Television Networks Rant

I'm not going to get into the merits of what is broadcast on television these days, but there are some shows that Sandy and I like to watch. Because there is an element of serialization in most series these days, we don't like to miss one but we also don't like to watch reruns of shows we have seen.

Does anybody remember the good old days when they started a series in September and a new episode was aired every week until March? Then they went into reruns and did it all again for people who didn't watch it the first time around.

These days, they will run a few episodes in a row and then put in some reruns or other programs and then, out of the blue, throw in a few more new episodes. Then they'll switch nights without telling anyone. Any viewer using old technology has very little chance of catching all the episodes.

I sit down ever Monday morning and check our current programs out at tv.com to get the air dates for the new episodes. I track these in a spreadsheet (what else?) and then make sure the PVR is picking all those up to record. Still, from week to week, they alter the line-ups on a regular basis. For example, last week they might say that we can expect three new Criminal Minds episodes over the next three weeks. This week, they may be delayed for a week or more.

I have a handle on this through some work on my part, but what is going through the minds of those network scheduling people? Do they purposely want to make it difficult to follow their shows or do they figure that viewers can't tell the difference between a new episode and a repeat?

Then, they screw up the PVR's by having a program go from 9:00 to 10:01. What's with the extra minute? I can record two shows in a given time period and that minute keeps me from recording a pair starting at 10:00. I can start early but not late. I can end late but not early. So I have to time shift.

Another beef is that we got watching a couple of series with ongoing story lines (Eli Stone, My Own Worst Enemy) and they cancelled them. After they had shot the last show for what they thought was an ongoing series. You get involved, like the characters and then they leave them hanging forever.

Jericho was the exception. At the end of Season 2, they didn't know whether there would be a 3 so they shot two final episodes. A cliff-hanger and another that wrapped the story up. It was cancelled and we had closure.

It's easy to see that there is no concept at the networks of what makes a rewarding viewing experience. Morons are running the world. It's too bad that it's an inexpensive pastime that I enjoy or I'd take up video games instead.

There, I got that out of my system. For now.