Worst show on TV

[meekon5]

@meekon5 That Orwell / Huxley chart is very interesting. The powers that be are using both sides and both strategies in my estimation (and a lot more). As a side note; I have read both books (Brave New World and 1984) and I wish they would be required reading for everyone, at least while in high school.

I've read and re-read them countless times...they scare me more now than when I first opened them!

Same here (to both of you), I first read 1984 (the book) just before it was actually 1984 (the year), Brave New World soon after. Add the Illuminatus Trilogy to the set and you get really freaked out and paranoid.

Back to thread subject:

Much to my great regret economics drives television. Gone are the days of the big budget high quality TV shows.

It's so much cheaper to send a camera and sound recordist to follow some egotist who actually thinks their point of view on some subject has some worth, than it is to set up a full production costume drama television series. Or even cheaper just buy old video footage from cameras fitted to police cars that are used to collect evidence, and would have just been wiped after the fact, but some clever bastard realised you can sell it to desperate TV stations who have little or no budget.

So we as a population are stuck (until the little stations think of a new radical way of financing themselves) with endless repeats (again easier than original program creation) or shite "reality" programs.

[DigitalBuddha]

@forumdude   Fawlty Towers; OK, now that was a good one. John Cleese is a classic!

[DigitalBuddha]

@meekon5 That Orwell / Huxley chart is very interesting. The powers that be are using both sides and both strategies in my estimation (and a lot more). As a side note; I have read both books (Brave New World and 1984) and I wish they would be required reading for everyone, at least while in high school.

I've read and re-read them countless times...they scare me more now than when I first opened them!

Same here (to both of you), I first read 1984 (the book) just before it was actually 1984 (the year), Brave New World soon after. Add the Illuminatus Trilogy to the set and you get really freaked out and paranoid.

Back to thread subject:

Much to my great regret economics drives television. Gone are the days of the big budget high quality TV shows.

It's so much cheaper to send a camera and sound recordist to follow some egotist who actually thinks their point of view on some subject has some worth, than it is to set up a full production costume drama television series. Or even cheaper just buy old video footage from cameras fitted to police cars that are used to collect evidence, and would have just been wiped after the fact, but some clever bastard realised you can sell it to desperate TV stations who have little or no budget.

So we as a population are stuck (until the little stations think of a new radical way of financing themselves) with endless repeats (again easier than original program creation) or shite "reality" programs.

Illuminatus Trilogy  ...must reading! I put that in the same category as Carol Quigley's Tragedy and Hope.

[Hominid]

@meekon5 That Orwell / Huxley chart is very interesting. The powers that be are using both sides and both strategies in my estimation (and a lot more). As a side note; I have read both books (Brave New World and 1984) and I wish they would be required reading for everyone, at least while in high school.

I've read and re-read them countless times...they scare me more now than when I first opened them!

Same here (to both of you), I first read 1984 (the book) just before it was actually 1984 (the year), Brave New World soon after. Add the Illuminatus Trilogy to the set and you get really freaked out and paranoid.

Back to thread subject:

Much to my great regret economics drives television. Gone are the days of the big budget high quality TV shows.

It's so much cheaper to send a camera and sound recordist to follow some egotist who actually thinks their point of view on some subject has some worth, than it is to set up a full production costume drama television series. Or even cheaper just buy old video footage from cameras fitted to police cars that are used to collect evidence, and would have just been wiped after the fact, but some clever bastard realised you can sell it to desperate TV stations who have little or no budget.

So we as a population are stuck (until the little stations think of a new radical way of financing themselves) with endless repeats (again easier than original program creation) or shite "reality" programs.

I don't know what it's like across the pond, but ya - we have shit reality programs as well, like American Idol... kill me mow please!!!

But there are also many well-produced big budget TV shows. I can think of a few titles that I can't cram onto my PVR because I can only record 2 shows at once. Castle, The Good Wife, The Gifted Man, Blue Bloods, Flashpoint, Harry's Law, The Mentalist... most have decent writing, interesting characters, and on-going sub-plots that keep one engaged with the show. Perhaps not as engaging as some of the Brit classics, but pretty good.  Now, if only the TV execs would stop fucking around with the schedules...

[meekon5]

But you see what I mean the majority of TV here is the same thing, with a few jewels that shine out against the shite.

[Hominid]

Illuminatus Trilogy  ...must reading! I put that in the same category as Carol Quigley's Tragedy and Hope.

Just bought it for my Kindle... looking forward to it. I've a couple spy novels yet to get through, and the latest edition of Philosophy Now... *sigh* not enough slacker time!

[Hominid]

But you see what I mean the majority of TV here is the same thing, with a few jewels that shine out against the shite.

Oh sure - most is drivel, but it always has been.  Remember, it's a numbers game - they must appeal to the average IQ - and lower.  George Carlin once said "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."  I'm thankful that the programing gurus throw in some jewels now and then. 

[meekon5]

Pearls before the swine?

[forumdude]

Have any of you fellers seen Mr. Show? I think it may be my favorite show of all time. It's like Monty Python on acid. Or more acid.

[hannahdude]

never seen mr. show but its now on the top of my netflix queue.
hey, remember when here in the US you never knew what the word ''queue meant, never heard it in daily conversation??? i knew it from either clash songs or sex pistols songs or something.
then netflix came along and i had to learn how to spell it. am i wrong?

[WabiSabi]

Here my bi*ch about it all ... the programs I most like, with few exceptions get killed too soon ... e.g.: "Lie to Me" (one of my all time favorites) ... "Rubicon" (I know it was sometimes like watching paint dry for all the non-action ... but really interesting paint) ... and the common denominators seems to be A) too little action - i.e.: no camera angle or scene changes every two seconds or less, B) too little sex or sexual tension, C) they're not overtly funny (comedy at least sells - hey, just like sex) and D) they aren't spectacular in terms of setting (e.g.: ... versus "Lost" or just about any J.J. Abrams project) ... FWIW one of my all time (other) favorites was Battlestar Galactica (the one with Edward Olmos as the Admiral)

[DigitalBuddha]

But you see what I mean the majority of TV here is the same thing, with a few jewels that shine out against the shite.

Exactly, that why I said posted that 99.99999% was crap. There are few jewels here and there.

[meekon5]

Here my bi*ch about it all ... the programs I most like, with few exceptions get killed too soon ...

Know exactly what you mean. There's that wonderful scene in Family Guy:

Peter: Everybody, I got bad news - we've been cancelled.

Lois: Oh, no. Peter, how can they do that?

Peter: Well, unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule. We just gotta accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like: Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80's Show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane, Andy Richter Controls The Universe, Skin, Girls Club, Cracking Up, The Pits, Firefly, Get Real, Freaky Links, Wanda At Large, Costello, The Lone Gunmen, A Minute With Stan Hooper, Normal, Ohio, Pasadena, Harsh Realm, Keen Eddie, The Street, American Embassy, Cedric The Entertainer, The Tick, Louie, and Greg The Bunny.

Lois: Is there no hope?

Peter: Well, I suppose if ALL those shows go down the tubes we might have a shot

Is that irony?

[WabiSabi]

Ahhhh ... but you see I think there really be an evil plan afoot ...

I don't think it's every mere entertainment, I think it's all subliminal messaging!

[WabiSabi]

Okay, now you've gone and done it! I went back and read the entire thread ... (great thread BTW).

The Orwell/Huxley chart alone made it worthwhile IMO. Thanks for that M5 ... good shite that I'll be stealing to distribute (with due credit and respect to the "charter" ... and yes, I did like the pretty pictures too!).

So ... here's my quick take on taking the time to read through the thread ... some of you folks have some damn funky tastes in viewing ... and what scares me is that I agreed with the majority of it!!! ('cept I hate "Curb Your Enthusiasm' ... HATE IT ... whinny, complaining, neurotics just ain't amusing to me ... and I live too close to too many who find it hysterical to see themselves monkeyed to even want to endure it)

NOTE: It always scares me when I find a preponderance of things I agree with just about anywhere, except for in books written by really old dudes ... like 2000 and 3000 years old. It don't matter if it's stuff from the Nile or Yellow River or any waterway in-between the twixt and the twain