The TV thread

jr/shotglass · Nov 22, 2023

Songbird said: ↑

Too bad for anyone who hasn't seen a single Seinfeld episode all the way thru. You're missing out.

It ain't Friends by a trillion universes.
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Probably the smartest sitcom ever.

sgreenwell · Nov 22, 2023

Batman said: ↑

I don't know what made me start thinking of this this morning, but how did first-run syndicated shows become a thing in the late 80s and 1990s, and why did they fade away all around the same time?
There was about a 10-year run where you had some absolute classic shows (Stark Trek: TNG and Deep Space Nine, Baywatch) mixed with some fun genre shows (Highlander, Renegade, War of the Worlds). A lot of them were enough of a hit to last a few seasons and seep into the public consciousness — and sometimes live on for decades afterward — but never aired on a major network. They were all on some UHF station at 11 p.m. Sunday or something like that.
Then by the late 1990s almost all of them had run their course and nothing replaced them. By the early 2000s or so it seemed like it was dead as a genre.

Did the genre morph into originals for growing cable networks like SyFy, USA and FX, and then later for the different streaming platforms? Did the stations that air them shift their programming philosophies? Did they start to get too expensive to produce and air? Was it just a moment in time that flashed and was gone?
Among the many now-gone things that would be hard to explain to this generation, trying to tell the story of how a beloved show like TNG was on at a different random time in every city during the weekend feels like a weird one.
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The business model shifted - Networks figured out that there was a minimal or no ratings downgrade from just airing stuff like Bones, Charmed or Law & Order instead, even if they were 5 to 20+ years old. Usually, that's cheaper than doing an entirely new season or new show. You also had more corporate synergy in play - USA and Sci-Fi are eventually owned by NBC, so there is more of an emphasis on running their old shows than independent companies.

swingline · Nov 22, 2023

Silk Stockings, RIP

Songbird · Nov 22, 2023

Aeon Flux was pretty hot.

justgladtobehere · Nov 22, 2023

Batman said: ↑

I don't know what made me start thinking of this this morning, but how did first-run syndicated shows become a thing in the late 80s and 1990s, and why did they fade away all around the same time?
There was about a 10-year run where you had some absolute classic shows (Stark Trek: TNG and Deep Space Nine, Baywatch) mixed with some fun genre shows (Highlander, Renegade, War of the Worlds). A lot of them were enough of a hit to last a few seasons and seep into the public consciousness — and sometimes live on for decades afterward — but never aired on a major network. They were all on some UHF station at 11 p.m. Sunday or something like that.
Then by the late 1990s almost all of them had run their course and nothing replaced them. By the early 2000s or so it seemed like it was dead as a genre.

Did the genre morph into originals for growing cable networks like SyFy, USA and FX, and then later for the different streaming platforms? Did the stations that air them shift their programming philosophies? Did they start to get too expensive to produce and air? Was it just a moment in time that flashed and was gone?
Among the many now-gone things that would be hard to explain to this generation, trying to tell the story of how a beloved show like TNG was on at a different random time in every city during the weekend feels like a weird one.
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You forgot Mama's Family. I'll forgive the slight.

justgladtobehere · Nov 22, 2023

Charles in Charge. The one with the robot girl.

justgladtobehere · Nov 22, 2023

Muppets was first run syndication for a time, I believe.

justgladtobehere · Nov 23, 2023

Solid Gold. The talent show with Ed McMahon.

Batman · Nov 23, 2023

justgladtobehere said: ↑

Charles in Charge. The one with the robot girl.
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Pretty sure Charles in Charge was on a network.
Small Wonder was syndicated.

EDIT: I see now that Charles in Charge started on CBS, got cancelled and then moved to syndication. Guess I always thought it was reruns and not new episodes because I was 10 and never really got into it enough to notice.

qtlaw · Nov 23, 2023

Saved By The Bell

justgladtobehere · Nov 23, 2023

qtlaw said: ↑

Saved By The Bell
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Saved by the Bell was NBC.

garrow · Nov 23, 2023

justgladtobehere said: ↑

Charles in Charge. The one with the robot girl.
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The one with the half-alien girl.

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