Posted on 03/04/2013 8:22:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind
If you stopped watching network television awhile ago because it had gotten so bad, you made the correct decision. It has continued to get worse. A few years ago, network television became dominated by cheaply made reality TV shows and talent contests, sitcoms with hyperactive manic characters, and socially liberal themes. Television has always pushed the edge when it comes to socially progressive themes. But at what point does it go too far? Perhaps when there are no other options left during prime time network TV.
The top ten most popular TV shows last fall contained few choices for traditional conservatives, unless they enjoy watching football. The first, fourth and tenth most popular shows were Sunday Night Football, Sunday Night Pre-Kick and The OT (NFL wrap-up) respectively.
The second most popular TV show last fall was Modern Family, which features the lives of three families, including two gay men and their daughter. There is profanity and one episode implied that teenage sex was appropriate. The Big Bang Theory was the third most popular show last fall. The plot is based on the lives of some nerdy guys and a beautiful woman who tries to teach them social skills. It features frequent discussions about sex including masturbation, and is sprinkled with profanity.
The fourth and ninth most popular show was a pseudo-reality voice talent show, The Voice. It features various musical artists as judges, some who are quite trashy. The sixth most popular program, the medical show Grey's Anatomy, features a lesbian character, profanity and plenty of extramarital sex.
NCIS, which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, was the seventh most popular show. It is a drama about investigating crime, and at first glance would seem to be an educational show for those considering a profession in law enforcement. Unfortunately, it contains profanity, plenty of sexual hookups and frequent discussion of kinky sexual fetishes. The Family Guy is an animated show that ranked as eighth most popular. It contains plenty of profanity. One of the children has an ambiguous sexual orientation, and a family neighbor is a sex-crazed bachelor.
The Parents Television Council (PTV) gives The Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, and Gray's Anatomy their most serious rating of red, completely unsuitable for children. Modern Family is rated yellow, which may be inappropriate for children. These are just the current crop of popular TV shows; and likely not even the worst within the last 20 or so years. The profane words have become harsher in recent years, and the greatest increase in the use of them has been during the 8 p.m. Eastern “family hour” slot. PTV found that profanity on broadcast television increased 69 percent between 2005 and 2010.
Whether one has a problem with gay sexual orientation or not, why does sex and profanity need to be a theme in so many shows? TV shows with adult themes used to be accessible only on cable television or outside of primetime hours. Now, with the exception of sports shows, it is impossible to sit down with children and watch one of the top ten television shows on network TV without exposing them to sex and profanity. Many adults find the prevalence of sex and profanity offensive. Polls repeatedly show that more than half the population would like stricter controls over the profanity and sex in broadcast television. A significant segment of the population does not want to watch shows laden with gratuitous sex and profanity every evening. As a result, network viewership continues to drop every year. Last fall, ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC combined for a 9 percent drop in viewers in the coveted 18-to-49 age bracket.
The reason there is a disconnect between what people want to watch, and what gets shown, is because wealthy liberal Hollywood elites who produce the shows get to call the shots. The viewers never get an honest choice, because the money is all dumped into the elites' ideal shows, giving them a huge advantage through advertising, prime time slots, top actors and extra bells and whistles. Most television viewers have never heard of the relatively new show Flashpoint, for example, because it was only carried by limited stations in the late evening. Featuring the members of a highly skilled law enforcement team, it portrayed serious drama that touched upon politically incorrect subjects such as mothers kidnapping their children and Islamic terrorism.
There needs to be more shows during primetime like Flashpoint and V, the science fiction series, which was good, clean, scary alien fun. Or shows like Seinfeld, which poked fun at controversial or taboo subjects instead of taking a position on them. While the influx of musical talent competitions has brought with it some cleaner material, there is no trained acting, it is merely a step above cheaply produced reality shows. Viewers are finally tiring of American Idol.
Until network TV starts reflecting a broader diversity of content, people are going to continue migrating to Facebook and Netflix instead, where they can choose their content. Add in the constant commercials on network TV, and it's a no-brainer for viewers to make the move away from network TV. If wealthy TV producers want to remain wealthy, they had better start creating shows for those of us who don't enjoy gratuitous sex and profanity in our living rooms every evening.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/showbiz/tv/fall-tv-popular-ew
1. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 7.7 rating/19 share
2. Modern Family (ABC) 5.8/15
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 5.7/18
4. Sunday Night Pre-Kick (NBC) 5.6/15
5. The Voice (NBC) 5.1/13
6. Grey's Anatomy (NBC) 5.0/13
7. NCIS (CBS) 4.5/13
7. The Family Guy (FOX) 4.5/11
9. The Voice Tuesday (NBC) 4.5/13
10. The OT (Fox) 4.4/13
11. Revolution (NBC) 4.3/11
11. Football Night in America (NBC) 4.3/12
13. Two and a Half Men (CBS) 4.1/12
13. Once Upon a Time (ABC) 4.1/10
15. 2 Broke Girls (CBS) 4.0/10
15. Glee (FOX) 4.0/11
15. The Simpsons (FOX) 4.0/10
18. The X Factor Wednesday (FOX) 3.9/11
19. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 3.8/11
20. NCIS:Los Angeles (CBS) 3.7/10
20. New Girl (FOX) 3.7/10
22. X Factor Thursday 3.3/10
22. Person of Interest (CBS) 3.6/10
24. Criminal Minds (CBS) 3.5/9
24. Elementary (CBS) 3.5/10
26. Revenge (ABC) 3.4/8
26. Mike & Molly (CBS) 3.4/8
28. Survivor: Philippines (CBS) 3.3/10
29. American Dad (FOX) 3.1/7
30. The Middle (ABC) 3.0/9
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST....
I beg to differ. If they WERE full of garbage, it would be an improvement.
The one signature characteristic of successful people I know is that none of them have time to watch television.
Have to disagree about the Big Bang Theory. One of the best shows ever on TV.
It looks like cable shows were excluded from the list. Or do they not rate even that high?
of the 30 i watch BIG BANG THEORY, NCIS and sunday football is on if nothing else is on or if i am working.
BONES, MAJOR CRIMES, LEVERAGE reruns, CASTLE, BLUE BLOODS, WHITE COLLAR, BURN NOTICE, COVERT AFFAIRS. FALLING SKIES
But they do have time to be addicted to Free Republic.
Boy ain’t that the truth. I took care of my folks in their last years and during that time, I just stopped watching TV. They had reduced the cable menu to the lowest, cheapest tier, leaving only very few things on I *might* have been interested in. But also because they had to have the the thing screaming loud in order to hear it, loud enough so I couldn’t stand being in the same room.
5+ years go by and I just lost the habit of watching the stupid thing. Now I am on the road and great! Every motel room has a TV.
Talking about the most inane, stupid blather nonsense drivel idiocy. I am sure there some good movies to watch and I will confess to watching one every now and again.
All I can say is, the box turns your brain into sawdust.
I never watch network TV, ever. I can’t even remember the last time I watched what I like to call “The communist propaganda machine”. I think I watched a few minutes last year before I got disgusted and shut it off. Everything I watch is cable like Foxnews or series TV on cable like Breaking bad, Walking dead, Boardwalk Empire, shows that blow the communist propaganda machine out the water.
On the other hand, last night’s opener of Vikings was terrific.
Best show on TV is ‘Top Gear (UK version)’ and.. Is ‘The Office’ still on? Great show too! The rest SUCKS.
Our house likes Once Upon a Time, Elementary, Person of Interest.
The Middle is a pretty good show. The only one I watch with any regularity. Cannot recall anything particularly objectionable on it.
Yup! The off button works fine on all the tv’s in our house.
If we watch tv at all, it’s either something like Home and Garden TV, sometimes the Pawn Shop and Pickers, and old movies or a series on Netflex.
We also are reading more.
Now it's the other way 'round. If you want to watch something wholesome, you have to go to cable.
For example, we've been watching re-runs of "Touched By an Angel" on GMC, channel 188 on Dish.
I watch the Novelas on the Spanish channel...the wife got me hooked on them, and now they have English subtitles.
There is still some decent programming, but it has sadly become a niche audience.
The major networks are the worst because they for the most part resort to the lowest common denominator for programming.
HBO and premium channels can be more intellectual at times, but they sadly fall into the obsession with depicting excessive sex and violence “because they can” IMO.
I think garbage is probably the right word tho it certainly is in no way hyperbole.
I am retired and beginning to get to where my arthritis keeps me from doing a lot of things. I get one of the bottom priced Dish Network programs and it has only a few which I watch.
Over the air TV is absolutely the worst of the worst. During the daytime I get the impression that the shows are aimed at the total dregs of society. The only things I watch are Jeopardy, and the local news.
Every now and then an evening series is at least watchable. When it first came out, Smallville was pretty good tho at times it was more like Bizzaro Smallville where every character was the opposite of what they were in the old comics although I haven’t read one of those Superboy comics since around 1960.
Pete Ross is Black as are nearly all scientists, doctors, judges, (all the judges seem to be both Black and Female) and any person with an authoritative position. Of those left many are females.
Red headed Lana Lang is now half Chinese tho I will admit a smoking hot one. The Kent farm grows only organic produce.
It is hard to overlook all the PC elements but it hit rock bottom when they devoted an entire episode to pushing for illegal immigration.
All the evil people are corporate bosses or in one show a conservative who wants things to be like they were in the 50s.
In short, TV has been just about totally taken over by the extreme left.
I’m going to have to agree with the author. They ARE all full of garbage.
The Middle is a good show. Nothing objectionable about it. Fairly conservative for a network show. I will also watch Top Gear (British version) with my son. As for the rest of network TV, it’s all crap.
Right now, I only watch NHL Hockey and Big 10 Basketball. In a few weeks, Big 10 season becomes the NCAA tourney. MLB and Formula 1 will begin.
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