On 03/07/2013 5:57 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>>
>> One of the problems with the specialty channels is the reruns. They have
>> a limited repertoire and often air the same program several times a day.
>> Some of those channels are worse than the others.
>
> And it will repeat again in a couple of years. It is was worth
> watching, at least you won't miss it.

Years? With some channels it is a month or two.


>
>
>>> Some reality shows are interesting for an episode or three.
>>
>> Sorry, but for me, "reality show" is an oxymoron, and I cannot get
>> excited about watching them. The same goes for the various cooking
>> competitions, be they professional, semi professional or amateurs.
>>
>>
>
> The key to enjoying them is a DVR. You FF through the drama and see
> the small portion that is reality.

Not for me. I am not going to bother to record a show just to skip throw
the drama. For some of those shows, that is what it is all about. I
caught a few moments here and there of survivor and saw enough of that.
If I were on an island I would be looking for those with useful skills,
not conspiring on the basis of gender or personality. A bunch of
attention whores sharing a house and getting into conflicts with each
other is a poor replacement for quality programming.

But.... different people have different tastes. I don't watch sports on
TV either. I used to watch the occasional hockey game but after that
nonsense with the lock-out/strike this year I boycotted it. The only
sporting events I like to watch are equestrian events.





> Many of us in the lower 48 have
> never heard of Ice Roads, for instance. It was interesting to find
> out about them and see how it is done. You can do that in an episode
> or two. This is not life changing subject matter, but just something
> interesting that I never knew about. Some people go to their graves
> and never know about that stuff and no one seems bothered about it.


Ice roads are an important means of transport in the far north and a
good thing to know about. But... a series of shows, and all about the
drama? No thanks. There are also shows about other dangerous roads,
like through the Andes and the Himalayas. Okay. We get it. There are
some dangerous parts of the world, but I don't want to see an entire
series of shows about it. The same goes for the one about the Alaska
king crab fleet. It makes the rounds every year or so. Perhaps the
current batch is a new season. I don't know. I don't intend to watch it.
One hour long episode was enough to tell me everything I think I need to
know about the hazards of crabbing.

>
> As for the competition shows, I agree. Some are downright moronic.
> Taste is very subjective so when a pro chef is sent home, it is
> usually not because of a bad meal, just the mood of a couple of judges
> at that moment. Who cares?
>


Can you imagine being a talented and hardworking aspiring chef and
having to put up with the moronic rants of Gordon Ramsay? But the show
is more about the judges than the chefs anyway.