Classic vs. current tv.
POSTED BY: OPPYH
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 22:17
VIEWED: 7162
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It's no secret that I love classic tv. From The Lone Ranger, and Lassie on up through St. Elsewhere, and Miami Vice.
I realize watching a lot of these shows on dvd, it isn't nostalgia that I enjoy, it's the sense of the unreal. That's right I love, and admire these shows because they feel "fake".
Our world is very chaotic. Many troubles, many woes. Watching an episode of The Bionic Woman, or The Dukes of Hazard lets me escape the realities of life for an hour.
Compared to current tv steeped with realism(CSI, NCIS, Law, and Order) I don't have that feeling. I'm more uneasy than relaxed.
With the exception of Joss Whedon shows, I think I'll stay in the past
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70's TV FOREVER
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I wholeheartedly agree. TV should be about escaping. There are a few shows on now that are very much a departure from the reality tv crap on so much. Castle is a classic in our own day - Situations are plausible, but still a lot of fun. And who here doesn't love Nathan Fillion? The new Hawaii 5-0 is really good too. Over the top action and adventure, like tv used to be.
"Always be yourself. Unless You suck." - Joss Whedon
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Yeah, if I want reality, I'll watch the news. 
"Gritty" is a word that defines a LOT of newer shows. When I saw the new BSG ep where the blond Cylon chick had been raped & tortured, I was like "oh please, give me Apollo having a shootout with Red-eye..."
BTW, the 'reboot' of planet of the apes will feature state of the art CGI apes.
Please, give me actors with make up....
The laughing Chrisisall
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OBOY!
I just got my complete Man From Atlantis DVD set from the UK in the mail today!!! As expected, the DVDs were made from videotapes, so the video quality is a bit dodgy, but at least I HAVE THEM!!!!
CLASSIC TV, my brothers & sisters!!!
The laughing Chrisisall
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While I can agree with you in principle, I think I might have a different definition of classic than you do. Most of the shows already mentioned I didn't care for when they were new, why should I like them now?
And if you don't see escapist fare on TV these days you aren't looking hard enough.
Chuck
The Event
Castle
Caprica
Terriers
Fringe
Supernatural
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
True Blood
Dexter
Boardwalk Empire
The Walking Dead
Lost Girl
I'd take any of those shows over cheesy 70s/80s fare any day.
wo men ren ran zai fei xing.
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It means the fifties and sixties to me, when you say classic TV. The sixties had some serious shows and some of the best comedies I have ever watched. I enjoyed both and feel that todays TV is not up to the standards they set. It may be that TV was so new the people producing the shows took risks that no one is willing to take anymore. East Side West Side probably would not get a second glance. Everyone would be questioning if it were politically correct.
As for comedy; I will simply say Green Acres. Eva Gabor found her true calling when she accepted the roll of Lisa on that show.
How could you not escape with the writing and acting talent of this period. It drew me in and all else was left behind. 
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler
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I'm not a big fan of "classic" TV. Yes, there is an innocence to it, an escapism, but a lot of that was inspired by strict guidelines of what was or was not allowable on the air at the time and, frankly, ignorance.
Different strokes for different folks, so I say it's great that lots of people love the classics; they're just not for me.
Although there are exceptions, to me, a seminal turning point in television occurred around X-FILES. I'm sure there were other shows of the same era (and a few from before, like MIAMI VICE or even WISEGUY), but X-FILES is the first show that I remember actively trying to be a one hour movie every week--and succeeding (in terms of both quality and content).
Folk like Carter, Whedon, and Abrams have been part of a television revolution that has allowed for regular "event" storytelling in our living rooms. Used to be that TV was an inferior art form, but these days, TV is as good as--if not better than--the movies.
When you see the salaries that actors in high-end shows can command, or hear about the different in respect between television writers vs movie writers, it's not hard to comprehend why there are a ton of quality folk CHOOSING to stay in television, when in previous years, most of the people working on TV did it as a stepping stone to movies or because they couldn't make it in the movies.
But, hey, I'm not looking for a fight... just talking a bit about why classic isn't so great to me. It's all a matter of taste and preference, though.
www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."
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Quote:CHUCK & Castle aside, I respectfully disagree. I just watched an ep from Man From Atlantis... so much fun.
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Chuck
The Event
Castle
Caprica
Terriers
Fringe
Supernatural
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
True Blood
Dexter
Boardwalk Empire
The Walking Dead
Lost Girl
I'd take any of those shows over cheesy 70s/80s fare any day.
The goofy Chrisisall
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Quote:I liked I Dream Of Jeannie just a tad more.
Originally posted by traveler:
As for comedy; I will simply say Green Acres.
Remember the combination code contest promotion when she was in the safe on the way to the Moon?
I guessed it wrong.
The laughing Chrisisall
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I didn't mean to imply that there have not been classic television shows throughout the history of the medium, just that quite a few that were immensely popular got that way because they hit a happy medium and appealed to a lot of people. But just as with a lot of ratings winners today, it didn't necessarily make them that good, just popular.
The 50s had a lot of live dramas (most of which I've never seen) that have a reputation for being a part of the Golden Age of television. Were they really that good, or was it that the medium was still regarded as special and they coasted on the uniqueness of the phenomenon?
Most of the things I watched and enjoyed in the 60s I wouldn't bother with today, and I usually use the defense of only having three stations to choose from, plus I was just a kid so my critical perspective was skewed. The 70s and 80s did have some landmark shows, but in my opinion they are not the ones most people on this site usually mention when the subject comes up.
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