How Many Reality Shows Do We Really Need?

It seems that there is always a new reality show coming on. Not only do we have the major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX) promoting their new reality shows, but there are also reality shows popping up all over other cable networks. I always wonder what stupid idea they are going to come up with next. Whenever I see commercials now, I usually remark something like "Are they serious? People are actually going to tune in to watch this?" And people do. It is sad really. There are much more intelligent shows out there.

I will say that there are some good reality shows out there. I, myself, watch American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and occasionally a season of the Bachelor. The reason is that, with the exception of the Bachelor, are that these shows are not trashy in any way. Most of them include people wanting to reach their dream or compete for the enjoyment of learning something new. There are other competitions out there that continue to entertain their audience, like the Celebrity Apprentice and Survivor. People who watch these shows like to see people go head to head in fierce competition. I find them entertaining also and I think they will continue to be successful.

There is one group of reality shows where I absolutely do not understand the appeal. These reality shows are on either MTV or Vh1. The people one these shows are so unappealing and desperate that I do not understand how people can sit through an episode. Yes, they do some things that make us laugh, but it is because their actions are ridiculous. The challenges that they make these contestants do are insane. I find myself thinking, "Wow, you have to be really desperate to do this". I wish people would not add to the ratings of these shows so that they would keep coming back.

My Suggestions for Reality Shows:
American Idol
The Biggest Loser
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
The Celebrity Apprentice
Hell's Kitchen

Where Have All the Sitcoms Gone?

There was a point in time when prime-time television was filled with half-hour sitcoms, a lot of which are in syndication now. Nowadays, there seems to be a decrease in sitcoms, especially on the major networks. I found a current list of all the sitcoms currently on television or that are going to be on television in the upcoming fall season. The majority of the list contains shows that are on cable networks, such as FX, TBS, or HBO. I wonder why the major television networks are steering away from sitcoms. When past sitcoms were still on the air, such as Friends or I Love Lucy, they were very successful. Do networks think that sitcoms won't be as successful anymore? It is ridiculous, I think, to believe that they wouldn't be. Shows such as Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, and even the Simpsons, are doing very well for themselves. Also, sitcoms make even more money since a lot of them eventually go into syndication on another network or even several other networks. People who watch these shows do not find them boring or the storylines tired out. I have watched all three of these shows and some of the other sitcoms currently on TV. They still make me laugh and they still are interesting to me.


One of my guesses is that maybe people do not think that popular sitcoms from the past could be replaced. The truth is, though, is that a lot of the sitcoms that we used to watch in the 90's and early 2000's would not survive on TV today. People want more inventive shows. They want shows that steer away from the usual setting and that are more realistic. I think some of the old sitcoms are some of the best shows that have ever been on TV so why should we want them to start going away?

Some of my favorite TV sitcoms:
Friends
The Office
I Love Lucy
Scrubs
Will & Grace
The Wonder Years
Bewitched
Saved By the Bell

And that is just some of them. I would suggest checking out some of the ones currently in syndication.

When Movies Become TV Shows

I know only a a few movies off the top of my head that have become television shows. Apparently, though, there are a lot more that I didn't even know about or that failed so badly that I forgot about them. I researched a little bit online and found a couple lists of movies turned television shows. Here's one of the sites:
http://www.listology.com/list/movies-became-television-shows
People would be surprised by movies that were recycled and put on the small screen. It makes me wonder of the creators thought the TV show would be successful just because the movie was. There are only a few of the listed shows that did not get cancelled after a short-time, like M*A*S*H. Out of this particular list, I have only seen two of these shows. I am guilty of watching the "Clueless" television series, simply because I loved the movie. However, it just didn't live up to the movie for me. My favorite show from the last, though, has to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I recently started watching it because I love the spin-off Angel, which I also highly recommend.

If you are in to the whole vampire craze at the moment, I would recommend Buffy. It's not really recent, but the story is great and the episodes are thoroughly entertaining. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was first a movie that came out in 1992 and starred Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry. It was created by Joss Whedon who also created the TV series as well as other TV series. The movie was only mildly successful. Whedon said that the TV series was more of what he wanted the story to be. It starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as the title character. It follows Buffy Summers, who is chosen to be the vampire slayer of her generation. She fights vampires with her friends and Watcher and deals with her vampire boyfriend, Angel. The show had great ratings and was very successful despite being on the smaller WB network.

More recently, ABC family developed a series based on the movie "10 Things I Hate About You". Being a big fan, I have not watched the series. I could not think of anyone else in Heath Ledger or Julia Stiles roles'. A reviewer, Kelly West, on cinemablend.com say that ""the show" shows a lot of promise". If you like the movie, maybe you'll want to give the TV series a chance. The following link has more information about the series: 10 Things I Hate About You.

Critically Acclaimed Shows That Ended Too Soon....

Before each new television season, critics from various entertainment sources write reviews of the new, upcoming shows. They usually pick their favorites and suggest that people check them out. However, in recent years, this has not been happening. Brilliant, original shows have been getting the ax due to their low ratings. My question is: Why isn't anybody watching these shows? Why do people want to watch the same old tired storyline again while there are shows with more creative ideas out there? If something is too different, do we veer away from it? I think that is definitely part of the reason. In the past year alone, there are at least six critically acclaimed shows that have gotten cancelled.

These shows include:
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
Samantha WHo? (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
Eli Stone (ABC)
Prison Break (FOX)

The worst part about it is that these shows did not even get to have a proper send-off, leaving fans disappointed and wanting closure. On ABC, for example, the remaining, filmed episodes of some of the shows weren't aired till at least six months later. In my opinion, it was torture. I was fan of Pushing Daisies and on occasion, Samantha Who? The writing on each of these shows was phenomenal and had unique stories. Matt Roush, from TV Guide, wrote that Pushing Daisies "restores my faith in TV's ability to amuse, enchant, and entertain." Maybe the shows ended up being too eccentric for some, but that is part of their brilliancy. I think people need to do is try, just try a new and different show. Unfortunately, these shows are gone too soon, but I do recommend people to check out any new shows that are said to stand out from the rest. Also, the DVDs for the cancelled shows mentioned are in stores now and I highly recommend them!!!

From the Page to the Small Screen

A popular trend in television and movies at the moment is bringing popular book series' to life. Why has this become so popular? Are the creators running out of original ideas or do they see it as an easy way to make money? In my opinion, if you re-create a popular book series on television, you are pretty much guaranteed to have viewers. People want to see their favorite characters come to life. They want to compare their mental image of the characters and settings to the ones on the television show. It is kind of exciting in a way. One of the most popular book series that has made the jump to television is the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

The novels follow a telepathic waitress, Sookie Stackhouse, in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The series tell the story of how Sookie assists vampires and other supernatural creatures by using her telepathic. The series currently has nine books. In 2008, the books were developed into the television series, True Blood. The first season of the series follows the first novel of the Sookie Stackhouse series. However, several changes were made to develop stories for minor characters in the novels. I highly recommend both the book series and television show, but do not expect the show to be exactly like the novels!

And Let the Show Begin....

Television. The perfect escape. It allows you to invest yourself in characters and storylines no matter how unrealistic they can be. Our favorite television shows allow us to throw our worries out the door for maybe an hour or two and just relax. We become so interested in fictional lives and become so worried about what is going to happen that it is almost as if the show is "real". We have long discussions and debates about what was on the most recent episode of a show. It is not just the content of the shows that I watch that grab my attention, though. I am interested in everything and have been thinking about certain things involving the television industry. For example, I have been wondering about the remakes of old shows or making a book series or movie into a television show. Are they just running out of original ideas or is that what the people want? There are so many topics that interest me and I would like to try to cover as much ground as possible in upcoming blogs.