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Subject: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: sonikuu on 08/24/07 at 3:57 pm

Anyway notice specialty channels are abandoning their specialty more and more often?  By specialty channels, I mean channels that are supposed to be devoted to specific subjects, like music channels, Cartoon Network, etc.  Anyway, it seems like they're all abandoning their specialties:

MTV: Specialized in music videos.  Abandoned that about a decade ago.  Now "Reality Television" instead of "Music Television".
VH1: See MTV, except with occasional nostalgia shows like the "I Love The" series as well as "celebreality" shows.
Fuse: This relatively minor music channel was meant to be all music videos all the time and used to make fun of MTV for showing reality shows instead of music.  Now, while they still air more music than everyone else, they're now airing movies, shows like The Whitest Kids U Know, and anime (I like anime, but it does NOT belong on a music channel).  They're becoming just like the MTV they made fun of.
Travel Channel: They air freaking World Poker Tour now.  What does poker have to do with travel?  I think they're on a boat, but you wouldn't now it since 99% of the show is poker.
History Channel: Please remind me, what does Ice Road Truckers have to do with history?  It should be on the Discovery Channel, not on the HISTORY channel.  Unfortunately, its done well in the ratings so look for more non-history shows coming to the "History" Channel
Nick at Nite: Okay, so not really a seperate "channel" but oh well.  They still air old shows, but now they'll be showing some original, non-classic shows as well.  Though it probably doesn't matter now since it should probably be "Fresh Prince at Nite" (and I like Fresh Prince!) what with how often they air marathons of that show.
Cartoon Network: They're debuting their first live action series, Out of Jimmy's Head, soon.  A LIVE ACTION show on CARTOON network?  This does not compute.

Okay, seriously, whats the deal here?  The music channels stopped being about music ages ago (Fuse barely hangs on), the Travel Channel is airing poker instead of shows about travel, the History Channel is showing something that isn't history related at all and will probably show more in the future, and Cartoon Network is having its first live action series and plans to have more in the future.  Whats with all the specialty channels giving up their specialty and becoming more generic?  And why the hell is it working?

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Marty McFly on 08/24/07 at 4:23 pm

Yeah, I've noticed this too. I can't say I'm surprised, although I agree it's definitely a disappointment. Maybe the answer lies with executives assuming there won't be enough of an audience to only watch a "niche" or novelty channel anymore (some people probably do have shorter attention spans, because you can watch things on DVD or YouTube, etc), so they mix it up to attempt to draw more people into it? Ironically, in reality that probably makes it even worse because nobody wins, since they're not enough on either side to directly appeal to either fanbase.

I really am surprised that VH1 entirely gave up music, since I will give them credit for staying with it for much, much longer than MTV did. Like I've said on here before, I was a pretty hardcore watcher back in the early '90s. It might've absolutely peaked in 1991-1993 to me, but it honestly always had some cool shows that were worth watching up until the early 2000s. When they stopped showing Behind The Music and other musically-themed shows, I think that was when they stopped caring about their roots. Now it's pretty much the Flavor Flav/third rate E! channel.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Satish on 08/24/07 at 5:35 pm

The History Channel in Canada shows movies like Interview with the Vampire and Conan the Barbarian, which I find rather questionable, although maybe I can understand it since those are sort of like period films. But I just can't figure out why they show re-runs of "CSI: New York".  ;D

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 08/24/07 at 5:39 pm

I really hate what Fuse has become lately. I started watching back in 2003 as an alternative to MTV. They played alot of music video's, and had more of a variety of what they played than MTV did at that time. Now they've almost gotten worse than MTV!

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: KKay on 08/24/07 at 5:41 pm

yeah, i've noiced i oo...i was thinking the same thing about Ice Road Truckers.
and MTV is horrible.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: CatwomanofV on 08/24/07 at 6:34 pm

I have noticed this, too. I haven't watched MTV in decades because they took the "M" out of it. I noticed it with the Learning Channel. What does "Trading Spaces" have to do with learning? I rarely watch the History Channel any more. Most of the "history" they have deals with war. I used to belong to the History Channel Club-got a monthly magazine. They tried to get me to be a lifetime member and you all this nifty-neat stuff-all war stuff.  ::) I stopped watching AMC years ago, too. What they now think as "classic" movies is:  Hidalgo (2004)  :o :o  just doesn't seem like a "classic" to me-and all with commercials now.



Cat 

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: woops on 08/24/07 at 6:49 pm

Disney Channel, basically a Nickelodeon clone or a tween version of current MTV...

MTV now stands for "Moronic Television"

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: MaxwellSmart on 08/24/07 at 7:04 pm

Thank you sonikuu and Satish for mentioning the atrocious History Channel.  But how many times could they rerun the same WWII documentaries.  We used to call it the "Hitlery Channel."  If there's one thing I like less than "Ice Truckers" it's the "Dogfights."  No, I don't mean Michael Vick here, I mean that Ollie North porn about fighter planes.  Hey, at least that took place in the past!  I'm interested in all things arctic, but not "Ice Truckers."  But for the fact that it's located near the arctic circle, there's nothing to distinguish it from a show about truckers and their rigs.  Ho hum.

I was psyched for the History Channel when they announced its arrival.  History is a fascinating subject with endless possibilities for programs. However, it did not bode well for a commercial venture.  PBS made geat history programs, but they did not have to worry about profit.  It takes a great deal of time, research, travel, and production to make a history program interesting to a general audience, and all that translates into M-O-N-E-Y.  The more money you spend the less money you can call profit.  The History Channel would never command a large enough audience to attract Superbowel-level advertising revenue.  It would always be small potatoes.

So what you get is the history of American junkfood, trucks on a frozen lake, and--as Satish points out--"Interview with a Vampire" -- non-historical movies about stuff that never happened!

It was the same story with the Discovery Channel.  I was thinking PBS.  I was thinking Nova every night.  Soon I discovered the Discovery Channel is where you go to discover hillbillies chopping their motorcycles!
:D



Disney Channel, basically a Nickelodeon clone or a tween version of current MTV...

MTV now stands for "Moronic Television"



"Empty TV" we used to call it.
:P

TVLand has no problem with its mission:
Reruns of Andy Griffith, All in the Family, Three's Company, M*A*S*H*, Sanford, Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and Little House on the Prairie.
This is the filler the networks used to show when they thought nobody was watching.  It's like making the whole hamburger out of Hamburger Helper!
;D

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: coqueta83 on 08/24/07 at 7:26 pm

MTV and VH1 seriously need to change their names because those channels have nothing to do with music anymore. I used to think Cartoon Network was a godsend because of all the great cartoons they once featured. Now it's hardly recognizable.  :( >:(

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Red Ant on 08/24/07 at 8:39 pm


MTV and VH1 seriously need to change their names because those channels have nothing to do with music anymore. I used to think Cartoon Network was a godsend because of all the great cartoons they once featured. Now it's hardly recognizable.  :( >:(


I propose RTV for MTV: "Reality"TV or, to me, "Reallyfudginboringandtotallyuseless TV".

MTV should stand for "MuTilated by Viacom".

History Channel used to be good, but yeah, the dogfights on WWII is a bit much. Plus, Modern Marvels: at first this show was great, but lately they're been doing crap like "Modern Marvels: Water" and "Modern Marvels: The Circle". Maybe not those exact titles, but things that have been around for forever.

What happened to Engineering Disasters? Great show, and no shortage of material with which to work. I haven't seen that in ages.

Ant

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: fusefan on 08/24/07 at 10:32 pm

I wish I was old enough to see good MTV. But unfortunately I was like a little kid when it went downhill.  ::) And now people my age are stuck watching annoying spoiled stuck up girls whine about mommy and daddy's money.  ::) :P

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: whistledog on 08/24/07 at 11:24 pm


The History Channel in Canada shows movies like Interview with the Vampire and Conan the Barbarian, which I find rather questionable, although maybe I can understand it since those are sort of like period films. But I just can't figure out why they show re-runs of "CSI: New York".  ;D


That one has me confused as well.  The only way CSI related to history, is that 20 years from now, all the people who get killed on that show will be historically dead LOL

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Foo Bar on 08/26/07 at 6:14 pm


History Channel: Please remind me, what does Ice Road Truckers have to do with history?  It should be on the Discovery Channel, not on the HISTORY channel.  Unfortunately, its done well in the ratings so look for more non-history shows coming to the "History" Channel


Well of course it is.  The Discovery Channel's full.  When it was a science/technology/engineering channel, there would have been room for it, but the Discovery Channel is now no longer the "science" channel, it's the "pseudoscience" channel.  Tonight, on Discovery: Teaching the Controversy:  Can Psychics see the Ghosts that are actually Aliens in Area 51?  Was Jesus also one of Them? 

Say what you will about the War Channel, but at least it's on topic for both history and technology buffs :)

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: LyricBoy on 08/26/07 at 6:21 pm

Then you have the networks that change specialties.

Take "Lifetime".  There was a time when it was a medical channel, and they'd run these cool doctor-specialty-training shows where they would insert cameras into the human body and show all sorts of diseases.  8)

Now its specialty is running "disease of the week" made-for-TV movies, and C-list actors/actresses in made-for-TV movies about scorned and otherwise wronged women.  ::)


Then you have The Nashville Network, which somewhere along the line became "The National Network" (whatever that was) and now is "Spike".  The Nashville-country stuff is gone since CMT kicked their butts.  But they still have the cool car shows on "The Power Block".

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Airrider on 08/27/07 at 2:02 pm

I have noticed that as well.

Is it any other wonder that I have stopped watching as much TV as I used to and go on the Internet more often?

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 08/27/07 at 4:08 pm

I must agree that it's a big disappointment for "specialty" networks to be airing stuff other than what they initially set out to do.

Not mentioned yet:

ESPN (and ESPN2 and other sports affiliates)... excuse me, but doesn't the "S" in that acronym stand for "Sports" ("Entertainment Sports Programming Network" is what I believe it stands for)? ::) For the past couple years they've been airing POKER matchups. In one regard, I am for stuff like that making it to tv, but gambling games are NOT sports. Why? Because they don't involve physical athletic activity.
Toon Disney....they were cool until about 2004 or early '05. Since then, they've been showing programs like Power Rangers (a live-action series) and anime programs. Not only that, but they've seemed to dump the 'toon disney' shows which some of us grew up watching. (Mostly stuff I'd watch on the 'Disney Afternoon' in the 1990's.) I hardly see any Disney cartoon shows on there anymore.
GSN (officially known as Game Show Network until 2004; now I think it stands for "Getting Strange Network", lol)... for the past three years they've been throwing in some reality-based shows. They seem to have dumped lots of the classic game shows, too. ::)





MTV now stands for "Moronic Television"

Agreed. :D There's hardly anything musical on there anymore.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 08/27/07 at 5:24 pm


I must agree that it's a big disappointment for "specialty" networks to be airing stuff other than what they initially set out to do.

Not mentioned yet:
Toon Disney....they were cool until about 2004 or early '05. Since then, they've been showing programs like Power Rangers (a live-action series) and anime programs. Not only that, but they've seemed to dump the 'toon disney' shows which some of us grew up watching. (Mostly stuff I'd watch on the 'Disney Afternoon' in the 1990's.) I hardly see any Disney cartoon shows on there anymore.



Yeah, I was really upset when Toon Disney got rid of some of the great Disney afternoon shows from the late '80s/early '90s. Fortunately, they've started to show some of them again. Goof Troop comes on at 10 A.M.,  Little Mermaid at 10:30, Aladdin at 11:00, Chip and Dale at Noon, and Talespin at 12:30. Great Line-up 8)

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 08/27/07 at 5:35 pm



Yeah, I was really upset when Toon Disney got rid of some of the great Disney afternoon shows from the late '80s/early '90s. Fortunately, they've started to show some of them again. Goof Troop comes on at 10 A.M.,  Little Mermaid at 10:30, Aladdin at 11:00, Chip and Dale at Noon, and Talespin at 12:30. Great Line-up 8)

Those are the shows I was talking about. I think they're cool shows. :)

What do they have on at 11:30?

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 08/27/07 at 5:38 pm


Those are the shows I was talking about. I think they're cool shows. :)

What do they have on at 11:30?



For right now, Dave the Barbarian :(

I try to watch when I can in mornings, as I haven't seen alot of those shows in many years. It's too bad they come on so early though.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 08/27/07 at 5:41 pm



For right now, Dave the Barbarian :(

I try to watch when I can in mornings, as I haven't seen alot of those shows in many years. It's too bad they come on so early though.

I'm not too familiar with that one. And with my busy schedules, I don't have time to watch 'em myself. Still, those other five programs are among the many cartoon shows I enjoyed in the early 90's. :)

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 08/27/07 at 5:46 pm


I'm not too familiar with that one. And with my busy schedules, I don't have time to watch 'em myself. Still, those other five programs are among the many cartoon shows I enjoyed in the early 90's. :)



Yeah, it's a new show. I've never really watched it before, but what I've seen looks pretty bad.

As for the other shows, I loved most of them back in the early/mid '90s as well. TD is still missing a few other classics(Ducktales, and Darkwing Duck for example) but it's better than nothing.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 08/27/07 at 5:49 pm



As for the other shows, I loved most of them back in the early/mid '90s as well. TD is still missing a few other classics(Ducktales, and Darkwing Duck for example) but it's better than nothing.

Yes I liked those too. You're right, it is better than nothing.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: MaxwellSmart on 08/27/07 at 6:09 pm


Then you have the networks that change specialties.

Take "Lifetime".  There was a time when it was a medical channel, and they'd run these cool doctor-specialty-training shows where they would insert cameras into the human body and show all sorts of diseases.  8)

Hmmmm...I thought "Lifetime" was always "Television for Women," even though I never met a woman who watched it!
::)
They seemed to traffic in "Unsolved Mysteries" reruns and sentimental b-movies produced by the network.

http://made-for-TV movies, and C-list actors/actresses in made-for-TV movies about scorned and otherwise wronged women.  ::)
Per above.  Battered-divorcee-of-the-week or sexual-harrassment-victim-of-the-week movies!


Then you have The Nashville Network, which somewhere along the line became "The National Network" (whatever that was) and now is "Spike".  The Nashville-country stuff is gone since CMT kicked their butts.  But they still have the cool car shows on "The Power Block".

Now, I heard "Spike" was supposed to be testosterone "Lifetime," Bond flicks, pro-wrestling and whatnot....
???

I like TNT because I like "Law & Order" reruns; watching the TNT network if you don't like "Law & Order" is like watching the Playboy channel if you don't like breasts!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_scratch.gif

How about the Weather Channel?  That's one step above Home Shopping on the moronic scale.  Why do you want to tune into the Weather Channel?  To see your local forecast.  Why does the Weather Channel want you to tune into the Weather Channel?  To watch commercials.  They know if you can pick up your local forecast in the first two minutes you'll tune back out and watch no commercials, so instead you get some dork with a microphone standing in a puddle in South Carolina and describing a hurricane from 1972!  Then you sit through a bunch of dogfood and douche ads, and then when they come back to Weather central in Atlanta, they don't show you your local forecast!  Nooooo....they show you the "Heat Index" nationwide (Boy, it sure is hot in Phoenix!).  See, in the early days, they used to show the local forecasts on the crawl at the bottom of the screen, but then the execs figured you might not watch enough commercials, so what did they put on the crawl...commercials.  Some areas rent it out to locals:

Joe and Jane Schmoe's Big Tag Sale 112 Ocean Ave Pudville...Saturday....October 15...1-5 pm...free popcorn and lemonade....bring the kids....

:D
So thank god for the Internet!  You can just get your local forecast. And yet, the Weather Channel is still on the air!

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: LyricBoy on 08/27/07 at 7:33 pm

I am going to start my own specialty porn chanel, The Johnny Wadd Channel.  8)

With a catalogue of 2274 films and loops, we will show only John Holmes porn, from 7:00pm to 4:00am, five days a week.  The rest of the air time will be infomercials for Viagra and Cialis.  ;D

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: MaxwellSmart on 08/27/07 at 10:48 pm


I am going to start my own specialty porn chanel, The Johnny Wadd Channel.  8)

With a catalogue of 2274 films and loops, we will show only John Holmes porn, from 7:00pm to 4:00am, five days a week.  The rest of the air time will be infomercials for Viagra and Cialis.   ;D

How about a Long Dong Silver Festival emcee'd by Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill?
:P

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: LyricBoy on 08/28/07 at 6:01 am


How about a Long Dong Silver Festival emcee'd by Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill?
:P


Actually LDS got more press than he had actual product.  He might have done 1 or 2 films, and of course he did quite a few pictorals for magazines.  He got more press for the Thomas/Hill affair than anything else, really.

Hey... what's this on my Coke can?  ???  ;) ;D

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Airrider on 08/28/07 at 6:09 pm

I get the feeling that the change for Lifetime from being a health channel to a women's channel was invented by somebody looking to caricature women in the first place...

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Marty McFly on 08/28/07 at 6:44 pm

The only thing I watched Lifetime for was Unsolved Mysteries before they pulled it out of production last Summer. Luckily I taped alot of them before it went off the air. Although I did end up often getting sucked into alot of the movies they showed. Even if they were depressing and even scary at times, they could be interesting and you could learn from them in a way, since most were based in reality. That made them hit close to home sometimes, too.

I think the tagline "Television for Women" wasn't being literal in the sense that no guys watched it, it was just that their programming probably tended to be more what would interest some women. Things like that shouldn't be taken too seriously. It's just like how people sometimes halfway ripped on VH1 in the early '90s for being the Michael Bolton channel. In reality, they played mostly pop/rock and '80s hits - it wasn't limited to AC, but that was what differentiated it from MTV. The same thing seems to hold true for how most things get their image.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: MaxwellSmart on 08/29/07 at 8:15 pm


Actually LDS got more press than he had actual product.  He might have done 1 or 2 films, and of course he did quite a few pictorals for magazines.  He got more press for the Thomas/Hill affair than anything else, really.

Hey... what's this on my Coke can?  ???   ;) ;D

Uncle Tom's old-fashioned Pubicola!

OK then how about a Clarence and Anita special hosted by Long Dong Silver?

LDS (and I don't mean Latter Day Saints) didn't possess physical dimensions or the vascular control to make his freaky schlong fully operational.  Even if he could, he would passed out cold.  It's about proportion.  To wield a willy that grand, he would have had to be 12 feet tall and wight 600 pounds!
;D

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Powerslave on 09/01/07 at 7:48 pm

We're getting rid of subscriber TV at our place once our two-year contract runs out. The only channel I still watch is the History Channel but like others have said, I got sick of all the WW2 stuff. Last night they had a doco about the Romanovs and a couple of weeks ago there was a special about Che, but nothing's floated my boat there in a while. Music MAX is the best channel otherwise. I can leave that on all day, but one channel isn't worth the monthly subscriber fee.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Step-chan on 09/01/07 at 8:23 pm


I have noticed that as well.

Is it any other wonder that I have stopped watching as much TV as I used to and go on the Internet more often?


I find TV nowadays to be like bad torture. It's no wonder I never got cable after I moved out.

Fortunately I can get my anime(as well as anything else I want to watch) fix on youtube.

I used to watch MTV alot, but wouldn't watch it voluntarily nowadays(even if I had cable). MTV2 got butchered badly as well(no surprise).

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: LyricBoy on 09/02/07 at 8:14 am



I used to watch MTV alot, but wouldn't watch it voluntarily nowadays(even if I had cable). MTV2 got butchered badly as well(no surprise).


EmptyV indeed is empty these dys.  I don't watch it either.  :-\\

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 09/02/07 at 10:57 am


I used to watch MTV alot, but wouldn't watch it voluntarily nowadays(even if I had cable). MTV2 got butchered badly as well(no surprise).

Yes, MTV2 seems to be taking after mtv these days as well. ::)

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: tv on 09/02/07 at 12:13 pm



I really am surprised that VH1 entirely gave up music, since I will give them credit for staying with it for much, much longer than MTV did. Like I've said on here before, I was a pretty hardcore watcher back in the early '90s. It might've absolutely peaked in 1991-1993 to me, but it honestly always had some cool shows that were worth watching up until the early 2000s. When they stopped showing Behind The Music and other musically-themed shows, I think that was when they stopped caring about their roots. Now it's pretty much the Flavor Flav/third rate E! channel.
Doesn;t VH1 have a show on Brett Michaels trying to pick out girls that he wants to go out with too. I just turn off the Brett Micheals when I see him on VH1 on his show or whatever his show is called.  I'm tired of Flav Falv too I turn him off whenever his show appears on VH-1 too I mean both Brett Michaels and Flav Flav were part of groups like 16-20 years ago that were popular?

I remember when Vh1 had Pop-Up video, and Rock and Roll Jeopardy.

Sometimes I think ESPN should be named the E! sports entertainment channel I mean 4 years ago they kept on reporting aboyt Shaq and Kobe not getting along, TO constantly , and now Michael Vick's dog fighting charges all the time. You guys are supposed to be up on the latest sports news not be the E! Sports entertainment channel.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: tv on 09/02/07 at 12:22 pm


Yes, MTV2 seems to be taking after mtv these days as well. ::)
With MTV2 they just name it the Glam Rap video music channel(with the exception of playing of Kanye West's music video's) all the time because every time you turn on MTV2 nowadays there's always some Glam Rap video on I'll give MTV2 credit they did actually play a non-glam rap video in rapper Commons "The People" the other day but of course after that another Glam Rap video came on.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Step-chan on 09/02/07 at 6:16 pm


EmptyV indeed is empty these dys.  I don't watch it either.  :-\\


Red Ant has a parody about MTV's fall into crap as well.

In it is another good name for it: Mucus Television.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: ultraviolet52 on 09/24/07 at 4:59 pm

You know what bothers me most. A lot of the shows on these channels (History, MTV, VH1, Learning Channel, Disney, etc) wouldn't bother me if they were actually about the topic that their channel is suppose to cover. I mean, that's why they're specialty channels - because you're paying for something you wouldn't otherwise see on a network channel. The sad thing is, network TV actually airs better stuff now! PBS is far better than History Channel now (always has been, for the most part.) PBS is even better than the Disney Channel because it airs non-hyperactive shows. I can't stand some cartoons that make you want to take a dose of Ritalin after watching a few minutes. Disney use to air SO much good stuff. You could get your dose of old/new Disney cartoons, Classic Disney movies, Wonderful World of Disney/Wonderful World of Color, Mickey Mouse Club, and Holiday specials. Ugh - now it really disgusts me. I am sure there are a few segments of the Disney Channel that remain true to itself former self, but they are traces compared to what they use to be. Maybe I'm a boring person or something, but I enjoyed their programming immensely.

MTV even 10 years ago was worth watching. Now, it has just stooped so low, as far as standards go, I just don't know if it could ever recover. Tweens who watch it now probably have no idea what a REAL music channel use to be like. VH1 is also just barely hanging on to it's status of airing mature audience music videos. They have the countdowns, and that's just about it. I'll get lucky if they do their "I Love the..." series, because at least that is still somewhat related to music/pop culture.

These are dark days for cable TV. Some of the most quality cable stations have decided to lower their standards for very lame programming which is way beneath our intelligence as a country. 

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: woops on 09/26/07 at 3:30 pm

Only watch "Shaun the Sheep" (from creators of "Wallace & Gromit") and sometimes early "Suite Life" (before Ashley Tisdale became a pop act) time to time...

TV Guide Channel has many E! like junk... and E! was never a good channel in the first place  ::)

TCM is the only channel that haven't "jumped", though not a fan of classic movies and only watch "Cartoon Alley", which showcases vintage WB & MGM cartoons...most uncut, though there's been a few times some were edited

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: ultraviolet52 on 09/26/07 at 5:13 pm


Only watch "Shaun the Sheep" (from creators of "Wallace & Gromit") and sometimes early "Suite Life" (before Ashley Tisdale became a pop act) time to time...

TV Guide Channel has many E! like junk... and E! was never a good channel in the first place  ::)

TCM is the only channel that haven't "jumped", though not a fan of classic movies and only watch "Cartoon Alley", which showcases vintage WB & MGM cartoons...most uncut, though there's been a few times some were edited


TCM was awesome when I had it for a few years. It had such a rich library of films, shorts, and cartoons. Also, great documentaries. I miss having the channel and am so glad that they have not sold out to showing worthless programming.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: Marty McFly on 09/27/07 at 5:11 am


You know what bothers me most. A lot of the shows on these channels (History, MTV, VH1, Learning Channel, Disney, etc) wouldn't bother me if they were actually about the topic that their channel is suppose to cover. I mean, that's why they're specialty channels - because you're paying for something you wouldn't otherwise see on a network channel. The sad thing is, network TV actually airs better stuff now! PBS is far better than History Channel now (always has been, for the most part.) PBS is even better than the Disney Channel because it airs non-hyperactive shows. I can't stand some cartoons that make you want to take a dose of Ritalin after watching a few minutes. Disney use to air SO much good stuff. You could get your dose of old/new Disney cartoons, Classic Disney movies, Wonderful World of Disney/Wonderful World of Color, Mickey Mouse Club, and Holiday specials. Ugh - now it really disgusts me. I am sure there are a few segments of the Disney Channel that remain true to itself former self, but they are traces compared to what they use to be. Maybe I'm a boring person or something, but I enjoyed their programming immensely.

MTV even 10 years ago was worth watching. Now, it has just stooped so low, as far as standards go, I just don't know if it could ever recover. Tweens who watch it now probably have no idea what a REAL music channel use to be like. VH1 is also just barely hanging on to it's status of airing mature audience music videos. They have the countdowns, and that's just about it. I'll get lucky if they do their "I Love the..." series, because at least that is still somewhat related to music/pop culture.

These are dark days for cable TV. Some of the most quality cable stations have decided to lower their standards for very lame programming which is way beneath our intelligence as a country. 


That's true, huh? It's almost reversed in terms of the standard channels having more variety than the specialized networks. I think the main reason they've changed so much from their original formats is because they're afraid of stagnating (somewhat rightfully). They just go overboard in always revamping their programming or not sticking with what made them famous in the first place.

Since I'm a huge VH1 guy, I'd say they had decent traces of their musical programming through c. 2003. When they dropped the Music First logo (the VH inside the 1 with a circle around it) and went the reality TV route, that was pretty much when it jumped the shark. Even the I Love..., and Awesomely Bad countdowns (which is pretty the only weak ties they have to music) are kinda getting stale by this point and probably won't be around even in reruns after 2008 or '09.

Maybe when VH1 Classic became a success, they felt they didn't really need to focus on the more old-school stuff, instead leaving it to them? So many networks have "secondary" channels like that now. I bet they'll become like their parents in due time too, lol.

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: 80sTrivMeister on 09/30/07 at 12:12 pm


Then you have the networks that change specialties.

Take "Lifetime".  There was a time when it was a medical channel, and they'd run these cool doctor-specialty-training shows where they would insert cameras into the human body and show all sorts of diseases.  8)

Now its specialty is running "disease of the week" made-for-TV movies, and C-list actors/actresses in made-for-TV movies about scorned and otherwise wronged women.  ::)



So true. My sister and I have dubbed Lifetime the "Rape & Abuse Network", for all those cheesy, women-in-peril movies!  ;D

The Discovery Channel should be called The End of the World channel, because they show so many specials on catastrophic ways the world could end...  ::)

Subject: Re: Specialty networks getting rid of their specialties?

Written By: nally on 09/30/07 at 2:03 pm


With MTV2 they just name it the Glam Rap video music channel(with the exception of playing of Kanye West's music video's) all the time because every time you turn on MTV2 nowadays there's always some Glam Rap video on I'll give MTV2 credit they did actually play a non-glam rap video in rapper Commons "The People" the other day but of course after that another Glam Rap video came on.



Yes, but when I first watched Mtv2 (in 2003/04-ish), they had somewhat-older MTV programs on, like Beavis & Butthead. They don't seem to show those reruns anymore (at least not that I've been aware of).

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