Aired on the Discovery channel. Self proclaimed “skeptics” on a show entitled “Ghost Hunters”. Compare to “Mythbusters”, aired appropriately on the Discovery Channel, is a show about people who believe in either busting or confirming urban legands.
A show that has “evidence” that can’t be scientifically replicated.
A group of people who get paid to come up with something. It looks good to say “well, we found nothing” or “well that sound could be your pipes” every once in a while… But a bunch of people who want to find something (skeptics or not, subconsciously their wallets yell “Hey, did you see that shadow?”) will find something. When they don’t they go through the reality show drama (there was something about the head tech guy and his second in command getting into a tiff with each other last time I saw the show). Oh, and waving sensitive electronic devices around a room might just show a spike here and there… Drafts, electrical wiring, putting your thumb on the wrong button (I’m sure you went through EXTENSIVE training on this highly sensitive equipment… Or maybe you got it on Ebay).
That’s all fine and good. What a few bored people who believe in ghosts want to do is fine. Tape it… Sell it… Put it on the SciFi channel (where it lives in reruns, which is fine). But to put it on the Discovery channel gives it false credit next to shows on medicine, how things are made, and all sorts of programming on the science of our planet.
Same for shows on the History Channel that talk of U.F.O.s. Worth investigating, maybe, BUT NOT ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL. I personally don’t think we’re alone in the universe. But might as well start airing Ghost Hunters on the H.C. right after it. The G.H.s have just as much claim to H.C. airtime as the U.F.O.s.
And Poker, Chess, or a Spelling Bee… All not sports. I would say to those who argue “Well, they’re competitive… How is that different from yada yada…” that I could nominate X-Box Halo playing up for a show… but Hot dog eating already got me one up on stupidity. Following this line of reasoning in deciding what goes on the air I wouldn’t be too shocked to see an hour long special on “The Sims”.
Anyway… That’s about all I’ve got for this pitting.
Unfortunately, the Discovery Channel, like virtually every other channel, is all about ratings and viewership. If they feel they can improve their ratings and increase their market share by airing shows like this, they’ll do it. That’s the reality of television, and it always has been. It doesn’t help that the Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Science Channel, The Learning Channel and a few others are all owned by the same parent company, so if you see pseudoscientific claptrap on one, you’re almost certain to see it on the others. So far, the The Science Channel appears to be immune to this, but I still notice that a lot of the “science” presented on it is questionable, at best, and absolute garbage, at worst. And it’s not improving over time; quite the opposite.
Not as bad as, poker on The Travel Channel. There are also alot of ghosty shows on The Travel Channel. But, ghost stories have been used to boost tourism for ages. Poker should have stayed on ESPN.
There were hopes (at least I had hopes) that cable television would allow for the creation of niche channels, driven by excellence rather than ratings. Oh well.
Poker at least has the excuse that the different tournaments are held at different venues. They also promote tourism for the casinos on the tour. What wrestling has to do with science fiction is beyond me.
100 channel + cable was supposed to give us specialized channels with distinct content. Now personally, I’m happy when the history channel shows something other than WWII (in Europe) but now the only purist channels anymore are the shopping channels.
Discovery even has specialized nights within their specialized channel. Note that the ghost stuff is never mixed with the science/engineering stuff which is never mixed with the medical stuff.
I am pleased that the motorcycle building show has been moved from Discovery to TLC. I think the hot rod show has been moved as well. Gives more time for re-runs of Dirty Jobs, which I suppose you could consider to be vaguely science-y on certain jobs.
Personally, I don’t think that shows about building motorcycles and hotrodding cars should be on Discovery or TLC. TLC has pretty much fully evolved from some things that were remotely educational to complete and utter crap.
As for games passing as sports on TV, I once saw Dominos on ESPN II some time last summer.