Try-hard Contemporary TV
TV programming is not something I usually spend much time thinking about, or looking at. When things such as <insert country> Idol and Big Brother insist on coming back season after season it tends to hamper one’s enthusiasm for popular television. And don’t get me started on the xenophobic news shown on the major networks here.
I do, however watch the odd spot of popular television, just to try and keep up with the young people of today (otherwise what would I have to talk about during lectures?). It was whilst watching one of these contemporary programs that I saw an advertisement for a new program called Friday Night Download.
The basic premise for this show is recycling internet video memes. Yup, that’s it. The three hosts share two screens (and very nearly that many brain cells), and showcase videos they have ripped off YouTube or Google Video. Truly inspired programming.
I guess it is one of the first television programmes that one can watch almost entirely on the internet, for free, without ads, and without breaching copyright. So why do we need television again? In fact, why do we need these three D-Class celebrities to tell us what’s popular in terms of internet video?
It does show how the networks are trying to keep up with the internet phenomenon. Because so many people are now (legally or illegally) downloading TV shows hours after they air in the US, the new generation have little need for television in order to catch up with their favourite show. The networks are trying to curb this drop in audience numbers by paying exorbitant sums of money in order to show the episodes shortly after they air in the States. Is it working? Well, not really. Especially if they augment the programming with such gems as Friday Night Download.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Wow, you’re really on a roll. Must be exam season
I do agree with this post though. The majority of popular television is grade A crap anymore, which is why I tend to stick with slightly nerdier stations like The Food Network because I actually learn something… something that happens to be delicious.
November 7th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Yeah, it is exam season, so what?!
Now that the Writers’ Guild in America is striking maybe intelligence will stand a chance. As for cooking shows, well I’ve never really watched a whole channel’s worth of cooking, but I do enjoy Iron Chef. So if all the programs are like that, then I’m there!
November 7th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
iron chef…. is there anything less trashing and idiotic than iron chef?? intelligence + Tv = segmentation fault…
November 12th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Bring back Dawson’s!
November 14th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
No Gem, No. Dawson’s Creek suffered an all too slow and painful death by drowning as it’s ratings gradually plummeted once that chick got married to Tom Cruise… It should be forgotten, and you should move on…
November 14th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
i think what you’re after here will is, dawson’s creek is convoluted, incestous, american high school, does she, doesn’t she love me pallentella bullshit, i mean i could rattle off a quick list of things i care as little about as dawson’s creek…
Low-Carb Diet
Michael Moore
The Labor National Convention
Kabala, and
All Kabala Related Products
Hi-Def Tv
Mcloud’s Daughters
Wireless Hotspots
The OC
The UN
Recycling
Getting “Punk’d”
The Latin Grammys
The Real Grammys
Jeff that Wiggle that sleeps too much
The Blues Salary Cap
All the red states
All the blue states
EVERY Hybrid Car
EVERY Talk Show Host
EVERYTHING on the planet
EVERYTHING in the universe
everything, everything, everything, everything…
everthing that exists both past, present and future, everthing discovered or undiscovered in any dimensions…
OH… and Hugh Jackman
November 18th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Dude, she married him sooo long after it came to a tear-jerking halt. Get with the program. *giggle*