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GSN, R.I.P.?

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JMFabiano:
Obviously, I do not mean GSN is dying business-wise,  but yes, I mean as far as what it used to mean to so many of us. Which I agree is a shame. Yeah, yeah, I know, \"They need to make money,\" and \"It's just TV, get over it.\" Still, as a person who is disappointed with the utter lack of entertainment in \"entertainment\" nowadays, it sucks to be more limited to my choices in means of \"escape\" back to the stuff I grew up with, or things from earlier decades (which I consider now to be \"back when people cared about making good TV, music, etc\") It's happening with GSN like it did with the AMC before it, and with Cartoon Network (though the weekends are great, what with He-Man when it's new, the DC related shows, Popeye, and Adult Swim. And they DO have Boomerang, another hint hint! ;-)) To a lesser extent, and if I remember some of you from ATGS correctly, you'll flame me for this, there's wrestling as well. WWE is abyssmal now, and I don't even watch it regularly anymore, opting instead for my old tapes and the occasional indy.

I guess what I'm saying in so many words is that I guess my disillusionment with the media today aggravates what GSN is now and what it might become.  You can see how I feel left out in my little world of TV Land, GSN and CN (when it's good), and British TV on PBS.

Just needed to vent!

J.

Matt Ottinger:
Nostalgia sure isn't what it used to be.

SplitSecond:
fX.

TheInquisitiveOne:
Well, since the fire has already started, I guess I will add fuel to it.

What our friend here is saying is spot on...all the way to the whole WWE argument. More about that later. Rather than break from the trend of today's insidious programming, GSN (as they are now called) wants to become PART OF IT.

I am not saying that the channel should be an all-classic channel. Of the originals that they show, Lingo and Russian Roulette are my favorites. I will stick to my reasoning that I am far from anti-original. However, one thing that bothers me is that these shows are aired ad nauseum to the point where the novelty wears off QUICKLY. The latest offerings of Cram, Naturally Stoned, and Funny Money also show me that they are not sure as to what audience they want to get, whether it is the comedy club hoppers, insomniacs, or the latest breed of Spike TV and E! viewers.

This is EXACTLY what has happened to Moron Television (MTV), Vehicular Homicide One (VH-1), and the Pseudo-Cartoon Newtork (Nickelodeon). Rather than serve the purpose that the channel implies, they are throwing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks. Sure, they have their money and their audience of nearly mindless drones who are suckers for anything, but the quality of programming is being sacrificed, and those who actually watch television for meaning suffer.

The \"recent rerun acquisition\" method is pretty tiresome, as well. It is hard to give a static schedule to shows that lasted less than a year and were aired on and after 1999. The \"major announcement\" about gaining 21 was more of a \"minor disappointment\" than anything. Also, the future airings of G4 related programming show me that GSN is running off in a tangent, much like many other cable networks. Much like the channels that I have mentioned above, GSN used to be a channel that you could never pull me away from. Now, I have to find my pleasure elsewhere. It is sad when I have more fun TAPE TRADING than watching GSN.

I am sure that there is hope for GSN and am not as quick for placing the tombstone on this young network. I just say that it should do what works; the documentary of the Michael Larsen incident was a kick-ass effort, despite its cheesy moments. Documentary type formats are good for GSN; it is innovative, yet it does not stray from its purpose. All the small things will help to make this a big network. Hell, they may do something to commemorate their 10th anniversary, which is very soon!

My point is, GSN should let the audience starve for it, and not the other way around. Mix things up, and let variety be the spice of life.

The Inquisitive One

JMFabiano:
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jul 8 2003, 10:08 PM\'] Nostalgia sure isn't what it used to be. [/quote]
 Actually, I'd say what it COULD be.  I mean, there's definitely an audience and a place for it.  If there wasn't, would there be any MOGSM, and on VH1, I Love the 80s, among other examples?

J.

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