Is it just me, or have TV and movies declined to an all-time low? How can I scan through 50 channels and there is still nothing on I care to see? And the movies out these days, all special effects and no story. Comedies are just lame. It's pitiful.
I'm ready for some meat and potatoes. Give me a story and some decent actors. I'm seriously desperate. I might have to go back to reading books.
I think there are a couple really great shows out, but there is a lot of complete and utter crappola.
Movies are hit and miss. There will either be 5 things out at once that I want to see, or nothing. There are a bunch of smaller films that I didnt get to see last year that I want to see as soon as they are out on DVD. An Education and 500 Days of Summer (actually, I think it is out now. Must rent soon), namely.
Also, Toy Story 3 is coming out in a few months! Come on, that is quality programming!
A few weeks ago a friend was asking me if I was caught up on a particular show that I used to watch, but not really any more, and she still does. She asked what I had been watching then, and other than How I Met Your Mother and Friday Night Lights, I had NO idea. I feel like I spend a lot of time infront of the tv, but dont actually watch anything. Too much Food Network and hockey, I guess.
I agree with you Kayte. I hardly ever go to the movies anymore. This has partly to do with the fact that there aren't really many movies I find interesting, but mostly it's because it has got ridiculously expensive.
And in the past few years I've been becoming less and less tolerant of most of Hollywood productions, which is like 80% of the movies we get here.
As for TV, I've never been a big fan, but I find myself watching old shows and not following any new stuff, except House or Lewis.
They're going to start airing Wallander in April. This is something I'm really looking forward to seeing, since I am a huge Henning Mankell fan. :o)
Is it just me, or have TV and movies declined to an all-time low? How can I scan through 50 channels and there is still nothing on I care to see? And the movies out these days, all special effects and no story. Comedies are just lame. It's pitiful.
I'm ready for some meat and potatoes. Give me a story and some decent actors. I'm seriously desperate. I might have to go back to reading books.
It's not just you. I've almost completely stopped watching television except for the morning news while I'm getting ready for work. My husband and I have pretty much stopped going to see new releases at the theater because almost everything we've seen in the past several years (even the "big" movies with lots of hype and great reviews) have been severe disappointments. One of the nearby universities shows a lot of classic films in their cinema,and it's open to the public, so we catch those whenever we can - always great flicks and it's very inexpensive compared to the big multi-screen chain theaters. We also buy DVDs (of old movies - our joke is that if it's in black and white, we'll probably like it) and hit up our local public library's collection of films. We live in a small town, and our public library has a massive collection of DVDs to choose from - and everything is my favorite price - free!
Our "date nights" usually aren't movies any more. We catch live shows whenever we can and bought season tickets to the symphony - both the masterworks and pop series. I know that's not everyone's flavor, but we enjoy it oodles more than sitting through mediocre movies.
I guess I've rambled much too long, but YES, television/movies have hit an all-time low!
I totally agree !! We spend a forune every month to get hundreds of channels and then end up flicking thru, finding nothing and watching a DVD instead. We've started thinking about cancelling one subscription to cut costs by half.
I'm with you, Kayte. My boyfriend LOVES TV. He forces me to watch "The Office", "30 Rock", "Community", "Better Off Ted" ... I don't get it. These shows are not funny to me! At all!!! It's not like I have some warped sense of humor. I am normal, lol. I sit there and watch hoping to laugh and I just don't! They're so lame. "30 Rock" is kind of funny....sometimes. But not enough for me to tune in every week and watch.
The only two shows he watches that I like are "Modern Family" and "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"... which is actually REALLY funny. Danny De Vito is great in it. A lot of the new actors don't know how to be funny.
As far as movies go, I feel like all the comedies that have come out recently have very childish humor about boobs and weiners, lol. The writing isn't there anymore. It's like they just rely on nudity or childish jokes to get a rise out of people instead of thinking of intelligent funny things to say. The last intelligent comedy I think I saw was "Sideways" ... that was actually well-written.
I think there are a couple really great shows out, but there is a lot of complete and utter crappola.
Movies are hit and miss. There will either be 5 things out at once that I want to see, or nothing. There are a bunch of smaller films that I didnt get to see last year that I want to see as soon as they are out on DVD. An Education and 500 Days of Summer (actually, I think it is out now. Must rent soon), namely.
Also, Toy Story 3 is coming out in a few months! Come on, that is quality programming!
A few weeks ago a friend was asking me if I was caught up on a particular show that I used to watch, but not really any more, and she still does. She asked what I had been watching then, and other than How I Met Your Mother and Friday Night Lights, I had NO idea. I feel like I spend a lot of time infront of the tv, but dont actually watch anything. Too much Food Network and hockey, I guess.
I'm with you, Kayte. My boyfriend LOVES TV. He forces me to watch "The Office", "30 Rock", "Community", "Better Off Ted" ... I don't get it. These shows are not funny to me! At all!!! It's not like I have some warped sense of humor. I am normal, lol. I sit there and watch hoping to laugh and I just don't! They're so lame. "30 Rock" is kind of funny....sometimes. But not enough for me to tune in every week and watch.
Officemate has been trying to get me to watch Better off Ted but I keep forgetting.
I love Tina Fey but i never got 30 Rock. I gave it a shot the first year and didnt like it at all. And I normally like that kind of quirky show.
A lot of shows I really like went off the air in the last couple years. Ones that were smart and funny and well writen: Ed, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Dead Like Me
Oh, Mad Men is still great.
This is the 2nd time in like 2 weeks that you have tried to say you are normal, sugar plum. You arent. :)
We recently purchased the old 1960's Addams Family TV series on DVD. I am enjoying it immensely. I always liked it as a kid, but now I can appreciate more of the subtle humor and the romance between Morticia and Gomez. I wish I could turn off the annoying canned laugh track, but other than that, it's CAPITAL!
I agree with you Kayte. I don't watch nearly as much TV as I used. Theres just not that many shows that I want to watch routinely except for The Office, Brothers & Sisters, Friday Night Lights, and some reality shows.
Can we blame Jay Leno for taking up five prime time slots a week on NBC??! ;) (Seriously, the canceled LIFE and Southland! In a sea of cop shows, those were two I really liked. At least one of them got another chance.)
I like TV well enough. :) I'd even rather watch stupid TV than a movie any day. I don't think it's really any more or less horrible than it's always been. Good shows come and go to an early grave, bad ones stay around forever because the appeal to the lowest common denominator oftentimes (The formula works that's why they keep making the same sitcom...you know, the one with the schlumpy dad and the hot mom).... I lose interest in others when the writing goes downhill. Others I stick with despite the writing.
Things I am tired of: Reality shows, Lawyers, Cops, Doctors (Especially any Doctors and Lawyers who are in anyway related to the people who brought us Greys Anatomy), and two are enough "Fake Psychic who is actually just a guy who works with police that has amazing powers of observation" shows for all the networks ever. (In the interest of Full disclosure, I do like both Psych and the Mentalist. I wanted to hate the Mentalist but I don't.)
I'm not really complaining, though. I have plenty of shows that I watch and enjoy. Enough to keep me busy anyway, and any movies I watch are on Demand. I only go to the movies once a year at Christmas these days. ( And we get the premium channels, so I watch anything of interest on HBO etc... There are a few good shows on those channels too. I'm enjoying the look of the new Spartacus show on Starz, and I quite enjoy Big Love. I watched the first season of True Blood, but I haven't kept up with it.)
(and I like all those sitcoms that were mentioned earlier minus the Office and plus How I Met Your Mother. I would like the Office more, but I suffer too much second hand embarrassment.)
Although I do enjoy a lot of TV, I tend to multitask while watching...mostly drawing and writing and things. I only give my undivided attention to Glee and Chuck. :D
The only things i watch on the box are Sky News, Sky Sports and maybe Eastenders ;)
I tend to make a point of seeing St Mirren whenever they are on the box (which isn't that often, although 3 times in a fortnight just now). Apart from that there's nothing I go out of my way to watch. If it's on and I'm at home I'll watch Top Gear, QI, Mock the Week, etc. but I wouldn't go out of my way to see anything at the moment.
btw Alias Smith and Jones is being repeated during the day on TG4 in Ireland I caught one the other day, nothing in it is brilliant but it is well written and well acted something that I feel is seriously missing from today's serials.
Movies are rubbish lately. Last thing I watched was Avatar though and it was good.
As for TV the only things I watch - guilty pleasure? 90210, Glee and started The Good Wife. I am patiently waiting for Flash Forward and Gossip Girl to come back on. Oh and Lie To Me.
Oh but my friend did say Vampire Diaries is good - spinoff Twilight. Dunno if it's my kinda thing though.
