What the decline in quality of tv shows on network and cable have conclusively proved is that the great majority of Americans have lousy taste in entertainment. Back in the supposedly simpler times of fifty and sixty years ago you could regularly watch Broadway shows or theater plays on network tv along with actual interesting regular network shows. And that's with only three network channels.
Now both network tv and cable tv is mostly garbage. So much for the claimed increase in intelligence over the years for people.
Plus, there may be a problem with saturation. The umpteenth show about the Civil War or the American Revolution or World War II will likely get fewer viewers and generate less enthusiasm than the first or best show. If reality programming is that much cheaper and there are people willing to watch it, that’s where the cable channels will go.
I have to agree. Celebrity 500lb polygamous wife swap makeover shows for the chicks and Alaskan swamp fishing gold loggers for guys. Pretty lousy pickings all around. I remember when the sci-fi channel actually had shows about actual sci-fi writers and books. And it wasn’t even particularly in depth or highbrow, but it was waaaay beyond most of the mouth breathers out there I guess.
Freegards