Honestly. Is it just me or is network television and “Big Screen” entertainment dead? I honestly could not tell you the last time I left a movie theater or turned off a network show satisfied with the time I devoted to its viewing. Saturday Night Live hasn’t been funny since the Will Ferrell era. Late Night Television lost its luster when Carson, Leno and Letterman were followed by Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers and Colbert. And I cannot say I’ve seen a movie in the theaters that moved me since Cinderella Man. And that was 15 years ago. There was a time I could at least fall back on sports, but even the “Big Four” have lost my interest as of late.
Have all the good writers moved to the streaming services? Those services seem to be the only refuge for anything worth watching anymore, which honestly, is a shame. There was something to be said about looking forward to a new episode of Cheers. And all the cable channels seem to have moved completely to “reality television.” Why would I want to watch anything but History on the History Channel. And I don’t care about Halloween cakes when I tune into The Food Network for a recipe idea.
Band of Brothers, TURN: Washington’s Spies and even Downton Abbey (my wife made me watch this one with her, and I admittedly liked it) were the series that got me interested in delving into the streaming world, but I haven’t been able to land on a good series since. We watched Breaking Bad at the recommendation of my youngest, but I cannot say I enjoy the over-the-top series that too often seem to be written mostly for shock value. HBO’s, The Wire, teetered on this line, but in the end, was good enough to make my recommendation list.
We got into This Is Us based on the recommendation of almost everyone we knew, but even that show has lost its sheen in my opinion. They lost me when they started getting too “woke” (isn’t that the expression the younger generations use for when someone virtue signals a bit too much?). It was in this current season that they completely lost me. I have to believe that most of us who tune into that show, or any show, these days wants a break from the political division and the pandemic nonsense. Either the producers did not think the same or I am all alone in my assessment.
All I am asking is for someone to bring back some good writing. Lazy writing has no home in my television.
Comments