Tuesday, March 29, 2011

NBC can kiss my ass

That's it; I'm pissed at NBC.

1) First, the buttheads cancelled "The Cape".  Finally, there was a reason to stay up on Monday nights.  The Cape was original.  It was different, and it had the cutest blonde on TV, Izabella Miko.


 Actually, my favorite actor on the series is Keith David.

My wife, who doesn't know the difference between Dusty Springfield and Bruce Springsteen, thinks that "The Cape" is--to quote her-- "A lame-o rip-off of Batman."

Somebody shoot me.

2) Now the idiots at the Numbnut Broadcasting Corporation have tweaked "Law & Order Los Angeles".  They think they're "fixing" it by dumping Skeet Ulrich (In a previous post, I described how the morally ambiguous and complex relationship between Ulrich's character and his wife--a retired cop--adds 3 dimensional reality to the show). That, and here's something that instead of saving the show, will wind up sinking it, because it's so patently implausible:  Alfred Molina's character will quit the D.A.'s Office, and go back to LAPD to be a police detective.

Really?

I predict the unfortunate demise of "Law & Order Los Angeles" within 9 months.

NBC has a known history of sinking good shows and not supporting them:

(1) Dark Skies Dark Skies was a great series about JFK being assassinated as part of the government cover-up of the UFOs that are taking over Earth.  This series was so well written, that despite the fact that every episode presented impossible historical ideas e.g. comspiracy theories, everything was plausible i.e. so cleverly thought-out and written that it "could" have been true.  That's some good writing.

(2) Surface Another sci fi series about a government conspiracy to cover up--this time it isn't Little Green men--it's sea monsters rising to the surface to threaten mankind.  NBC actually cancelled the series in a manner that left viewers not knowing what the conspiracy was, and why.

Why do I let NBC sucker me into watching anything new they put on the air?  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice...

A friend has repeatedly told me that the reason why new TV shows don't last is that the 2011 TV audience is totally fragmented into people who watch the Crochet Channel, ESPN, Bravo, the History Channel, and the Cartoon Network.  That is, those people who aren't on the internet staring at donkey porn.  We had the same conversation again when I complained that CNN or one of the Big Three (ABC, NBC, or CBS) should have a one hour prime time science news special in which they explain what's really going on in Japan with the nuclear power plants, and with the "radioactive cloud" that is harmlessly floating over L.A.  He said that the advertising dollars aren't there, because there aren't enough eyeballs available to justify spending money on that.

I say, "BALONEY."

Here's why:  TV in Europe and Asia is also driven by the need for commercial profits, but they still have real news programs with real journalists who cover real news. 

In depth.

People in Europe still watch hour-long TV interviews with politicians, scientists, and writers, and unlike Charlie Rose, these interviews are actually on TV when people with jobs are awake.

The real truth is that the spineless idiots who run The Big Three need to grow some testicles (how's that for a mixed metaphor, Mr Welsh?) need to decide, "Look, dammit, this is good material, it's for the public good, and it goes on at eight o'clock."

The world needs less Kim Kardashian, and more Keith David.

4 comments:

Ray said...

Shame on you Tom, You should know that the government stole Nicola Tesla's anti-gravity flying machine invention. Read up on him.

Anonymous said...

Bravo!!
I just have one nit to pick: I think the European and Asian broadcasters are much more heavily regulated than the US, if not outright owned and controlled by the government. But, I don't think that is the ultimate answer to the problem. Even though I hate to see the way our major broadcast networks have devolved, I'm finding some real gems in the newer media, both cable and internet. I listen to a lot of insightful interviews and comentaries, almost all of them via podcasts. In fact, I listen to a lot more of the things that are important to me than I ever did during any part of the golden age(s) of TV or radio. I encourage you to rejoice in the creative destruction of the old main-stream media and welcome the much more interesting new media, one that can be tailored to your specific interests.

Ray said...

Plus all the electronics,Tesla coils etc, and AC in your X-Ray machine was invented by Tesla..

Anonymous said...

Well since I can’t seem to get it to let me post a comment, let me say that I too am disappointed to hear that The Cape is cancelled. I loved that show. But I do agree that the numbers of eyes watching at any given moment will not make the money necessary. Since it is all about the money and not truly entertaining or informing the viewing public, it doesn’t surprise me that NPR is losing money from the government, not that they supported all that much but hey money is money.



NBC et al, aren’t going to have a bowel movement if it doesn’t turn a profit. So you hope that some smaller network will pick up the series and it will go on a star trek like adventure for years to come. Oh and Law and Order LA, basically the show sucks. It is the worst of the franchise. When they cancelled Criminal intent..I was out.



Jim



Jim Yoder

Audio Visual Technologies Manager

Annenberg School for

Communication & Journalism