The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on TV

[TeTe]

I think my friend thought it was a shame that any tv sitcom character could be a role model. But, like I said, she is much younger, and doesn't have first-hand experience of a time where women "just didn't do that!" The MTM Show was pretty revolutionary for its time. Even "That Girl" had a boyfriend and her parents were visiting all the time!

MTM didn't seem strange to me...just liberating. I kind of started rebelling against my lot in life early on (I think it was when I was six and saw The Beatles for the first time!). Not to say that now, I don't appreciate very much my country upbringing, I just wouldn't want to live there.

(BTW, Virgil Goode, who recently made a national spectacle of himself for being a racist idiot, is the representative for the district where I was raised, and is regarded as a hero by the majority of his constituents for his recent remarks. Does that give you a better idea of my sweet hometown and why I chose to live elsewhere!?)

 

[nancy324]

Good for you TeTe! I'm glad you got out of there!
Nancy

 

[Monica11]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

>>>And did I mention the Wire? The last season was a
>masterpiece (I mean that in all seriousness--more thought
>provoking and moving than almost any movie I have seen). <<
>
>Monica11,
>
>I am in total agreement with you on that one. I've been a
>huge fan of the show from the beginning and this season just
>blew me away! How this show doesn't reap awards is
>mind-boggling!
>
>Lori
>
>
>
The show is not easy--certainly not something you watch to escape or be mindlessly entertained. It's like a good book where you really have to invest your attention but are richly rewarded. And it really makes you think about hard issues. For those of you unimpressed with TV, I highly recommend renting this series and starting from the beginning (there are four seasons). Hang in there for the first episode or two because it can be hard to follow at first but it's well worth it. I think it's even better than the Sopranos, and that's high praise.

 

[Monica11]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

>>>And did I mention the Wire? The last season was a
>masterpiece (I mean that in all seriousness--more thought
>provoking and moving than almost any movie I have seen). <<
>
>Monica11,
>
>I am in total agreement with you on that one. I've been a
>huge fan of the show from the beginning and this season just
>blew me away! How this show doesn't reap awards is
>mind-boggling!
>
>Lori
>
>
>
The show is not easy--certainly not something you watch to escape or be mindlessly entertained. It's like a good book where you really have to invest your attention but are richly rewarded. And it really makes you think about hard issues. For those of you unimpressed with TV, I highly recommend renting this series and starting from the beginning (there are four seasons). Hang in there for the first episode or two because it can be hard to follow at first but it's well worth it. I think it's even better than the Sopranos, and that's high praise.

 

[Boybert]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

Let's see. I pretty much live on the Disney channel these days. You wonder who wears the pants, me or my toddler. If I do watch TV, it is later in the evening just to unwind. I have a very few shows I like to watch.

The only reality ones I have been into are the Biggest Loser and Wife Swap (hangs head in shame). Sometimes I like a little mindless TV but most of them are too horrible even to fit in that category. The only show I really loved was Everybody Loves Raymond...and Friends. I watch repeats of that.

I really wonder how what sitcoms do exist manage to stay on the air. Anyone heard of The War at Home? This one makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Maybe it's shows like this which make producers try to come up with even more reality shows. It's all pretty horrible.

Oh and as an aside, I love the cable companies that keep trying to sell me more channels. I say, "so I can flip through 500 channels of crap instead of 70? That's fabulous".




Debbie


Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'
Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.
--Family Guy

 

[Conni]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

Television as we have grown up with is fading away. The advent of VCRs, then TiVo, much less Cable has resulted in the philosophy that more equals good. Production companies used to focus on a few quality choices, now you have so many channels with their own production companies that the value is suffering. You also have the ability to TiVo a show that in times past networks would compete for your attention, because you didn't have the choice of having your cake and eating it too!
Cable channels do not have that high of standard, they couldn't afford to in order to gain mainstream attention.

Reality shows are the cheapest show to produce. You don't have to pay any writers, actors, etc. The producers of this garbage genre are the only ones making money, and lots of it very fast. Advertising costs are cheaper, so the networks love it, and our voyeuristic society eats this stuff up.

I love watching MASH, Frasier, and Cheers. Otherwise it is usually History, Discovery or Food Network at our house.

 

[Poochy]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

ITA about the fading of good sitcoms .. I need a laugh by the time I get home .. and I love a good funny sitcom!

.. but some good ones are out there .. According to JIM .. last night .. nothing but HILARIOUS .. I love Jim b/c he makes no excuses for being "a man" .. and acting out all those "men" ways that tick us women off but at the same time you just can't help but love him!! and Andy is nothing short of comic genius .. in a goofy sort of way!

I started watching "The Big Day" .. think it is only running a limited time .. but OMG .. that show is FUNNY!!I laugh out loud .. my husband even laughs at it!

Drama wise .. still love Miami CSI ... have just started watching Grays Anatomy (after listing to BF talk to exhaustion about it)

But ... I will be brave and admit I do like some of the reality shows .. {ducking to miss rotten veggies thrown at me} ... .. I am a totaly Survivor junkie .. and Dancing with the Stars junkie .. and Amazing Race junkie .. and yes even Deal or No Deal }(

 

[red_mct]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

I don't particularly miss sitcoms but I didn't watch much TV growing up (closed captioning wasn't really standard until well into my college years) so I confess I never really understood the concept. Particularly the shows with the canned laughter - what's up with that???

I do watch some reality TV just because I think it's fascinating what people will do for their 15 minutes on the D list. I LOVE shows like Project Runway and Top Chef because they are interesting and the participants need to be really skilled.

The only sitcom I wish I could watch is "The Office," BUT I was too into the BBC version (absolutely priceless programming), so it's hard for me to adjust to the new cast. I guess I should try to get past that...

Marie

 

[kathryn]

RE: The death of the sitcom & a few other thoughts on T...

I really don't watch sitcoms, but I used to watch all the 'classics"(MTM, Mash, I Love Lucy, All in the Family) and more recently "Friends" occasionally, but I much prefer dramas.