What in your opinion is specifically wrong with modern American Television?

[CJ0204]

Has anyone noticed the “dumbing down” of some characters on TV programs? Some shows, namely sitcoms, have the ‘bufoon’ character. My daughter wanted me to watch the Netflix 'Ritchie Rich" They portray the father as this idiotic, almost childlike person. I can’t believe writers can’t come up with anything more intelligent. Needless to say, I persuaded my daughter into a different show. I am no prude myself and I do like a little bit of everything, I just can’t handle the plain stupid.

 

[JustaServant]

Has anyone noticed the “dumbing down” of some characters on TV programs? Some shows, namely sitcoms, have the ‘bufoon’ character. My daughter wanted me to watch the Netflix 'Ritchie Rich" They portray the father as this idiotic, almost childlike person. I can’t believe writers can’t come up with anything more intelligent. Needless to say, I persuaded my daughter into a different show. I am no prude myself and I do like a little bit of everything, I just can’t handle the plain stupid.

That’s precisely why I migrated to British Comedy back in the 90s. Britcoms (until recently) have been story driven, not one-liner driven. Series like As Time Goes By or Yes, Minister would bore Americans used to the Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately the BBC has opted to imitate American sitcoms, like The Office. Yeah, I know the British version preceded the American, but the British version looks very much like an imitation of American Comedy. Which is why it translated so well over here.
Real shame, because now ‘Office’ knockoffs are all you can find on either side of the pond.

 

[JustaServant]

Please tell me what TV shows have “too much” gay sex. I don’t see anything on TV or even on DISH that screams gay sex. I dare say we need more LGBTQI+ people on TV. I love Ellen for example.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Padres1969]

Biggest issue I still see with US produced TV, specifically for the networks and most basic cable is the continuing terrible production values and frankly substandard writing and acting. I say this in comparison to shows being imported from the UK, compared to shows new media outfits like Amazon and Netflix are putting out, and in comparison to premium cable. And that’s not to say network TV can’t compete with the other sources which are either pay to watch or in some of the imports case gov’t subsidized. There are a few network and basic cable shows that have decent production values and acting. But by and large when watching network shows, especially in the post 1080p HD era, I find it harder and harder to suspend belief because the fantasy world’s they’ve created just come across as so blatantly fake.

Now that may sound like an odd objection to have to something that IS fantasy. But by it I mean you can’t even suspend your disbelief that what you’re watching could be real for an hour. The lines the actors say are so blatantly not what someone would say in a presented situation or is so over acted that it comes across as a joke (as if the actors studied at the William Shatner School of acting). The sets are of such low quality that with modern super HD TVs you can see that it’s just a set as it flexes and moves in a way that a real house, or theoretical spaceship’s walls, etc… would not move. Things of that nature take you out of the moment and essentially ruin the experience as far as I’m concerned.

 

[revert_jen]

Whether left or right, it’s still fascist and war-mongering. Remember the cheers over the ‘live’ bombing (“shock and awe”) of Bagdad?

Not really. I try not to watch that and I would not have cheered. I do remember seeing people dancing and cheering in the streets somewhere in the middle east on September 11th, 2001. It made me cry. So I really don’t think this kind of attitude is the result of watching American TV.

My guess is the same people who cheered are regular viewers of trash like “24” and “Homeland”. The ‘war and killing is fun’ crowd.
God help us all.

I haven’t seen 24 for years, and I’ve never seen Homeland, Gotham, or Arrow. But the other shows mentioned in the post you were originally referring to as “right-wing fantasies,” NCIS and CSI, well I don’t think they glorify killing. I think people watch them for the (possible right-wing fantasy) of using science and intelligence to ensure that guilty people go to jail. In a world where so much is wrong and doesn’t get fixed, it is a bit like a fantasy of justice. I close my eyes for any gory bits.

–Jen

 

[NM505StKate]

Sorry to hear that.

Sorry to hear what?

 

[JustaServant]

The lines the actors say are so blatantly not what someone would say in a presented situation or is so over acted that it comes across as a joke (as if the actors studied at the William Shatner School of acting). The sets are of such low quality that with modern super HD TVs you can see that it’s just a set as it flexes and moves in a way that a real house, or theoretical spaceship’s walls, etc… would not move. Things of that nature take you out of the moment and essentially ruin the experience as far as I’m concerned.

Most TV shows today appear to be written by committee, hence the one-liners and goofy dialogue. The over-acting can turn unintentionally funny (I would call it the Alan Alda School of Acting).
You bring up an important point about the budgets. People don’t realize just how low-budget network shows are. Series from the 60s and 70s would be too expensive to make today.

 

[mikekle]

Has anyone noticed the “dumbing down” of some characters on TV programs? Some shows, namely sitcoms, have the ‘bufoon’ character. My daughter wanted me to watch the Netflix 'Ritchie Rich" They portray the father as this idiotic, almost childlike person. I can’t believe writers can’t come up with anything more intelligent. Needless to say, I persuaded my daughter into a different show. I am no prude myself and I do like a little bit of everything, I just can’t handle the plain stupid.

Oh yes, Ive noticed this too, its not just tv shows, its major movies, commercials, even the mainstream news, for some reason, the way its all scripted, its meant for 6th graders! Seems like they dont want to risk not getting whatever agenda they are pushing across to the audience.

Thats another problem in most dramas, and sit coms, even movies today, by the dialogue, I can easily tell they are trying to hammer home what is ‘normal’, whether it comes to how someone should react to certain situations to what kind of products we should all have in our homes, its all done to get a point across.

The only thing I dont understand about major network tv, is how strict they still are with virtually any curse word, I mean, look at the rest of society, its pretty clear most are more open minded than ever, what was once taboo, is now acceptable and even cool, casual sex, drug use, etc are all encouraged in todays world, do what makes you happy, but when it comes to language on tv, they act like its still the 1950s???

 

[Son_of_Niall]

Please tell me what TV shows have “too much” gay sex. I don’t see anything on TV or even on DISH that screams gay sex. I dare say we need more LGBTQI+ people on TV. I love Ellen for example.

I got rid of Cable and only have streaming. But I still watch local news on antenna. I have been assaulted with ads from soap operas, which I didn’t know were still around, that included scenes of gay kissing. One night I switched to antenna before the local news and was treated to scene of two women going at it in bed.
And that’s just on the Networks, ‘free TV’.
As a person who puts Catholic in his religion moniker, I cannot allow that to invade my living room.

 

[Son_of_Niall]

Not really. I try not to watch that and I would not have cheered. I do remember seeing people dancing and cheering in the streets somewhere in the middle east on September 11th, 2001. It made me cry. So I really don’t think this kind of attitude is the result of watching American TV.

The ‘people cheering’ video was a admitted hoax. But people still believe it. What did Mark Twain say about a lie?
I for one, believe the war-mongering by Fox News DOES in fact contribute to the desensitizing of violent images on TV. Fox is also the network that produced the right-wing “24” series that glorified torture.

 

[JustaServant]

The only thing I dont understand about major network tv, is how strict they still are with virtually any curse word, I mean, look at the rest of society, its pretty clear most are more open minded than ever, what was once taboo, is now acceptable and even cool, casual sex, drug use, etc are all encouraged in todays world, do what makes you happy, but when it comes to language on tv, they act like its still the 1950s???

That’s changing. I’ve already noticed British sitcoms using language I never heard outside of R-rated movies years ago, and I don’t mean the F bomb. One show, The I.T. Crowd showed promise, but soon lapsed into language I really didn’t need to hear.
Look at it this way. Would you allow someone to come into your house, sit on your couch and talk that way? I know I wouldn’t.

 

[NM505StKate]

I got rid of Cable and only have streaming. But I still watch local news on antenna. I have been assaulted with ads from soap operas, which I didn’t know were still around, that included scenes of gay kissing. One night I switched to antenna before the local news and was treated to scene of two women going at it in bed.
And that’s just on the Networks, ‘free TV’.
As a person who puts Catholic in his religion moniker, I cannot allow that to invade my living room.

What state do you live in? I ask because even the FCC has guidelines as to what is allowed on basic TV. Mayhaps you somehow got a signal from a more adult station, like Showtime, but if you are using a basic antenna there is no way you saw a scene of two women “going at it”. Wait do you mean two women just kissing in bed in which I fail to see what is wrong with that. People kiss, people sometimes are in bed, kissing in bed is fairly normal…

 

[edwest2]

Oh yes, Ive noticed this too, its not just tv shows, its major movies, commercials, even the mainstream news, for some reason, the way its all scripted, its meant for 6th graders! Seems like they dont want to risk not getting whatever agenda they are pushing across to the audience.

Thats another problem in most dramas, and sit coms, even movies today, by the dialogue, I can easily tell they are trying to hammer home what is ‘normal’, whether it comes to how someone should react to certain situations to what kind of products we should all have in our homes, its all done to get a point across.

The only thing I dont understand about major network tv, is how strict they still are with virtually any curse word, I mean, look at the rest of society, its pretty clear most are more open minded than ever, what was once taboo, is now acceptable and even cool, casual sex, drug use, etc are all encouraged in todays world, do what makes you happy, but when it comes to language on tv, they act like its still the 1950s???

Language on TV should be as it was in the 1950s: civil, respectable and even the bad guys got by without the falsely named “Adult Language,” or “Strong Language” or “Language.”

Language? Of course everybody uses Language

Ed

 

[edwest2]

What state do you live in? I ask because even the FCC has guidelines as to what is allowed on basic TV. Mayhaps you somehow got a signal from a more adult station, like Showtime, but if you are using a basic antenna there is no way you saw a scene of two women “going at it”. Wait do you mean two women just kissing in bed in which I fail to see what is wrong with that. People kiss, people sometimes are in bed, kissing in bed is fairly normal…

Homosexual behavior should not be depicted.

Ed

 

[FollowChrist34]

In fifty words or less.

50 words? Where to begin.

Aimed at the intellect, interests of a 15 year old.

Commercialized - sex, violence sell.

Political correctness - the morals, values of Hollywood are pushed on children, the rest of us.

It is really too depressing to think about. If you even compare the quality of programs from the 50s, Jack Benny, Twilight Zone, Playhouse 90, Honeymooners, Groucho Marx, etc. amazing, amazing drop in quality and production. That started in the 60s. (I sound like a broken record always talking about older TV, but it is true all the same.) Now with the explosion of cable…

The British have fared a little better - though there is some drop there too.

I often ask myself this question, why is American TV so relentlessly bad, with no one fighting it effectively, fixing it - don’t know the answer. I really believe our best option is to just avoid it or watch an absolute minimum of it - treat it like you would junk food. I feel very sorry for those with children. How to keep them away from its influence.

 

[revert_jen]

The ‘people cheering’ video was a admitted hoax. But people still believe it. What did Mark Twain say about a lie?

Do you have a reference for that? Looking around the internet, I can see that there was a hoax about people cheering in New Jersey, but I never even heard that rumor. I specified that the cheering people were in the Middle East.

According to Snopes (snopes.com/rumors/cnn.asp), the footage I was referring to was genuine. (Whether it was representative of general attitudes or not is a different question.)

Eason Jordan, CNN’s Chief News Executive, confirmed that the video used on CNN was in fact shot on Tuesday, 11 September 2001, in East Jerusalem by a Reuters TV crew

–Jen

 

[JustaServant]

I often ask myself this question, why is American TV so relentlessly bad, with no one fighting it effectively, fixing it - don’t know the answer. I really believe our best option is to just avoid it or watch an absolute minimum of it - treat it like you would junk food. I feel very sorry for those with children. How to keep them away from its influence.

I think its a combination of many things. Actors just aren’t what they used to be. I doubt many of them have stage experience. The MTV-style, less-than-a-second shots are annoying. As I said earlier, the writing (or ‘content provider’) is abysmal. Ideas are pathetically repetitious.
And I hate to anger people who love sci fi and fantasy. But IMHO, that type of show has always been at the bottom rung of the ladder in regard to fiction. It is much, MUCH harder to write fiction based in the real world than a fantasy that you can manipulate. That doesn’t mean I do not enjoy good sci fi. It simply means I don’t take it seriously.

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

The shows are poorly written. Shows that are supposed to be sitcoms are not funny, IMO. Sex, nudity, swearing, horrible plots, and violence.

 

[FollowChrist34]

I think its a combination of many things. Actors just aren’t what they used to be. I doubt many of them have stage experience. The MTV-style, less-than-a-second shots are annoying. As I said earlier, the writing (or ‘content provider’) is abysmal. Ideas are pathetically repetitious.
And I hate to anger people who love sci fi and fantasy. But IMHO, that type of show has always been at the bottom rung of the ladder in regard to fiction. It is much, MUCH harder to write fiction based in the real world than a fantasy that you can manipulate. That doesn’t mean I do not enjoy good sci fi. It simply means I don’t take it seriously.

I agree on the sci fi / fantasy thing. I know a lot of people really like it, but it does usually lack in depth themes or character development, in human terms. More like comic strip stories.

But the British still manage to get good series produced even today (Doc Martin, etc.), with great actors. Every generation should produce great actors I would think - writers, dramatists, musicians. What’s up? I feel the same way about most of today’s film on the large screen too (lacks substance or real lasting value). Perhaps it is just going after money here in the US after all; aim it at teenagers - biggest draw.

 

[ThePCWife]

It’s disgusting and anti-human. There are a handful of ok things, like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but even most children’s media is pretty appalling. The Avatar cartoon was ok, but the sequel cartoon was much less ok and concluded with random lesbianism out of nowhere.