Last night the slowing dying Sunday evening soap opera, Desperate Housewives, bid farewell to the trampy Edie Britt (played by Nicolette Sheridan). Back in the day when a show was going in to its television grave or the writers ran out of ideas they would have show to relive some of the moments that the viewers shared. Generally it was a sappy moment in time that was like looking through a photo album of old friends and “remembering when”.
Watching the episode last night, I felt betrayed by the “remember when” moments that I didn’t remember because I wasn’t invited. It has been obvious that the character is under-developed that no one could blame Ms. Sheridan for leaving a show that obviously did not appreciate her. The episode didn’t even show one moment that a viewer had previously seen, but what can you expect from a show that writes itself into a corner and then suddenly moves forward 5 years.
It’s times like this that I miss “old” TV. I have never been interested in “reality TV” of any sort from Survivor to American Idol or Dancing with the Stars – none of it has any appeal. I want a show with characters I can love or hate and I can forget about them until I have time to be friends again. I don’t want my television shows to mix in with my news and my real life. Let me have an hour to forget about the mess I have around me and then let me get back to it.
Media is a living, evolving thing. As the internet has put the newspaper industry to bed, so are cable/satellite television and the DVR being blamed for today’s low quality television. Networks are competing with so many other channels – including themselves that they don’t have time to allow the average view to become vested in their program. DVRs have made advertisers weary of paying high prices for something viewers are just going to skip over.
Personally, I like my DVR (I loved my TiVo – the regular DVR from Direct TV has serious issues, but that is a rant for another time) and I don’t see the difference between watching “live” TV and leaving the room when the commercials are on or sitting on my couch and watching them flash by – at least in that moment I see what is being advertised and I must watch any Mac or Sonic commercial. See, advertisers just need to be savvy and TV network big-shots need to have more faith in their programming and find writers who can creatively and intelligently maximize the characters they have created.
15 years ago