Blog : TV Worth Watching

What's Right with This Picture?

hopkins-doctor new.jpg

Tonight at 10 p.m. ET, ABC presents the second installment of its excellent documentary series Hopkins, NBC presents the latest installment in its creepy suspense anthology series Fear Itself, and CBS presents another new episode of its period drama series, Swingtown.

So I ask you: What's right with this picture?

What's right, in a very easy-to-crack nutshell, is that this is an hour when all the major broadcast networks are presenting fresh, non-rerun programming. And when not one of them is presenting a reality or competition show.

Yes, I know, Fox is into local programming at this hour, so it's a field of three networks, not four. But even at that, can you guess how many other weekly slots in prime time are populated entirely by fresh, non-reality broadcast programs?

This week, there aren't any others. Not one. Tonight's Hopkins-Fear Itself-Swingtown combo is the only such troika. And next week, Fear Itself is being bumped for an expanded Last Comic Standing telecast, so next week there won't be any.

Strike-related erosion isn't the only reason TV viewership is down this summer. If the networks aren't even trying, why should audiences be visiting?

A few more years of polluting the airwaves with unimaginative, unwatchable reality shows and endless reruns, and Last Comic Standing may well translate to Last Viewer Watching...

2 Comments

Mark said:

Isn't Hopkins non-fiction (aka "reality")? (I differentiate between true documentaries and hoked-up, manipulated "reality" guano like hanging around with Lindsay Lohan's mom. If that's splitting hairs, I plead guilty. -- David B.)

Comment posted on July 3, 2008 9:55 AM

Gregg B said:

Now what's wrong with this picture: Instead of giving us a chance to watch all three (I know we all have DVRs but mine as of now can't record three shows) the networks schedule all these shows against each other. All other nights are loaded with reality or reruns. They also put these shows on the second lowest night of viewership. Can they ever get this stuff right? (Actually, Thursday is one of the biggest viewership nights. During the season, it supports both CSI and Grey's Anatomy as Top 10 shows. It's also a big night for movie advertisement, trying to catch people before they plan their Fridays and Saturdays, so that might explain the irritating log jam. -- David B.)

Comment posted on July 3, 2008 11:03 AM

Archer T-shirts & fan gear at the Fox Shop!

Behind David in the picture is the first TV owned by his father, Virgil Bianculli, a 1946 Raytheon. (The TV, not his father. His father was a 1923 Italian.)

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air, occasional substitute host for that show's Terry Gross, and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His most recent book is 2009's Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' and he's at work on another.

ARCHIVES

January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007