Television

James Garner

The other day I noticed a small blurb on the news that the Screen Actors Guild is going to honor James Garner. It’s about time, this fine actor has had a career spanning 4 decades with switches between hit TV series and major motion pictures. I my opinion he is one of the few actors or actresses still alive that is worth watching.

My damn spell checker just informed me that actresses should be actors. All I can say is that I don’t go for the politically correct and will use what I want, gender bias be damned. All this is leading up to something, mainly television today.

Television

I don’t know about you, but I’m a movie freak. I haven’t watched very much regular television in the last six or eight years. After all, what’s on to watch? Do you really like the so-called reality TV? How about sports? Awards shows? Insipid and often offensive sitcoms? How much of this garbage can you watch? I say don’t watch any of it! I don’t! Considering the options with first VHS videos and now DVDs why should the American public put up with it? Actually, the American public isn’t putting up with it as shown by the ratings. A hit TV show used to bring in a rating of 20 or so and now days the same requirement for a hit is on the order of 5 to 8. I’m not counting the so-called non-broadcast media, i.e. satellite and cable only networks, after all they still make up a smaller part of the rating figures. A few of these networks even have some good shows. I’m thinking here specifically of the SciFi channel, but Discovery and the History channels also do pretty good. Unfortunately, some of these networks are following in the footsteps of the over-the-air fiascos. I can only say to them, straighten up and fly right or you’ll follow ABC, NBC, and CBS down in flames!

Television News

All of which brings us to TV news. Now I don’t watch CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News very much. Actually, I don’t watch any of them except Fox News at all. I have given up on the conventional network news organizations. I told CBS that I was boycotting them after they pulled that stunt on 60 Minutes Jr. during the elections and I haven’t watched the network since. I can’t stand the holier than thou attitude of ABC, but I have given NBC and the new anchor some time lately. They have irritated me the least, but how long that will last is anyone’s guess. My suggestion is to stick with Fox News or the internet for the real, unslanted, read liberal, truth.

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