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Old December 3rd, 2006, 02:10 PM   #14
monolith21
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Vista, CA
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As a Science Fiction fan that was absolutely thrilled when the Sci Fi channel came into existence, the channel basically became the only one I really wanted to watch whenever I sat down to watch TV. Ten years later it is still hard to shake that habit and thus I end up watching all sorts of programs that I really don't like. Mind you I don't watch the whole shows, but some of them.

Nothing is on so I turn to the Sci Fi channel. Some lame movie or tv show is on that they have produced like "Mansquito." I watch about half an hour of it making excuses for it like "oh it's just like one of the old monster movies. I like those, why not this?" Then it hits me that I'm making excuses about a program to myself!

I think a good point to make is that this trend of people watching shows they don't even really like has a lot to do with a big nose dive in the quality of programming on the air. That's why a half way decent show is such a major hit these days. It also doesn't help when a channel that used to be pretty good sacrifices good programming for low quality junk in the name of quantity and not quality. Take a look at MTV. There are now three MTV channels and out of the three, music related programming takes up very little of their air time.

Remember when the Sci Fi channel first started making original programming? Things like Dune? Now I prefer the David Lynch movie (even though it wasn't as close to the book), but at least that mini series was of decent quality. They then saw the opprotunity to run only movies that they made to make a buck. They kick off the good programming to make way and then when it doesn't work all that well they have to resort to showing professional wrestling...on a science fiction based channel.

I have a problem with 90% of what I see on TV. The good news is that I very rarely even watch tv for 10% of any given day. I LOATHE reality television with the exception of I Pity the Fool (because it has a positive message). I hate programming that relies on the "Stupid husband with smart wife that puts up with him" crutch. That rules out most sit coms. The love triangle bit is fairly over done these days which rules out most primetime programming. So here's the problem. If I'm going to watch two hours of television and 90% of what is on I'm not all that into, what are the odds that if I sit down to casually watch some TV that I'm going to find something that I actually enjoy?

So, I sit down with two hours to watch TV and watch a half an hour or even an hour of programming that I dislike before coming to my senses and just popping in a DVD. I will say that DVR has been great to catch that 10% of programming that I like.

BRG, I'm totally with you on Smallville. I didn't watch the first season thinking it was just some pretty boy Nsync version of the Superman legend. My best friend turned me on to it and I was hooked! I was actually ready to just give up on it given the last two seasons but this season has been really awesome! I love that they brought Green Arrow on board!
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