History Channel Gone Wrong

AtomicEraTom · May 3, 2013

I agree that it seems like the rushed 'The Men Who Built America.' I was hoping for a much longer, more in-depth series.

As for the rest of it, it sure has went down hill, Pickers, and Restoration are worth watching still.

It all comes down to the almighty dollar which comes down to appealing to that lowest-common-denominator.

Rathdown · May 3, 2013

Television is all about entertainment, not education (a word we don't even use). Programming, because it is expensive, has to be entertaining to hold an audience. If they can take something away from the program -- an idea, a concept, or a fact -- so much the better. If you want merely to be entertained, watch TV. If you want to learn something, get of the couch and read a book.

Bruce Wayne · May 3, 2013

In case anyone was wondering, Pawn Stars is fake.

http://centraltendencies.com/2011/03/pawn-stars-is-fake/

You mean to say reality TV isn't real!?!?!

tonyb · May 3, 2013

Rathdown said:
Television is all about entertainment, not education (a word we don't even use). Programming, because it is expensive, has to be entertaining to hold an audience. If they can take something away from the program -- an idea, a concept, or a fact -- so much the better. If you want merely to be entertained, watch TV. If you want to learn something, get of the couch and read a book.

Neil Postman (rest his soul) had quite a bit to say on this topic.

People want to lose weight without denying themselves their favorite foods, in whatever quantities they desire. And they like to think themselves well educated (and informed) without expending anything resembling real effort to that end.

I fear that the easy access to information made possible by the Internet does little to make us any more intelligent, and may indeed contribute to making us less so. Sure, we can call up facts and figures in a blink, but that does very little to foster real understanding. It tends to trivialize, to make superficial. And I fear it is making us all the mentally lazier than we tend to be already.

Bruce Wayne · May 3, 2013

I have seen a couple of times the American Pickers crew go to someone's house & I later saw said house on Hoarders...

AtomicEraTom · May 3, 2013

All of them are fake. No surprise, there.

Bruce Wayne said:
In case anyone was wondering, Pawn Stars is fake.

http://centraltendencies.com/2011/03/pawn-stars-is-fake/

You mean to say reality TV isn't real!?!?!

W-D Forties · May 3, 2013

I remember when I first got satellite/cable and spent days and days watching the documentary or histoty channels. I don't think I have watched any of them for a few years as within 4 months I had watched all of their output and after that it was all repeats.

Thank god for the BBC, especially BBC and 4, and even Channel 4 over here. BBC4 can be a little dry, but I prefer that over vacuous and empty.

Futwick · May 3, 2013

Money happened. They appeal to the lowest common denominator which wants to be mindlessly entertained with garbage or they won't watch. So, they show garbage. I remember when A&E was a great channel that I used to watch ALL the time. I never watch it now and haven't watched it in years. I don't watch the History Channel anymore either. All I really watch is the Science Channel. Now Animal Planet is starting to show this stupid mermaid put-on program and I'm getting fed up with that too. Mermaids on an animal channel, ancient aliens on a history channel, the most unartistic and mindless entertainment ever seen on an arts & entertainment channel...this can't end well. And don't even get me started on TLC. But, according to some, there's nothing wrong with TV programming today. We're just not watching the right stuff.

Futwick · May 3, 2013

Bruce Wayne said:
One word.

I'm waiting for his hair to blow off in a wind and we'll see that his head is really shaped like that along with little antennae topped with five beady, little eyes each.

Bruce Wayne · May 3, 2013

Futwick said:
Money happened. They appeal to the lowest common denominator which wants to be mindlessly entertained with garbage or they won't watch. So, they show garbage. I remember when A&E was a great channel that I used to watch ALL the time. I never watch it now and haven't watched it in years. I don't watch the History Channel anymore either. All I really watch is the Science Channel. Now Animal Planet is starting to show this stupid mermaid put-on program and I'm getting fed up with that too. Mermaids on an animal channel, ancient aliens on a history channel, the most unartistic and mindless entertainment ever seen on an arts & entertainment channel...this can't end well. And don't even get me started on TLC. But, according to some, there's nothing wrong with TV programming today. We're just not watching the right stuff.

Obligitory

Bruce Wayne · May 3, 2013

To be honest, the only shows that I watch anymore that aren't PBS are all in reruns. With the exception of Mad Man

rjb1 · May 3, 2013

Someone may be able to expand on this, but wasn't there some sort of deal at the beginning of the cable era by which the cable companies would provide "quality/educational" programming in exchange for near-monopoly access to people's homes? Hence the origin of channels such as "Arts & Entertainment", "The Learning Channel" and "The History Channel"...
That "deal", if there ever was one, has certainly fallen through.

Futwick · May 4, 2013

And wasn't it supposed to be commercial-free since we're already paying for it?

Fletch · May 4, 2013

Rathdown said:
Television is all about entertainment, not education (a word we don't even use). Programming, because it is expensive, has to be entertaining to hold an audience.

The audience is now secondary, if that. The process has been refined to give marketers - network or sponsor - almost all the control and keep actual viewer input to a minimum. The programming we get only has to be entertaining enough to keep us tuned in for the ads. And it actually helps if it's like what you get on other channels, because there's less reason to flip channels.

Rathdown · May 4, 2013

rjb1 said:
Someone may be able to expand on this, but wasn't there some sort of deal at the beginning of the cable era by which the cable companies would provide "quality/educational" programming in exchange for near-monopoly access to people's homes? Hence the origin of channels such as "Arts & Entertainment", "The Learning Channel" and "The History Channel"...
That "deal", if there ever was one, has certainly fallen through.

No such deal ever existed, and from the get go "cable" television was always profit driven (just like the BBC). As the number of networks expanded the amount of available programing was unable to keep pace, and the networks were forced to broaden the scope of the kinds of programs they broadcast. Networks focus on the age and gender of their audience (History is 62% male over 40) and provide programs that will appeal to that demographic.

1961MJS · May 4, 2013

Wow, I'm not getting advertised to. I haven't had a TV since June 1, 2012.

Later

W4ASZ · May 4, 2013

1961MJS said:
Wow, I'm not getting advertised to. I haven't had a TV since June 1, 2012.

Later

Yes, and in your avatar you're smiling.

tonyb · May 4, 2013

Rathdown said:
... Networks focus on the age and gender of their audience (History is 62% male over 40) and provide programs that will appeal to that demographic.

Come to think of it, I do seem to be getting dumber by the day.

Stearmen · May 4, 2013

Bruce Wayne said:
In case anyone was wondering, Pawn Stars is fake.

http://centraltendencies.com/2011/03/pawn-stars-is-fake/

You mean to say reality TV isn't real!?!?!

Oh great, you just destroyed my entire belief system! Now where's a cliff to jump off when you need one?

sheeplady · May 4, 2013

rjb1 said:
Someone may be able to expand on this, but wasn't there some sort of deal at the beginning of the cable era by which the cable companies would provide "quality/educational" programming in exchange for near-monopoly access to people's homes? Hence the origin of channels such as "Arts & Entertainment", "The Learning Channel" and "The History Channel"...
That "deal", if there ever was one, has certainly fallen through.

You're thinking broadcast. Broadcast gets to use over the air for free in exchange for showing the news at regular intervals. Or at least that was the original agreement. I don't know if it's still in place or not.

I haven't watched the history channel since 1999 or so, I'm sorry to hear it's crashed and burnt.

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