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Why can’t TV channels stick to their themes? One of my favorite shows, “An Idiot Abroad” is on the Science Channel. Why? There’s nothing scientific about it at least not that I can see. I remember when the Style Network actually showed programming about fashion. I’m pretty sure “SuperNanny” was on there a few months ago. And has anyone actually learned anything on The Learning Channel lately? There are some awful shows on that channel. ” Hoarding: Buried Alive”, “Extreme Couponing”, “The Man Who Lost His Face”, “Outrageous Kid Parties”…these are actual shows. I wish I was creative enough to make them up as a joke.
It seems that most cable channels have a theme: Food Network, Soap Network, Animal Planet, History Channel…mostly they all stick to showing programing that logically fits into their chosen them. There are some channels that I think have a theme, but have no idea what it might be…like Bravo. What’s that channel all about? Is it just a place for NBC to put shows that might not otherwise make it during prime time? Or do they just stuff it with “reality shows” and hope someone tunes in. I have some vague notion that Bravo used to be about arts and culture in the distant past. Or maybe I’m confusing it with the Ovation channel.
However, it’s the channels without a theme that I watch most often. TBS is my favorite. USA is good when they aren’t showing a marathon of all the “Law & Order” iterations ever created. TNT also has some good shows. But now that I think about it, mostly what I watch on those channels are either movies I’ve seen hundreds of times or re-runs of shows previously aired on network TV. Network TV will always have a special place in my heart. I still remember the days when there were only 4 channels. Yes, I was very, very young, but I still remember a world before cable and definitely before satellite broadcasts.
TV now is like going to the Cheesecake Factory. If you haven’t been there, the menu is daunting. It’s a freaking book. I’m not being sarcastic. It’s at least 8 pages of food bound in plastic. Now, don’t get me wrong…I love that restaurant, but trying to get through the numerous choices presented to the diner is incredible. The shows available are similar. It takes a long time to scroll through the guide to see what’s on and you usually end up watching your old standbys most of the time.