May 17, 2010

Our most watched TV shows are the Law & Order series, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, NCIS, Mercy, Miami Medical, Trauma, Castle and Desperate Housewives.

These are the most frequently watched series but whenever there are repeats we try to watch something else.

Now that the season is coming to an end all these shows are trying to close with a cliff hanger. The cliffhangers want to assure that the faithful will return next season and watch whatever was the outcome of the particular cliffhanger.

However, as I understand some of the above listed shows will not be returning next season. Their people will be added to the list of unemployed actors.

I really don't care. No great loss to the cultural landscape. Some of these shows are so boring and their story lines are so worn out that it is fine time to take them out of circulation.

Some shows with a continuing story line became so complicated that no ordinary person could figure out what was happening and following them became a real hassle.

I can not get it through my simple mind that how come the producers didn't realize their shows became so idiotic and convoluted.

The trouble is that sometimes good shows that might be a little too intelligent, do not survive while some idiotic show, like How I met Your Mother keeps on going.

TV shows are similar to fashion. Some years short skirts or minis are in vogue some years the long ones. Some years wide neckties are in style, some years the skinny ones.

With TV shows this was the era of doctor/medical shows, crime dramas and reality shows. There were years when there was large supply of science fiction shows. At this time sci-fi is not really in style.

But what goes around will come around. Old themes do not disappear just take a breather and a refresher course. They will be back, given the time.

With all the new comedy shows around most of them fail to entertain me. I just don't find them amusing. But on Sunday nights there is a long run of the Honeymooners on one New York station and I still find that show hilarious and entertaining.

It is unbelievable that today's generation of comics don't learn from their predecessors. Today one has to be vulgar if one wants to succeed.

Red Skelton was funny, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny were funny. And none of them were vulgar and loud. OK, Jackie Gleason was loud but he was still funny.

And what about the variety shows. I miss those. Sunday night was not complete without the Ed Sullivan Show. It was a very entertaining one hour that was watched religiously by most of America.

Dean Martin, Flip Wilson, Laugh In, Dinah Shore, Steve Allen and even Ernie Kovacs were giving us unforgettable entertainment.

And all these were not on cable but on free commercial television.

As the slogan said: we came a long way baby!

Unfortunately, in the wrong direction.