Why is TV so boring or serious now ?

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Mark

1547 posts

Uber Geek

#195442 20-Apr-2016 12:10

I wish they'd start putting comedy sketch shows on TV again .. you know where it's just a series of 2 minute comedy scenes, where you get 30 minutes of laugh time after dinner with the kids.

Instead we get tedious drivel like The Batchelor! :-(

wasabi2k

2092 posts

Uber Geek

#1536462 20-Apr-2016 12:16

Unfortunately reality TV is really popular and relatively cheap to make. The fact that is actively reduces the intelligence of everyone who watches it doesn't seem to come into it.

Grimdark is trendy hence the large amount of drama you see on TV now.

I guess picking shows for broadcast must try and appeal to the largest audience. I don't tend to fit in that box, hence netflix. 98% of what is on broadcast tv is awful anyway. Some of the kiwi sketch shows were on but tended to have really odd timeslots (like 10PM on a weeknight). I found most of them garbage anyway. You've still got comedy hosted shows like 7 days, Jono and Ben etc I guess?

kendog

305 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1536937 20-Apr-2016 19:26

You mean like Comedy Central?
24/7, not all really funny but it's pretty good.

JimmyH

2681 posts

Uber Geek

#1536948 20-Apr-2016 19:45

I think you may be looking backwards with rose-tinted glasses.

Yes, most TV is pretty bad now. But it was pretty bad back in the day too. Overall, with the number of channels, services and devices out there you have vastly more choice that was the case a decade ago - and some of it is pretty good too. For instance some of the comedy I have seen (personally, Whitney Cummings on SoHo springs to mind) was pretty darn good for instance. I usually find John Oliver's show pretty funny as well.

I can remember how bad it was "back in the day". For instance, as a kid, on a wet Christmas day being shut inside. Only one TV in the house with two channels available, and able to watch anything I wanted as long as it was Morecambe and Wise. On Christmas day it was always Morecambe and sodding Wise. One of the least funny "comedy" shows in human history. The usually something like the Generation Game would follow. And no VCRs either - so no ability to record anything interesting for later, or skip ads.

It was mostly drivel then as well. On balance, probably worse. Certainly there were less options.