TV Wasteland

Well for the most part it is anyway. Every once in awhile I hear about something on Fox that may actually look like it can bring that station back to the way it once was....BAI...that's before American Idol for those that didn't catch that. When they first started they were the "upstart" network that showed that you could take on the big three and do well. Remember 21 Jumpstreet? Married with Children? Werewolf? Great shows back then...then they went even further and tried out a silly little animated show that all the critics scoffed at. You know the one...I believe it's called "The Simpsons"? Then the "reality show" craze hit the airwaves. I for one am not a big fan of the "reality" show. I do watch Survivor, but honestly it's because my Wife watches it and I enjoy spending time with her and besides Eleventh Hour is on that same night, and I really like that show. I do enjoy the challenges in Survivor; the obstacle courses, etc. I hate the whole whiny bitch drama bit in between, and honestly I uses those moments for a pee or crap break. I do like Top Chef, but only catch it now and again. That's more of a competition show...a culinary game show if you will...than a reality show. The "reality" part is when some of the Chef's are at odds with each other in the group house they live in, but those portions of the show are very minimal. It's about cooking after all, and there's not much time for filler crap. Technically Survivor is a 30 minute show but it takes up a hour timeslot........it would be 30 minutes if they just showed the challenges then tribal council. The one I really like is the Amazing Race. It's even less of a reality show than Top Chef. The only time you get the whiny attention whore bs is when couples clash during the course of the game, or other teams clash with other teams. Other than that (it's not that common and usually relegated to one team) there's too much going on to deal with that crap. All the rest of them can go die in a fire. All the Wife Swap, Temptation Island, Bachelor, Who's a Gold Digging Slut...I mean who wants to marry a Millionaire.........seriously who does?? Shouldn't it be who wants to marry a billionaire by now? Top Model, Top Hair Dresser, et etc.....these shows are all really stupid and lame. The lamest one by far.....well not lame but there's just too much of it on....is American Idol. I've gone on and on about this one so no need to flog that dead horse again. Fox has 24, but honestly I've never watched it and figured it's too late to watch it now. That's one good show they have other than "The Deathstar" (credit that one to Tim Goodman the Chronicle's TV Critic) that is American Idol. They tried to have a hit with the Terminator TV show.....too late. Seriously, that franchise is done and making a TV series about it just doesn't do anything to help it along. Besides, from my understanding it was lame. Fringe, sounded good almost X-Files like but after 3 episodes I said CYA.......it never went anywhere. It's like Fox isn't trying anymore. Eventually people are going to get tired of what boils down to Star Search for the 21rst Century and want something else. Fox has decided to give it to them in the form of a show called "Bitches". It's a cross between a Werewolf movie and Sex in the City. Yep, you read that right. It's about 3 Manhattan Women who are werewolves. Apparently werewolves are going to be the next "hot" thing with the release of the next Dawson's Creek Vampires movie....you know that Twilight crap that my Step-Daughter loves sooooo much.....any way, it's another large FAIL for Fox. What is funny is all of these satellite networks, FX, USA, TNT are putting out great shows that you want to watch while the networks, with the exception of most of CBS, Heroes on NBC and Life on Mars on ABC, are just putting out crap. FX has the Shield (had anyway), Damages and others. USA has Monk and my new favorite Burn Notice. TNT has the Closer....all great shows. What did ABC give us......more Desperate Housewives (and they wonder why the divorce rate is so high in this Country...hey let's make if trendy to be a cheating slut....), Push Daisies, Carpoolers (oh this was going to be a hit...c'mon...how can a sitcom about 4 carpoolers be anything but comedy gold??????) and the stupidest idea ever, Cavemen. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the Geico Caveman commercials are chuckle worthy, but that's for 30 seconds and worth just a chuckle. Not worth trying to make it funny for 25 minutes plus commercials.... It actually made it to a handful of episodes. At least CBS had the sense to kill Viva Laughlin after 2 or the Ex-List after 3. NBC gave us Chuck (mildly amusing but we can live without it), Journeyman (really confusing and one of those shows that's based in San Francisco but everything they show is completely not in San Francisco nor did it happen the way they portrayed.) and the stupidest idea yet (even stupider than Cavemen) a remake of Knight Rider. Oh yeah, and they didn't kill it right off, they kept trying to string it along. The Networks are becomming like the Movie industry; no more ideas and trying to rehash old shit. Ah well, there's always my Wii to keep me entertained......