The weirdness of network television in 2025

Who even watches this shit? Even my parents with cable just watch PBS and sitcoms from the 60s

I watch Jeopardy on network but other than that local news. Oh, an entertainment awards show if that's where it is.

I wouldn't mind the Detective/Coroner/Hospital shows so much if they just had interesting, real characters. I try to watch one and the actors are so blank-faced and robotic. The producers are more concerned with packing the casts with a representative from every world nation than creating characters you want to follow every week.

My mother loves all the serial shows. Of them all I hate NCIS the most . FBI is okay,Chicago Med is okay ,but the others bore me. I get on the computer as she watches them ,usually on here.

I don't mind the original FBI most weeks, but when the plot involves dismantling a bomb before it explodes, I'm not interested. And that's the plot for about a quarter of the season. I never got into the sequels. The writing just isn't there. I haven't watched any of the three this year.

I wish they'd make the Boston show in Boston, but I read they're shooting it in Toronto. I hate shows in which they want us to believe Toronto is some American city. I don't know if I'll watch it.

The rest I haven't watched AFAICR.

DMV?

R4, I feel the same way. I HATE NCIS. I'd rather sit in silence than have that on.

I'm thinking about taking up a soap. What's the best one?

I've always been partial to Ivory. It's 99 44/100% pure, like me.

Never could get into cop/law procedurals-- so network tv is just unappealing.

Hey, I'm serious. I was once addicted to All My Children and set my VCR to record. Erica Kane was everything.

I only tolerate commercials when I watch MSNBC. Otherwise, I'm out.

You'd think one of the networks would TRY to actually program some good, fresh, original programming.

They all pretty much gave up 25 years ago.

r8 Well there is a new soap called "beyond the gates"-- you could start from the beginning as there are less than 3 months of episodes at this point.

I have watched General Hospital on and off since the late 90s and I am only in my mid 30s so almost all my life. It is more action and plot oriented so it will appeal to a wider audience compared to soaps like bold and the beautiful and young and the restless.

r12 It is funny how we grew up with commercials, but only realized how annoying they are once we got acclimated to streaming and DVRs.

How much would it cost to air old movies?

r16 no idea, but would that bring in ratings??

Other than Survivor and Amazing Race, the only show I've enjoyed is Matlock. I watched a couple of episodes of Elsbeth when it started, so maybe I'll catch up this summer. They need to ditch the NCIS and FBI shows and try something new.

r18 they won't since they bring in the ratings. CBS and its crime shows do very well.

At some point you've got to start to wonder why so many Navy/Marine guys keep getting killed.

[quote]I'm thinking about taking up a soap. What's the best one?

I concur with r14. The new soap Beyond the Gates launched on Feb. 24, so just its only about 45 episodes have aired so far. All are available to watch on Paramount+ and CBS.com. Thus, it's fairly easy to get caught up on the plot and characters. I am enjoying Beyond the Gates so far. It's not perfect, but its keeping me involved.

Of the other four existing soaps, I'm enjoying General Hospital the most. It moves fairly fast and has some enjoyable moments.

I’m the street smart femority who will eventually earn the boss’s respect

I’m that GODDAMN DINNER TABLE

Television drama has become highly segregated

Hi-concept - exists only on Apple, FX-Hulu & HBO (Severance, The Bear, The Last of Us)

Middlebrow - Amazon, Hulu-Hulu, Netflix (Bella Bajaria destroyed hi-concept Netflix)

Lowbrow - network (something with initials or PLACE + AGENCY)

I am not sure why they even bother anymore.

In general I have just never like the concept of murder and violence as entertainment, I do watch The Tracker on CBS but that is just because of Justin Hartley, probably wouldn't watch it with anyone else as the lead and I am starting to get bored with it. I am pretty sure I have never watched a single episode of any of the multitude of NCIS/FBI crime shows on CBS. I did watch a few minutes of Queen Latifah's The Equalizer once because I have always liked her and she was just so unconvincing as either a police detective or a wife I couldn't watch anymore of it.

Network TV is dying. It's a slow death. But it's definitely on its way out. The only people still watching are boomers, who do it out of habit, and because they can't figure out Netflix.

There’s a ridiculous amount of murders of innocent people on those FBI shows. I know it’s just a TV show, but I can imagine the number of ignorant people thinking that’s common in the big cities.

I had a relative stay for an extended visit and she's a fan of Will Trent and Elspeth. I watched with her and thought they were not bad.

ElsBETH, not -peth

Excuse me.