viewers turned off by Hollywood writers strike 'may never switch TV on again'
timesonline.co.uk ^ | January 31, 2008 | Chris Ayres

Posted on 01/30/2008 4:02:59 PM PST by bahblahbah

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1 posted on 01/30/2008 4:03:04 PM PST by bahblahbah
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To: bahblahbah

Google Video Search (http://video.google.com/) is one of my new best friends. Lots of good stuff out there— be it classic or original.


2 posted on 01/30/2008 4:08:05 PM PST by jmyrlefuller (NONE OF THE ABOVE IN 2008)
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To: bahblahbah

I knew the writers were shooting themselves in the foot. I haven’t even bothered looking to see if there were any new episodes of the shows I watch since the strike started. I’m buying and watching DVDs instead.

I wonder: are the networks having to give concessions to advertisers because ratings are lower than the advertisers are paying for?


3 posted on 01/30/2008 4:08:17 PM PST by BlessedBeGod
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To: bahblahbah

Hasn’t been anything worth watching in years — I think.


4 posted on 01/30/2008 4:09:51 PM PST by sionnsar (trad-anglican.faithweb.com |Iran Azadi| 5yst3m 0wn3d - it's N0t Y0ur5 (SONY) | UN: Useless Nations)
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To: bahblahbah
I've become so used to not having the TV on now that I forget to watch even shows I want to see...

and I find I could do without the TV altogether - ditto a radio..and many other things - but not my hot water spigot and my 'puter

5 posted on 01/30/2008 4:09:53 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: bahblahbah

The Writer’s Guild strike hasn’t affected me one bit. I thought I’d miss the one show I watch “The Office”, but the writing of the show this last season stunk so bad, I say “Good Riddance”.

Got myself an e-book reader for Christmas (thanks to my wife!), and have been reading instead.

But our family has never been TV junkies. We watch things like “Dirty Jobs”, or “Mythbusters”, but thankfully nothing that needs a “writer”.

In fact, were I a writer for Hollywood, I’d be ashamed to ask for more money given the crap that they churn out.


6 posted on 01/30/2008 4:10:48 PM PST by rom (Deserted by Fred, I am now for Ron Paul)
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To: bahblahbah
Maybe they will bring back some good ol’ reruns. How about some of the good ol’ westerns, a few ol’ sitcoms. Gosh the kids of today would go nuttier than they are. Then again maybe they would be cured of their idiocy! I have not watched a program that would need these striking writers
7 posted on 01/30/2008 4:13:45 PM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: bahblahbah

Yep. The real danger isn’t that people are outraged by the strike and will boycott, it’s that they’ll find out they don’t really need to watch TV so much or at all. I cut TV to about two hours a week a couple of years ago and cut it off altogether last July. Won’t be going back. Now I have time for productive activities...like FReeping...


8 posted on 01/30/2008 4:14:01 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: bahblahbah

A writers strike? Who knew? /s


9 posted on 01/30/2008 4:15:03 PM PST by TexasRepublic (Islam is a mental disorder)
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To: rom
Got myself an e-book reader for Christmas

A Kindle (I hope...)??? How do you like it? Was considering getting one. How is the contrast and legibility compared to print?

10 posted on 01/30/2008 4:16:09 PM PST by RochesterFan
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To: bahblahbah

I switched off years ago. I don’t see any reason to go back. If a TV series gets good buzz, I will check it out on video when it’s released. If it’s good, I will see it all. Otherwise, I’m not investing my time valuable time viewing so much %$#& + advertising for stuff I don’t want or need.


11 posted on 01/30/2008 4:17:35 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: rom

I think the only shows I’ve watched in the last 5 years that required writers were “24” and the Sopranos. I watched the Sopranos on DVD. I could’ve done the same with 24.

In our house, the TV is either off or it’s tuned in to a documentary of some kind. We watch a lot of A&E, The History Channel, etc. The recent documentary on the History Channel about the revolutionary war was outstanding. Being a sports fan, I can also usually find a game to watch. I get most of my entertainment from playing with my kids or FReeping.


12 posted on 01/30/2008 4:19:31 PM PST by highimpact (Abortion - [n]: human sacrifice at the altar of convenience.)
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To: jmyrlefuller
To add to the growing “ground swell” Shepard Smith in New Orleans convinced me I could do with out TV. And I do.
13 posted on 01/30/2008 4:21:20 PM PST by CarryingOn (Spread the message every day, like your life depended on it.)
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To: jmyrlefuller
To add to the growing “ground swell” Shepard Smith in New Orleans convinced me I could do with out TV. And I do.
14 posted on 01/30/2008 4:24:28 PM PST by CarryingOn (Spread the message every day, like your life depended on it.)
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To: rom
“The Office”, but the writing of the show this last season stunk so bad, I say “Good Riddance”.

I disagree. While I think the premise of the show is beginning to wear thin (so when is this documentary ever going to air, anyway?), I think the writing has been pretty good, especially with Michael. In seasons past, he had really been a one-dimensional character but they really started to grow him over the past season. He's not just a clown-boss any longer; he's actually a human being, and it's starting to be revealed as to how he ticks.

The one character that has really bothered me throughout this past season is Jan. I can understand her behaving oddly after she was fired, but it appeared that she turned the corner, so to speak, in the episode where we found out that Michael had the second job--to support Jan's spending habits, no less--but then, in the last episode, she was right back to "Old Jan," who didn't seem at all to care about Michael.

While some of the story lines have been weak (again, I think a problem with the premise of the show), I've been impressed with some of the things that we've been shown the last year.

15 posted on 01/30/2008 4:29:40 PM PST by Publius Valerius
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To: bahblahbah

I stopped watching the tube in 2000.


16 posted on 01/30/2008 4:33:14 PM PST by ol' hoghead (He is not here; for he is risen.)
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To: bahblahbah
'may never switch TV on again'

Oh, BS. If one thing's for sure, it's that Americans will continue to ignore important issues relating to their freedom and instead choose to watch sitcoms and sports. Bread and circuses never get switched off.
17 posted on 01/30/2008 4:35:14 PM PST by mysterio
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To: BlessedBeGod
I discovered the monthly rate at Hollywood Video where I can check out 3 movies at a time for $20 a month. I think I have averaged 4 videos a week. I also have ordered lots of the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre dramas on the cheap at amazon.com. LOL! (Anyone can FReepmail me if you want a list of the good ones!!! :)

I just finished the great Glenda Jackson portrait of 'Elizabeth R' done for Masterpeice Theatre in 1971 on video. I had watched the series several times growing up but this was the first time I could watch the episodes back to back.

Somebody asked me the other day if I missed not watching my favorite TV Shows. And I replied.....Network TV???? What's that??? Hahaha!

18 posted on 01/30/2008 4:39:35 PM PST by BossLady ("People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul" - Carl Jung)
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To: bahblahbah

Writers are on strike? I had no idea. Who cares?


19 posted on 01/30/2008 4:46:07 PM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
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To: BossLady
You may already have it but I, Claudius is a must for any fan of BBC dramas.
20 posted on 01/30/2008 4:46:22 PM PST by primeval patriot
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