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Today's Poll: Are television shows of the past better than today's shows?

By Howard B. Owens
Julie Morales

Gilligan or Skipper?

Pass.

The “Maverick” marathon on Encore was a tribute to James Garner, who died last week.

Except for the first two on that list, those shows were all crap in the first place.

And a show from 1978 is “vintage?”

Jul 28, 2014, 6:23pm Permalink
Eric [Rick] von kramer

There are some very good shows on today, but the glut of scripted reality shows insults our (or at least my) intelligent's. People must watch orshows like Honey Boo Boo and Naked and Afraid would be gone!

Jul 28, 2014, 6:34pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

I don't think a general statement can be made in that regard. Every era has its pablum and its high water marks. One thing that may be said about the "golden age" of television; it had some great writers. Coming immediately to mind: Rod Serling, Robert Bloch, George Roy Hill, Joseph Stefano, Carl Reiner, Ray Bradbury, Robert Stevens, Harlan Ellison,Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Ira Levin, etc. Modern television has its technical superiority; vintage television has its great writing. ...And its independent news departments.

Jul 29, 2014, 2:25am Permalink
Phil Ricci

Too broad! There are a lot of great classic shows that I will flip to TV Land and take in during a marathon weekend from time to time, but as a whole? Not sure I'd go there.

I will tell you that there were some awesome 80's shows (albeit cheesy) that I would rather watch (A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum P.I,) that some of the drivel they put on today (Pick ANY reality show), and it's not even a questions that the cartoons of the 80's (Transformers, Thundercats, Voltron, GI Joe, etc..) are FAR superior than most of today's.

That said, TV has also produced some really brilliant shows now that would never be possible when I was younger. (I'm an 80's baby if you couldn't tell) Big Bang Theory, Elementary, Grimm, Mad Men (True based in the 60's, but well...done better than the actual 60's), GoT, True Blood, Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, et el. Brilliantly written shows that cover topics you couldn't have gotten away with then!

I guess the plain truth is, part of what makes a childhood are the things that are in them. I'm sure that my kids in 20 years will be forcing their kids to watch iCarly, just as I am sharing DuckTales among others. TV, or any entertainment really, are usually apart of those moments that made us laugh, cry, or imagine, so I guess it's not hard to see why we're all a little protective and over zealous about selling what we know! :-)

Jul 29, 2014, 9:05am Permalink
Julie Morales

I agree with you, and I would add Richard Matheson to the list. : ]

The only thing, I agree with technical superiority to a point….I cannot stand CGI. It’s lazy and unimaginative and yanks me right out of my suspension of disbelief. Also the ridiculous use of inferior crappy Skype by “news” stations where video has worked better for decades. What is the point of that, do you know?

Phil, I’m curious. If you’re an 80’s baby, how do you know “Mad Men” 60’s are better than the actual 60’s? I used to watch the last ten or fifteen minutes of MM while waiting for “The Killing,” to start…haven’t seen any of the other current shows you listed….but the bits of MM I did see looked like good drama.

Jul 30, 2014, 1:18pm Permalink

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