# Why the fuck must every cable channel slowly degrade from what made us like it?!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379 "2002-09-07T02:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/61 "2002-09-10T12:41:40Z")
The biggest “fiction” about the SCIFI Channel is that there is much “science fiction” on it. Now they’ve killed _Farscape_, and are planning more “reality-themed” programming along the lines of John Edward, that channel is dead to me. I had so much hope when they started doing original series, I thought the payoff for years of loyal viewership was here. Guess not. If I wanted _X-Files_ reruns, I’d buy the DVD sets or have taped them off of FX by now. I hate alien/conspiracy/abduction/Roswell stories so that 20-hour _Taken_ monstrosity won’t be watched by me, ever. I will probably remove you and USA from my channel lineup in protest. Fuck you, USA Studios, Vivendi, and Universal. A&E - Finally lost the L&O episodes you ran into the ground, so how about showing us some good British stuff now; or am I supposed to get digital cable and BBC America. Ditch the Angela Landsbury reruns while you’re at it. Discovery - I honestly haven’t watched this channel on a regular basis in four years. I can only handle so many CGI dinosaur shows. TLC - _Junkyard Wars_ is the only thing worth watching on here. The only thing I’ve learned from the car chase shows and the medical trauma shows is how to change the channel even faster. E! - Should become a pay channel so they can show all those naked people on _Wild On!_ unblurred already. Then it could be the 24-hour Girls Gone Wild Channel. Like it was said earlier Wild On! and Jules Asner is pretty much the whole channel. Played out SNL episodes don’t count. Comedy Central - The Crude Crap Channel would be more like it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/62 "2002-09-10T15:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*This is why I think Digital TV is a ripoff. There’s nothing worth watching! So why pay an extra $200 for it? ☹ :mad: \*\* Monty Python, double Starz! Super Pack (miss a movie on the Eastern feed? Wait a while and it will be repeated on the Western feed!), etc., and I only pay an extra $30. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by red\_dragon60_\*\* > TLC needs to drop all the hospital crap. Babies being born, eye surgery, gunshot wounds, open heart, the list goes on. These kind of shows appeal to a VERY SMALL SUBSET of the TLC viewers!\*\* Notice how these are mainly on weekday afternoons? They’re going after stay-at-home parents who are tired of the soaps. Not exactly a very small subset there. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Skeezix_\*\* > “Son of a bi-bi-bi-bi-gun. \ You thought I was gonna say Son of a bi-bi-bitch, didn’t you?”\*\* I have a Quicktime (or MPEG or something) of this. It’s at home and I don’t know what format it is. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Michael Ellis_\*\* > I just wish Cartoon Network aired more Looney Toons. Yes, I know they air them. I just want more.\*\* I’m with ya there. Much of their nighttime programming is just dreck, especially Adult Swim. I thought cartoons are supposed to be funny; the stuff on Adult Swim is just stupid (and boring). I guess it appeals to the Seinfeld crowd. ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/63 "2002-09-12T06:03:55Z")
Are you kidding? Adult Swim kicks ass. It’s one of the few things I actually watch on TV nowadays. (To each his own, I guess.) (Hijack: Apparently, according to a Slashdot article I read earlier today, they are going to show Futurama on Adult Swim! Woohoo! Now, if only they could do something with Invader Zim…) And to be fair, Comedy Central does show a lot of stand-up comedians. A lot of them are people I haven’t even heard of except for their Comedy Central specials, too. The History Channel can suck my ass, though. Is it just me, or is it taking longer to show all the documentaries about WW2 than it did to fight the actual war? ---
**Author:** ![elshatan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@elshatan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elshatan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/64 "2002-09-12T10:40:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*The History Channel, or as I call it the Hitler Channel, has the propensity to reach Nazi velocity in under an hour. After less than 60 minutes of watching, you will see the Nazi party mentioned at least once. And they are insidious about it. Example would be when the show about Gandhi that I was watching suddenly turned into a Nazi program. > > On the other hand, Mail Call is one of the best shows they have. T\*\* Mail Call is great! What an awesome concept. “We’ll have a cranky ex-Marine DI go out and harass people about cool stuff.” Beautiful. I love the one where he dressed up in full armor to fight that other guy. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/65 "2002-11-13T16:51:52Z")
When the SDMB meets [The Onion](http://www.theonion.com/index.shtml): > [@](#): > > **History Channel Admits To Profiting From Nazi Documentaries** > > NEW YORK—The History Channel confessed Monday that it used Nazi footage to fatten its coffers. “The time has come to bring our network’s shameful legacy to light,” History Channel president Warren Brabender said. “Over the past 10 years, more than $300 million in ad revenue has been generated through the airing of Nazi documentaries.” The channel will likely be required to pay reparations to Americans who viewed the atrocities. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/66 "2002-11-13T17:42:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I hate alien/conspiracy/abduction/Roswell stories so that 20-hour Taken monstrosity won’t be watched by me, ever. It looks like they’re also going to be featuring “abductees” describing their “experiences”. Why don’t they just call it The Bullshit Channel? _Farscape_ used to be about my only reason for tuning in the Sci-Fi Channel; I even “upgraded” to digital cable with its stupid box so I could keep getting that channel. Then they cancelled it. ---
**Author:** ![Typo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Typo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/67 "2002-11-13T17:51:21Z")
I can’t believe no one’s really commented on AMC’s new format. I mean, jeez, they’re running commercials constantly, including the ones for their “new format”, either with a bunch of losers commenting on their movie likes/whatever, or with a long pointless commercial about a single loser - the actor painting his name on his car to have a “big name in Hollywood.” Ugh. Double ugh. (Must work on ranting style.) TV for Movie People? Please, insult me more. I’m getting used to it. I wouldn’t be as irked by the commercials, I think, if 90% of them didn’t seem to be “Look at this wonderful change we’ve made!” Downgrade your channel and call attention to it? Way to go, guys. And, yes, before you ask, I did take them up on their constantly-repeated offer to tell them what I think. No response as of yet. (And I was nice about it, too!) ---
**Author:** ![flabbygirlyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@flabbygirlyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flabbygirlyman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/68 "2002-11-13T20:22:37Z")
My favorite is the " WOMEN COMPLAINING ABOUT OTHER WOMEN GETTING RAPED " CHANNEL . It never disappoints , never strays from it’s simple format promise. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/69 "2002-11-13T21:03:39Z")
I refuse to let them win and purchase the Digital monstrosity gabillion channel package. I’ve got my NetFLIX, my sporting events, and that’s it. My problem with the rest is, I’ve friggin’ SEEN everything on TV. I find myself tuning in to “Vague Girl Disturbing World” on the Chinese channel. I can’t understand a word they’re saying, but at least I’ve never seen it. That, or “The Arts” channel, which shows ten minute clips of blurry dancing people from the '20s. Sabado Gigante ain’t so bad either… ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/70 "2002-11-13T21:19:36Z")
The crap that is cable tv makes me wish I was back home in New Mexico and not in Pennsylvania so that when the going gets really tough, I can switch to Telemundo or Univision or whatever the newest network is. I don’t care that I can’t understand what they’re saying, at least it’s something else. Plus, if I ever got really desperate, I could watch soccer. At least soccer is mildly entertaining when announced in Spanish. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL and all that. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/71 "2002-11-13T21:36:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flabbygirlyman \* > \*\*My favorite is the " WOMEN COMPLAINING ABOUT OTHER WOMEN GETTING RAPED " CHANNEL . It never disappoints , never strays from it’s simple format promise. \*\* Which one is that? Because, I get two. Is it the White-Women-Having-A-Hard-Time Channel or the Oprah 'n Pajamas Channel? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/72 "2002-11-13T21:41:00Z")
It’s between those two. On your system, it may be marked as the Meredith-Baxter-Getting-Beaten-With-A-Rod Channel. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/73 "2002-11-13T21:58:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E-Sabbath \* > \*\*In my house, we’ve always called it the Hitler Channel. > > \*\* Yep. That’s what we call it in our house too! 😃 I loathe VH1. If I see one more rerun of House Party I, II or III or The Jacksons I think my head might spontaneously pop right off. Urgggh. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/74 "2002-11-13T22:42:55Z")
when i was younger and cable was first arriving in my neighborhood, my dad bought in, cable dude said “free tv has commercials, pay tv does not” and in the beginning that was true, when pay tv started with commercials dad had the crap ripped out, he said “i am not paying you so i can watch your commercials” and i feel the same way. and at work (offshore), everybody has dss, 500 sucky channels and nothing to watch, keep your stupid bill cable man. folks, stop and think about how much you are paying for tv and WAKE UP, have that crap ripped out and take up a new hobby, it’s crazy expensive ($45.00 a month = $540.00 a year = $5400.00 a decade, $5400.00!!! cable companies, eat me!!! unclviny ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/75 "2002-11-13T22:50:25Z")
Just wanted to add Speedvision to the list. Used to be chock full of cool races you couldn’t usually see like Rallys, etc. Then Fox bought it and it’s now all NASCAR all the time… ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/76 "2002-11-14T03:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\*Jamie Oliver’s puffy lips aren’t all that appealing. > \*\* Aren’t all that appealing?! Everything about him is appealing, including those puffy lips. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/77 "2002-11-14T04:15:00Z")
I’ve realized it doesn’t even matter that my favorite cable channels have become shit. All i watch anymore is The Cartoon Network, the Food Network, and FX. It’s sad, really. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/78 "2002-11-14T04:58:05Z")
I really like it when my old threads are bumped by other people. It makes me feel special. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/79 "2002-11-14T07:03:18Z")
Messalina’s tits. Band name? Nope, I realized that something was wrong with the Bravo network when they panned n’ scanned so that you couldn’t see the breasts of the whorish Messalina, Claudius’ prettiest wife, when they reran I CLAUDIUS. I’d seen it on PBS the year before uncut–the violence, Sejanus with the hook mark under his chin, his poor children’s fates, Livilla in bed also topless, etc. They censor all the movies now, as well as have commercials. Lots of 'em. There was a time, Best Beloved, when it was not so. A&E, I think, had commercials from the beginning but also had a lot more operas and plays. I love plays and concerts. OK, having NewsRadio is always cool but how is it A&E anymore? Ditto on the CGI dinosaurs and the Hitler channels. Although for a while, A&E was carrying the WWII programming all the time–Hitler and Sam Waterston is all you saw there. As usual, Married with Children was way ahead of the curve–the Christmas 1995 show featured Al looking for non-Christmas programming and finding none, including A&E showing “It’s a Hitler Christmas!” Sigh. I miss cable channels with missions. And MWC for that matter. However, Comedy Central does have the Daily Show, and did give Strangers with Candy a 30-show run with, according to the creators, virtually no censorship (Standards lady was a fan and understood the context and all.) It had Duckman and The State. I’m willing to forgive Mannequin III reruns for the BRITISH Whose Line is it Anyway. TV Land used to have short-run wonders, like Working It Out. More please. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379/80 "2002-11-14T07:48:30Z")
This channel gets worse and worse! What I find laughable is the shameless way the producers FAKE history! For example, I was watching the episode about the Battle of Britain-and the fuckers used film clips (Nazi of course) frome the invasion of Poland (2 years before)! I think they have a whole pile of generic Nazi “war” footage that they just play, while the commentator spews out his boring monologue. Seriously, cable TV is degrading for the simple reason that it is no longer making money, and these shows are being made more and more cheaply as time goes on. A major reason for the unprofitability of cable TV: millions of Americans are stealing it! I know of at least 12 people who are using bootleg systems, stolen boxes, or simply getting it for free! A friend of mine bought a house with an existing cable connection-he has never paid for it! As for me: I got rid of cable last year-I was fed up with paying for crap, with more commercials than on network TV! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-fuck-must-every-cable-channel-slowly-degrade-from-what-made-us-like-it/127379.md?page=5)