The first blog went off alright, so I figure I'll try my hand at another. Here goes number two!

I've tried (very unsuccessfully...) this evening to find something enjoyable to watch on television. Alas, I found nothing. 300+ fucking channels and nothing! What I did find: an ever-insulting-to-my-intelligence barrage of reality programs and "real world" style pieces of crap. What happened to scripted television?!?

Lately all my favorite shows have been stripped from TV. Stargate SG-1 folded last year (after 10 great seasons...at least there's still Atlantis to watch!), Jericho got it's ass handed to itself (TWICE!!), and who knows the lingering fate of shows like The Unit, Big Love and Scrubs. When did scripted television become the second place contender against reality programming?? I know the writer's strike hurt a lot of shows (what the fuck did they accomplish again??) and, in some cases, killed them completely, but why is that still an issue well after the strike ended? I really liked the new version of The Bionic Woman", but the strike more-or-less finished it off for good. And what did they show in place of scripted shows during said strike?

Say it with me, fine folks: REALITY SHOWS!!!

Reality TV is, in my opinion, the lowest form of entertainment on television. Survivor after fucking Survivor, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Bachelor, I Know My Kid's A Star, American Idol, Canadian Idol (we have that shit here too, ya know), Celebrity Circus...CELEBRITY FUCKING CIRCUS!!! What the hell is that, anyway?!? Who cares if the middle douche from the Brady Bunch can walk a tight-rope or juggle a fucking chainsaw, or whatever! Fuck!!!! Bring back scripted TV!!!

I can remember a time when you really had to look to find any reality programming....normally to MTV (or in our case, Much Music). Now it's everywhere. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that in the United States there's even a 24-hour reality channel! Why?!? Who watches this garbage 24 hours a day?! Prime-time 8 to 11 is bad enough! Even the ever-dependable fallback channels like TLC and Discovery have started making the slow transition to reality-based television. When was the last time you saw something educational on TLC that didn't involve What Not To Wear or those two assholes John and Kate? At least the Discovery Channel has managed to keep its integrity....for now, anyway. But they're starting to show a few here and there, calling them "reality education" or some crap tag-line to that extent in order to keep current to all the other channels.

I hope for the sake of television that this trend ends soon. There are a lot of great shows out there for folks to watch, the general audience just has to give them a chance.  Remember how panned 24 was before it hit week four in the ratings? It was nearly cancelled due to poor ratings. Now look at it; one of the most popular shows Fox has ever run. The Simpsons were bottom-of-the-basement it's first few weeks back in 1989-90. Had it premiered today, it wouldn't have lasted. Shows don't get the chance to flourish (or flounder, as the case may be) these days because networks expect them to perform to the standards set by reality programming. Reality programs are cheap and easy to shoot; scripted TV is expensive and lengthy. What avenue they take is painfully obvious, and I blame that on the rise of shit reality programs and their fly-by-night ability to become a hit or quietly disappear into the background. Why send a lot and get great ratings when you can spend a little and get okay ratings? (Pizza by Allonzo's or Allonzo's Pizza Cafe, for those of you who get that reference. Anyone? No? Alright...)

My point: basically, stop watching reality TV. Give scripted shows a chance and maybe they'll start making a comeback to the prime-time TV slots. It would be a lot less insulting to the intelligence of the viewer, and I won't have to settle for a re-run of Roseanne on the Classic Television station at 9pm on a weekday. Anyone agree with me, or am I completely out my ass on this one?

Thanks for taking the time!

-The Big Bad