Study says boomers don't like what's on TV

Associated Press ^ | 11-19-06 | DAVID BAUDER

[MortMan]

Then again, it mya hev more to do with having a higher-than-freezing IQ.

mya hev??? It looks like I'm typing with a bad italian accent!! ;-P

Should read "may have". I guess I'll have to thaw my brain out a little more... Some more coffee should help!

[Aquinasfan]

I have EWTN, TV Land, TCM and all the football I can stand. I'm good.

[MarkL]

I'm trying to think of anything I watch with any regularity on TV. Of course, there's football, but I haven't had time to watch a complete football game so far this year... I try to watch CSI on Thursday nights when I can. I think that I've seen 2 episodes this year... And then there's South Park and Battlestar Galactica. About the only channel I watch with any regularity is Fox News. It's on right now, in fact. Although I have to say I don't particularly care for the new format of Fox & Friends.

Mark

[MarkL]

With several hundred options on, I can't see how anyone can complain about TV, especially those who grew up with 3 networks, if they were lucky, in black & white.

Back then, there was actually competition, because there were only 2 other channels (with a possible exception of some local stations as well) where advertisers could sell their wares. That's no longer the case. There's not as much "exclusivity," and I think that shows in TV show development. Think about some of the "old time" shows that were on... While there were some real dogs, even they were pretty innovative. And the "good shows" were so much better than anything else on today.

For people who don't think so, I've got 2 " (not so) old time" shows to mention, and just TRY to come up with anything that's been on TV since that even come close:

The Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson. Yes, I know that it's still on, and while Jay Leno is good, NOBODY can come close to Johnny.

The Carol Burnett Show. `nuff said.

Mark

[lonestar]

I watch

Medium

The Closer

Law & Order

Cold Case

Without a Trace

re-runs, old movies and FX News

I'm geriatric

[Vinnie]

I was thinking about this yesterday.

Just look at how society has changed.

30 years ago we had country bumpkins such as The Beverly Hillbillies, today we have Borat.

I watch..
History
Discovery
Times
Military
The Unit
Bones
Ghost Hunters
NASCAR and football
Seinfeld reruns

Openly sexual and esp. the gay agenda turns me off.
Every show has to have a token gay or two. Yuck
Never watched a reality show, not one .

[MarkL]

Oh, and my "guilty pleasure" is American Idol! I can feel my IQ shedding points every time I watch it, but who cares? :)

That's how I was with "She Spies." My ex-girlfriend used to tell me that every time I watched it, I was killing brain cells. I think that they ruined the series once they brought in a serious "boss" for the girls. The best part of the show (OK, the second best) was just how silly it was. The best part were the girls, Natasha Henstridge, Natasha Williams, and Kristen Miller.

Mark

[MarkL]

I was born in 1943. Most FReepers can do the math.

Wow! You're OLD! I'll bet you can remember when televisions had those round, dial thingees on them, and you had to get out of your chair just to change the channel or turn the volume up or down! Can I call you "Grampa?"

Mark

[MarkL]

Screw TV. What about radio? I live in a sizeable market and there is not a single 'Oldies' format FM station here. I'm not a Boomer myself (Gen-X, born in '75) but I like the music of the '60s better than anything else available.

There used to be a series on the radio in KC, late nights on Friday and Satuday nights, called "When Radio Was," and they'd run the old radio comedies and serials. They were GREAT!

Mark

[longtermmemmory]

I bet this number of people disgusted with TV is HUGE with men in general.

Why does ANY male have any reason to watch some left wing feminist scripted tv show which is inundated with female oriented commercials (see Ford is for Divorced Mothers Commercial, or any other men are stupid/feminist is smart commercial.)

There are very very very few things on TV which appeal to men. Even the much vaunted spike TV is just PC toilet humor.

[longtermmemmory]

"If you are a 50-year-old male or female, there is an enormous amount of television for you," he said. "It's just not on all the places that it used to be."


The author of that statement is delusional. There is nothing directed to the 50 year old male. There is OLD content reruns but that only points out the absolute failure and lack of value of the new content generators.

If all they have to offer is re-runs, then they should just fire all the producers, actors, actresses, directors etc. they have nothing left to do.

[longtermmemmory]

all commercials are suspect

The suzuki commercial where the woman rider trades the male driver her motorcycle for his suv.

The man puts on the WOMAN's jacket! It is small but ridiculous.

Commercials are just a chance to see what else is on.

[william clark]

On the other hand, my wife has been a faithful viewer of Seventh Heaven for years. As if last season's intended series finale wasn't enough of a finger in the eye to viewers, it's as if the producers really didn't want to continue, so they decided to make the characters even more immature, whiney and generally annoying as a means of killing the series off by driving the audience away.

[BlessedBeGod]

Okay, I'm one of the 49-ers mentioned in the article -- I'll be turning 49 in 2-1/2 weeks.

I don't watch much current television: 24, House, American Idol, CSI, Shark, and Numbers is it. (And I wouldn't die if I missed CSI.) I also watch the new Battlestar Gallactica via DVD since I won't pay $30/mo. extra for cable just to get the SciFi channel. I watch way less than I used to -- especially compared to back in the 80s when great shows like Hill St. Blues, LA Law, St. Elsewhere, and Cheers (with Shelley Long) were on the air.

What I do watch a lot is older TV via DVD. It's infinitely more entertaining. And I can't wait for St. Elsewhere to come out on DVD on November 28th!!!!!!!!

[Little Ray]

I don't know if I like what is on TV - I won't let it in my house!!!!!

[BlessedBeGod]

If you haven't seen Paradise, I suggest you get the DVD. Don Johnson's terrific in it.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I would bet that a very high percentage of America's most successful people almost never watch TV. They are busy building their own dreams instead of losing themselves in somebody else's. ;)

[Gideon Reader]

I was born a bit before the start of WWII, so I guess I (we)are not in the "boomer" category, however, even with Direct TV,and over 130 channels, we have a hellish time finding anything reasonable to watch. The four legs of a successful and entertaining show, be it TV, Cinema, or stage production are: story, acting, direction and production. The only lesser equal is production which can be low budget or reduced if the other elements are in place.
NCIS, The Unit, 24(when it is on), an occasional HBO effort and a LOT of BBC America and side channels like HGTV and Food TV, provide the filler with the occasional old film classic.
My analysis: TV Stinks.

[BlessedBeGod]

Oooooooo, I left out Miami Vice!

[Melas]

Can't agree at all MarkL. I was around when your so called good ol' days were on the air, and to be frank, they weren't. The supposedly great shows of that era barely holds a candle to modern mediocrity.