# If you could only have three cable channels, what would they be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504 "2004-11-02T06:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/1 "2004-11-02T06:14:48Z")
Assume you have all network channels (including WB, UPN, etc.) and PBS. My pics: \*Comedy Central]/I] (just for Jon Stewart, who will one day get over this hetero phase he’s going through and come lift me up where I belong) _CNN_- the main one- while I don’t pretend it’s objective it does have pretty pictures _History Channel_- the least pandering of the “educational” channels (which isn’t saying a lot- they still have the “Did Nazi UFOs Create the Sphinx” documentaries, but not quite as many), I’d keep it for now just for the “videogame” battle reenactment program. Et y’all? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/2 "2004-11-02T06:22:42Z")
Independent Film Channel. I actually almost lost it last night due to a cable company snafu, and I was willing to pay an extra $20 to keep it. Comedy Central. Can’t live without the daily show. Cartoon Network. Adult swim is the best thing ever. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/3 "2004-11-02T06:33:35Z")
Can we pick from certain eras? I want The History Channel from like seven years ago. I’m tired of all the Modern Marvel bullshit and the fifteen hundredth repeat on Hitler’s sex life. More Romans, Byzantines, Mongols, Greeks, and Aztecs please. I’d also take Starz for the movies. They seem to have the most movies I’m interested in. And as my third, I’d have to pick… um… SpikeTV? It has TNG, DS9, and will have VGR next year. I hate the channel otherwise but until I have the DVDs, I have to watch it to get my fix. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/4 "2004-11-02T06:40:44Z")
If we can time travel, I’ll take _The Learning Channel_ from ten years ago when they were more likely to show a documentary on the building of Crusader’s castles than how to redecorate them for $1,000. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/5 "2004-11-02T06:57:27Z")
The Travel Channel The Weather Channel - I have a strange addiction to **Storm Stories** Too many contenders for 3rd place… probably either the Discovery Channel (although they have wayyyy too much “live birth” stuff on these days), CourtTV, or whatever that TV Land one is. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/6 "2004-11-02T07:03:40Z")
Damn…I’ve only got a set of rabbit ears that came with the TV. I get two stations, ABC and NBC. Sometimes if I’m lucky I might get UPN on UHF27. I get all the regular channels and THREE of my choice? Damn…a good movie channel would be nice. Maybe one that has some westerns too. I’ll take that. There used to be one, I think it was TNN? Gotta have a history channel and something science, like _discovery?_ Yeah, that’d do. Hell, I could get by with JUST those three. 😃 **editorial** It’s been several years since I had cable. I still remember that despite having dozens of channels, it seemed like there was never anything on. I was at my brother’s the other day…big huge ass TV with surround and DVD’s and satellite and etc etc…$5K worth of entertainment, hundreds of channels…there wasn’t a damned thing on worth watching. Unless you wanna pay per view. He pays 'em 50 bucks a month now. Why in the hell’s he gotta pay more? damned shame tv’s not better used :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/7 "2004-11-02T07:14:02Z")
Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, and a fight to the death between Animal Planet and History Channel for third place. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/8 "2004-11-02T07:32:08Z")
Fox Sports World, Cartoon Network, and… probably the History Channel ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/9 "2004-11-02T12:21:30Z")
Lemme see. . .Noggin/The N to keep the kiddo’s happy. ABC Family so I can get my nightly dose of Whose Line. TNT so I can get my likewise nightly dose of Law and Order. Hubby will, of course, be pissed that I didn’t keep The History Channel, The Science Channel or Tech TV; but, hey, let him make his own list. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/10 "2004-11-02T12:25:48Z")
MSNBC, HBO and Comedy Central ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/11 "2004-11-02T12:50:28Z")
Cartoon Network for Adult Swim USA for Law and Order: SVU and…umm…those are really the only cable channels I watch, other than the occaisonal flipping through and catching something I like…so I’ll say Discovery Channel, cause I do enjoy Mythbusters. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/12 "2004-11-02T13:10:28Z")
Turner Classic Movies Nicktoons Cartoon Network ---
**Author:** ![hocow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hocow/32/4112_2.png) [@hocow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hocow)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/13 "2004-11-02T13:47:54Z")
Lifetime - I’m a sucker for the Golden Girls, and their movies _bows head in shame_ 😉 Comedy Central - Sout Park, Stand-Up, etc. Showtime - For the joy that is Queer as Folk ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/14 "2004-11-02T13:53:42Z")
Comedy Central for as long as Jon Stewart is on. ESPN for “Baseball Tonight” and college football. C-SPAN for Brian Lamb. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/15 "2004-11-02T14:41:32Z")
Comedy Central - for many reasons including The Daily Show, Chappelle’s Show and Reno 911. Sundance Channel - off-beat indies and documentaries galore. BRAVO - for variety and Queer Eye ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/16 "2004-11-02T14:48:12Z")
Comedy Central, Cartoon Network and HBO. ---
**Author:** ![The\_27th\_Evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@The\_27th\_Evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_27th_Evil)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/17 "2004-11-02T14:50:42Z")
History Channel if they would show less Hitler already. Discovery Health for all the cool genetics stuff. Court TV for the forensics shows. Yes, I’m a nerd. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/18 "2004-11-02T14:54:46Z")
HBO ESPN . . . I don’t have cable so I can’t really say. Maybe ESPN2 or HBO2. Although Comedy Channel sounds nice. * * * Addendum : I actually have “basic” which is just the networks, and HBO. I think I’m the only person in America that does that. Addendum 2: Through some goodness of the gods, comcast in Baltimore actually packages ESPN with “basic” so I get that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/19 "2004-11-02T15:05:21Z")
E USA HBO (even though I don’t currently have it, I’d really like to) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504/20 "2004-11-02T15:06:47Z")
Fox Sports West (Dodgers) Fox Sports West 2 (more Dodgers) WGN (Cubs) 212 channels? We don’t need no 212 channels! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-three-cable-channels-what-would-they-be/272504.md?page=2)