Television reflection

I don't know about you, but I have been wondering where all the good writers have gone?  Television just is not the same anymore and the plots are predictable and pretty dumb most of the time. Are they letting teenagers write scripts now? 

I am writing this as I sit down to yet another new show that I do not see going anywhere. Is this really what people want to see? I am "people" and I don't want to see any of this. I turn off the TV at night feeling disappointed and let down, thinking they could have gone so many directions with a plot or theme, but they don't, ever.

I cannot tell you the number of times I sit down to watch a new episode, any episode, and I can guess the plot and killer within the first 3 minutes of the show. Maybe that means I watch too much television, probably. But regardless, television is my escape for a time, and I have not found a good escape in a good long while.

Perhaps it started with the writers strike back in 2006 or whenever it was, but there are no depth to programs anymore. It comes down to reality television, badly written scripts, and sex/gore/violence shows. And I want none of them. There have been glimmers of hope here and there, but overall television has widely sucked for quite awhile. And any "glimmer" is usually cancelled within a season or moved to some obscure time slot or channel that no one has ever heard of. There they go to die.

Even shows that start out so promising, half way through the season end up drab and lacking. Seriously, are they hiring teenage writers? And what about reality TV? It is taking over our country and it's appalling. Yes it's low budget and gives people their 15 minutes of fame, but is it really worth our time? How many bachelors actually find lasting love? How many idols actually get famous? And survivor, don't get me started. News flash for anyone who lives under a rock, even reality TV is scripted, and not very well. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Then there are the shows where the more sex and gore, the better. Serial killers, affairs, murder, and blood, lots of blood. Sounds like the 5 pm news, but no, it's prime time television. I again have to ask, is this really what people want? It reminds me of Fahrenheit 451, staring at a screen, zoning out, not learning or bettering oneself. Soon we will be amused by simple colors and sounds going across the screen.

I sincerely hope that worthwhile programs start being seen again, but the way writers, and audiences apparently, are leaning towards lately, I'm not going to hold my breath. Maybe I should cancel cable and invest in an amazing movie collection. That is a thought indeed.