When I was a little girl, we had no television until briefly in 1952, then again in 1955. It was a huge console tv with a round screen, and had a 13” viewing area. It was in black and white. There was no color TV being broadcast at that time. In 1956 we were transferred to Hawaii, and that was ANOTHER trial. Television was just in it’s infancy, and there was no such thing as being broadcast 24 hours a day. It did not come on until early morning. Around 700 and then it was religious broadcasting, or news until 800 and then it was captain kangaroo, then Mom’s soap operas and the,n Beanie and Cecil and Kukla, Fran and Olie. Seasonal shows were always several months late, so we were watching the Christmas programs in April or May. Reruns were several years old. At night after the few programs that were broadcast, the National Anthem came on and then a test pattern and a tone was broadcast for the rest of the evening. Stations were only allowed to broadcast a certain number of hours a day. We were lucky if there were more than 2 networks on at any one time.
When we got back to the states, we were stationed in Washington state, and on a remote island 100 miles north of Seattle. Needless to say Television was not the best. By this time it was the very early 60’s. Still a black and white television but this time it was a bigger screen and it was sorta square. A Muntz was the name brand. It had a fancy set of rabbit ears on the top that we had to turn every time we needed to get a station in clearer. 9 times out of 10, those rabbit ears would be broken. The tips came off easily. So Dad would Jerry-rig them with a piece of tin foil wrapped around the tip. We were able to get 2 Seattle Channels, and 2 Canadian channels, so we felt pretty lucky.
Seasonal shows started the end of September, and the shows stayed at the same time and the same day for the whole season. If it did not warrant a second season, it was quietly cancelled at the end of the season, and a new show would be introduced into it’s time slot. It was NEVER allowed that a network would change a time slot around to increase ratings, as that would be putting other shows and networks in jeopardy. You always knew what night Uncle Milty was on, and you always knew that Friday nights was the Gillette Friday Night Fights.
As I grew into a young teen, television was coming into it’s own. There were quality programs on, and you knew that the season would be pretty stable unless there was a real stinker on. The biggest change was that dramas went from 30 minutes to 1 hour!! WOW. Then several years later, they went to 90 minutes!! Talk about scandal! My Dad was so concerned that his favorite shows would eventually be canceled for MOVIES. (Shock)
Through the years television has evolved and I am not sure I agree that it is for the better either, as there are several inane comedies on that could well be better serving by NOT being on.
My rant this week is not about the quality of the shows, nor the content of the shows, but the idiotic way that the television networks have decided that if they are not in first place then they need to move the show around to find a better time slot. The season had not even been on for a month before the networks were rerunning episodes, and putting them into a time slot and day that was totally foreign to it.
I went to DISH network last year because my cable company kept dropping networks, and raising the prices. I now get 180 channels for 10 dollars more than I was paying for less than 50 channels BUT the non ABC ,NBC CBS shows are on EDT not on PDT. So you have to surf the guide to figure out what is on when. TV Guide does not work for DISH network.
So imagine my dismay, when last year after I FINALLY got used to watching TV again, and knew when what was on where, that the networks started shuffling shows around again! I hate that they do that, I don’t think it has saved any troubled shows at all. And why the re runs when the season has just gotten started? And why is the re run on on one day and the New show is on another? Why are they on several times a week? JEEZ guys, settle down with the musical chairs! I am old and cranky, and I am one of the ones that you should be catering too, as I am the first of the Baby boomers, to retire, and I have CLOUT! Real honest to goodness CLOUT! You SPAM my mailbox with email after email to get me to buy things and watch shows so I must have Clout. IF I really do, then PLEASE leave a show alone until it dies on it’s own. Where did you move Criminal Minds to? And what happened to CSI Miami on Mondays? Or was it Sundays? Tonight I am watching a 2005 episode on TUESDAY night. ARRGGHHHH!! And where did Men in Trees go? I hate change! Leave my season alone! Damn I miss CBC!
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