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(Entertainment Weekly)   Cable TV to freshen up its lineup with new channels devoted to the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. All Love Boat, all the time   ( insidetv.ew.com) divider line
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    More: Obvious, Me TV, cable TV, Three's Company, The WB, air shows, Sirius XM, high definitions  
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1984 clicks; posted to Entertainment » on 01 Jun 2013 at 12:37 PM (4 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook   more»



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View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
FirstNationalBastard
2013-06-01 12:09:16 PM  
Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.
 
MFAWG
2013-06-01 12:39:52 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.


Hopalong Cassidy is still as good as anything on network.
 
wiseolddude
2013-06-01 12:40:23 PM  
MeTV and Antennae TV are mostly 60's and 70's shows.
 
mat catastrophe
2013-06-01 12:42:43 PM  
If this was an online service, you farkers would be all over it.
 
sheep snorter
2013-06-01 12:43:55 PM  
We already have this. Its called 'Netflix'.

/Void if not in the U.S. or not using a proxy to the the U.S.
//Using a proxy may cause butthurt from your elected officials outside of the U.S.
///Warning if cable tv starts showing commercials for lube and tissues and funyuns, it may be watching you via its room sensor.
 
Farnn
2013-06-01 12:45:09 PM  
And in 5 years the channels will switch over to reality shows with people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s because it's cheaper.
 
Confabulat [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 12:45:31 PM  
What I think would be a neat idea for the cable guys, they should have channels devoted to different things, like, I dunno, a History Channel that showed history, or maybe a Sci-Fi Network that showed science fiction, or even maybe a Music Television that showed music. I think that idea could catch on.
 
sheep snorter
2013-06-01 12:45:38 PM  
Plus Hulucoontil its sold) has lots of stuff too.

/Commercials may cause irritation.
//Commercials are only between 30 seconds and 90 seconds.
///Adblock void due to the Hulu timer.
 
ryant123
2013-06-01 12:47:21 PM  

Confabulat: What I think would be a neat idea for the cable guys, they should have channels devoted to different things, like, I dunno, a History Channel that showed history, or maybe a Sci-Fi Network that showed science fiction, or even maybe a Music Television that showed music. I think that idea could catch on.


Why? It didn't catch on the first time. Hence the current state of affairs.
 
Confabulat [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 12:48:38 PM  

ryant123: Why? It didn't catch on the first time. Hence the current state of affairs.


Good point. I suppose this is why we can't have nice things.
 
Kimpak
2013-06-01 12:54:46 PM  
This is why your cable bill is so damn high.  These content providers keep bundling these dumb channels that nobody watches with other channels that people actually want.  Then force the cable/satellite company to buy the whole bundle or get none of it.  And they can charge pretty much whatever they want.  A la carte might be a good idea...but if the content providers rates don't chance you can look forward to paying $50/mo for ESPN alone.
 
offmymeds
2013-06-01 12:59:19 PM  
www-tc.pbs.orgView Full Size


Laugh In.

That is all.
 
Bslim
2013-06-01 01:00:00 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.


This.
Done in one.
 
Dinjiin [BareFark]
2013-06-01 01:07:24 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.


You can't watch any of those channels without a DVR.  The content to commercial ratio is stupidly high with a target demographic of 65+.  You can actually feel your brain rotting during the ad breaks.

Additionally, those channels are all SD 480i broadcasts.  The article notes that they want these new channels to broadcast in HD.  So it sounds like they're going to go back to the original 35mm film stock and do new transfers to HD.  Back when I had mini-sat, I recall HDNet doing that for a few 80s series.  They did a good job with Knight Rider.
 
FirstNationalBastard
2013-06-01 01:09:59 PM  

Dinjiin: \

Additionally, those channels are all SD 480i broadcasts.  The article notes that they want these new channels to broadcast in HD.  So it sounds like they're going to go back to the original 35mm film stock and do new transfers to HD.  Back when I had mini-sat, I recall HDNet doing that for a few 80s series.  They did a good job with Knight Rider.


That's even worse, since the prevailing fad is to tilt and scan the shows, so they fill the screen but lop off the tops and bottoms of the frame.

Not to mention, most sitcoms from the 70s and 80s can't be helped, since they were videotaped, and will always look the way they do in SD.
 
Bslim
2013-06-01 01:11:56 PM  

Confabulat: ryant123: Why? It didn't catch on the first time. Hence the current state of affairs.

Good point. I suppose this is why we can't have nice things.


I don't agree with the premise that specialized channels didn't catch on. Were they ever meant to have network ratings? No. They were niche channels meant to appeal to limited demographics. Then along came Bonnie Hammer and her ilk and sold everyone on the idea that niche programming is no longer profitable or some other bullshiat and now we've everybody doing variations on the same crap.
 
Rwa2play [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 01:13:01 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.


That's it and that's all.

/thread
 
albert71292 [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 01:14:53 PM  
FirstNationalBastard:Not to mention, most sitcoms from the 70s and 80s can't be helped, since they were videotaped, and will always look the way they do in SD.

Came here to say this.

Besides, for me, the cable "ship" has sailed. Cut the cord around three years ago. Quite happy with what I get over-the-air for free. We finally got a MeTV affiliate in this area in April. Hope to see AntennaTV eventually.
 
Mad_Radhu
2013-06-01 01:33:57 PM  

Dinjiin: FirstNationalBastard: We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

You can't watch any of those channels without a DVR.  The content to commercial ratio is stupidly high with a target demographic of 65+.  You can actually feel your brain rotting during the ad breaks.

Additionally, those channels are all SD 480i broadcasts.  The article notes that they want these new channels to broadcast in HD.  So it sounds like they're going to go back to the original 35mm film stock and do new transfers to HD.  Back when I had mini-sat, I recall HDNet doing that for a few 80s series.  They did a good job with Knight Rider.


TJ Hooker in HD is glorious.
 
skinink [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 01:35:28 PM  

sheep snorter: We already have this. Its called 'Netflix'.

/Void if not in the U.S. or not using a proxy to the the U.S.
//Using a proxy may cause butthurt from your elected officials outside of the U.S.
///Warning if cable tv starts showing commercials for lube and tissues and funyuns, it may be watching you via its room sensor.


Yes, Netflix has tons of shows you can either stream or get the DVD. Cheers is even on streaming. Besides, if you really like an old show you can probably get the series on DVD at a cheap price.

I dropped cable because even the rates for a basic package was ridiculous. At this point channels need to be dropped and rates need to fall.
 
propasaurus [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 01:35:57 PM  
I have got to figure out a way to cut cable.
 
IlGreven
2013-06-01 01:44:07 PM  
Wake me when channels like this show me a show I never knew existed.  How many one-and-done series are sitting in a studio vault somewhere rather than being leased out so they can make money?
 
Kimpak
2013-06-01 01:45:18 PM  

propasaurus: I have got to figure out a way to cut cable.


You don't have to actually cut it.  You can just unscrew the little connector from the wall.
 
FirstNationalBastard
2013-06-01 01:48:25 PM  

IlGreven: Wake me when channels like this show me a show I never knew existed.  How many one-and-done series are sitting in a studio vault somewhere rather than being leased out so they can make money?


Even major series like the 1950s Dragnet are sitting in a vault unreleased because all syndication prints were destroyed in the 60s and Universal considers it to be too expensive to make new copies from the original prints.
 
barneyfifesbullet
2013-06-01 01:52:05 PM  
MeTV and Antennae TV are mostly 60's and 70's shows.

They are so awesome. Like Nick at Night and TV Land used to be. Better, actually. Also, This TV.

There are few TV shows after 1990 worth revisiting, anyway. The few worth it are available on Netflix.

And, reality TV shows have no rerun value at all.
 
Dinjiin [BareFark]
2013-06-01 01:56:27 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: That's even worse, since the prevailing fad is to tilt and scan the shows, so they fill the screen but lop off the tops and bottoms of the frame.


It really depends on the show was filmed.  There are a lot of shows where they filmed it like a movie and then chopped it down to 4:3 during post-processing.  Then there are a lot of shows where it was filmed specifically with 4:3 in mind, so the areas off to the sides are a no man's land.

I agree that extreme cropping sucks.  I'd rather see a conversion to 14:9 rather than to force it to 16:9.


FirstNationalBastard: Not to mention, most sitcoms from the 70s and 80s can't be helped, since they were videotaped, and will always look the way they do in SD.


My worry is that they'd do a crap job with the upscaling, deinterlacing and comb filtering (if needed) before pumping it out on their 720p feed.  At least with a 480i retro channel, my own television is responsible for a couple of those jobs.
 
IlGreven
2013-06-01 02:02:56 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: IlGreven: Wake me when channels like this show me a show I never knew existed.  How many one-and-done series are sitting in a studio vault somewhere rather than being leased out so they can make money?

Even major series like the 1950s Dragnet are sitting in a vault unreleased because all syndication prints were destroyed in the 60s and Universal considers it to be too expensive to make new copies from the original prints.


...and then, of course, there are a few shows that will never be seen again because their film was re-used or destroyed.
 
rugman11
2013-06-01 02:11:17 PM  

Kimpak: This is why your cable bill is so damn high.  These content providers keep bundling these dumb channels that nobody watches with other channels that people actually want.  Then force the cable/satellite company to buy the whole bundle or get none of it.  And they can charge pretty much whatever they want.  A la carte might be a good idea...but if the content providers rates don't chance you can look forward to paying $50/mo for ESPN alone.


The original Variety article was clearer about this:

FTVarietyA: "The pitch: Zeus nets will be free to cable, satellite and telco TV operators and supported by advertising. Ancier's company is aiming to launch the channels in the second quarter of 2014."
 
FirstNationalBastard
2013-06-01 02:16:26 PM  

IlGreven: FirstNationalBastard: IlGreven: Wake me when channels like this show me a show I never knew existed.  How many one-and-done series are sitting in a studio vault somewhere rather than being leased out so they can make money?

Even major series like the 1950s Dragnet are sitting in a vault unreleased because all syndication prints were destroyed in the 60s and Universal considers it to be too expensive to make new copies from the original prints.

...and then, of course, there are a few shows that will never be seen again because their film was re-used or destroyed.


In the US, that happened a lot more with game shows and soaps than with primetime sitcoms and dramas. But British TV got hit hard by videotape wiping.


Dinjiin: FirstNationalBastard: That's even worse, since the prevailing fad is to tilt and scan the shows, so they fill the screen but lop off the tops and bottoms of the frame.

It really depends on the show was filmed.  There are a lot of shows where they filmed it like a movie and then chopped it down to 4:3 during post-processing.  Then there are a lot of shows where it was filmed specifically with 4:3 in mind, so the areas off to the sides are a no man's land.

I agree that extreme cropping sucks.  I'd rather see a conversion to 14:9 rather than to force it to 16:9.


That really didn't begin fullscale until the 90s. ER and Law and Order were some of the first shows shot in widescreen and cropped to 4x3 for broadcast.

OTOH, Paramount didn't bother to futureproof Star Trek TNG, which is why it needed the HD Facelift for Blu, and why it was kept at 4x3 for blu, since the info on the sides of the frame was oftentimes incomplete set-wise.
 
Kimpak
2013-06-01 02:17:48 PM  

rugman11: FTVarietyA: "The pitch: Zeus nets will be free to cable, satellite and telco TV operators and supported by advertising. Ancier's company is aiming to launch the channels in the second quarter of 2014."


That's how the whole game gets started.  IF the channels get popular, then they'll start charging the content distributors (cable/satellite companies).  Don't want to pay?  Well have fun with all your pissed off customers then.  I have a feeling the same thing is going to happen if cable companies widely adopt Netflix's open connect plan.
 
DesertCoyote
2013-06-01 02:28:56 PM  
We've got Me-TV here in Phoenix. There are a few shows I enjoy on there, but I find that the air too many westerns.

No Antenna TV yet because station managers think mobile over-the-air TV is the future (plus, they enjoy torturing viewers with their low-budget Gina D's kids show on Sunday afternoons. Ugh.
 
Betep
2013-06-01 02:31:12 PM  
More Home Shopping and Spanish language please.
/ Don't speaka, I just like my interpretations better.
 
germ78
2013-06-01 02:36:57 PM  
I would like to see a HD release of "I Love Lucy" but that's about it for vintage TV stuff that I'd care to see. Though they will probably fark up the audio on it since the rights to the music used on the series have become so spread out. You'd probably hear some awful, recent sterile overdubbing like used in this clip.

/and please don't use that horrible droning v/o guy who announces for your local "the drive" radio station
 
propasaurus [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 02:40:56 PM  
I caught pretty much the entire run of The Burns & Allen Show on Antenna TV. Great stuff, so much of it still holds up. Lousy video quality, though. Still very much worth watching.
 
FirstNationalBastard
2013-06-01 02:41:58 PM  

germ78: I would like to see a HD release of "I Love Lucy" but that's about it for vintage TV stuff that I'd care to see. Though they will probably fark up the audio on it since the rights to the music used on the series have become so spread out. You'd probably hear some awful, recent sterile overdubbing like used in this clip.

/and please don't use that horrible droning v/o guy who announces for your local "the drive" radio station


The only thing they couldn't get rights for and had to cut out of the I Love Lucy DVD releases was a 2 minute clip of some film that was being promoted in a fifth season episode.

Otherwise, everything is intact, including bits of the show that hadn't been seen since 1958 and the original off-network syndication cuts were made.

/except the Lucy/Desi Comedy Hours, which CBS/P stupidly decided to release in syndicated format with the cut footage as "bonus features" because they thought the footage wasn't in good enough shape. Complete episodes always trumps picture quality, dumbasses.
 
downstairs [TotalFark] [BareFark]
2013-06-01 03:26:41 PM  
TFA: Just what we all need: More reuns of Three's Company!

Actually, we do!  Its a fun show and reminds me of my childhood.  I'll watch!

Also- the Netflix argument... I haven't searched in a few years, but back then they didn't have many of these old 70's and 80's shows.  I think all they had (that I was interested in) was "Gimme A Break".  And they didn't have nearly every episode.  This may have changed?
 
MFAWG
2013-06-01 04:36:37 PM  

propasaurus: I caught pretty much the entire run of The Burns & Allen Show on Antenna TV. Great stuff, so much of it still holds up. Lousy video quality, though. Still very much worth watching.


I never realized how really, really wonderful that show was until I started seeing those reruns.
 
broktune
2013-06-01 05:05:51 PM  
This sounds pretty awesome to me.  I get that we have Netflix and whatnot but I would never say to myself "geez, I could really go for an episode of Good Times."  But if I happen to flip to it while it's on, I'll maybe give a watch.  That's the part of tv I still enjoy, the spontaneous flipping and surfing.  Sure, I own Goodfellas, but when I see it on FX while channel surfing, I stop and watch.  Why do we do this?  I can't regiment my tv viewing yet.  "I will watch this, then I will watch that, and the night is over."  Flip, flip, flip...oh look a classic game between the Red Sox and Indians...I'm watching!!  Again, I CAN see this game anytime I want with the power of the internet, but that spontaneous thrill of being surprised by it is lost.  So yeah, I like the idea of these channels.  Yay.
 
jbc [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 05:28:21 PM  

Farnn: And in 5 years the channels will switch over to reality shows with people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s because it's cheaper.


You honestly think producing something new and airing it is cheaper than pulling a videotape off a shelf and airing it?
 
rugman11
2013-06-01 05:34:39 PM  

jbc: Farnn: And in 5 years the channels will switch over to reality shows with people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s because it's cheaper.

You honestly think producing something new and airing it is cheaper than pulling a videotape off a shelf and airing it?


It depends on what it is.  For old shows like this, probably not.  But TBS paid $1.5 million per episode for The Big Bang Theory reruns, which is more than it cost to make the show in the first place.

But the real reason that networks do original programming is because it gets better ratings than reruns (usually).  AMC could still be running 24/7 western movies, but they're not going to draw 10 million viewers (and $250,000 per ad) like The Walking Dead can.  Same goes with A&E and Duck Dynasty or History and Swamp People.
 
jbc [TotalFark]
2013-06-01 05:43:29 PM  

rugman11: jbc: Farnn: And in 5 years the channels will switch over to reality shows with people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s because it's cheaper.

You honestly think producing something new and airing it is cheaper than pulling a videotape off a shelf and airing it?

It depends on what it is.  For old shows like this, probably not.  But TBS paid $1.5 million per episode for The Big Bang Theory reruns, which is more than it cost to make the show in the first place.

But the real reason that networks do original programming is because it gets better ratings than reruns (usually).  AMC could still be running 24/7 western movies, but they're not going to draw 10 million viewers (and $250,000 per ad) like The Walking Dead can.  Same goes with A&E and Duck Dynasty or History and Swamp People.


TBS paid that because a.) they can get that back in ad revenue and b.) it was worth that much to them for it not to be on FX or USA or whatnot. There's no bidding war for reruns of "Night Court" or "WKRP", though dammit there should be.
 
zerkalo
2013-06-01 07:11:09 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.


Farking to the A QFT
 
PacManDreaming
2013-06-01 07:20:53 PM  

FirstNationalBastard: Dear cable:

we already had that. It was called "Nick at Nite", and later, "TV Land".

You farked that up and turned them both into just another channel airing the same 5 shows from the 2000s, and worse, "original" reality programming.

You also farked up by airing the same shiatty syndicated versions of shows instead of the uncut versions you did when the channels began.

We have Antenna TV, MeTV, and ThisTV to fill the classic TV niche now (not to mention DVD and Netflix), all available for free on digital subchannels.

So fark you, Cable. You had your chance, and ruined it.


I can remember a time when there were NO commercials on cable TV. They got greedy and messed that up, too.

And I'd be happy to have channels that played nothing but shows(and commercials) from particular decades. Especially the '50s, '60s and '70s.
 
JenFromTheWood
2013-06-01 08:23:35 PM  
If I could have a channel that played only shows from the 80's, I would never leave the house.
 
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