Remember the old days when people used to say, "there's nothing good on TV to watch"

[CyberCubed]

Or people saying, "I channel surf to find something to watch, almost nothing good on 100+ channels."

My my, how times have changed. These days I feel there is almost TOO MUCH to watch. Between all classic TV shows, movies, cartoons/anime, plus the CONSTANT new TV shows, movies, animation we get all the time on both TV and streaming services, it's literally insane. Back in the day depending on your tastes you could watch almost everything that was "good" in your respective genres.

Now I feel like there is SO MUCH media content out there constantly it's insane to keep up with everything. And this is not even counting people who also still watch talk shows, sports, game shows, the news, etc on TV too. That adds even more to it.

God there's so much to watch these days.

[IndigoErth]

I still say that. :lol:

I'm trying to watch NBC's Debris, and it's decent, but I have a hard time feeling like any show on tv is actually a must see and if I were to forget about this one... eh. The last MUST on regular cable for me was, in all honesty, TMNT 2012. Most shows I've watched anymore have been those on Netflix, but even then there are a lot that just don't sound too interesting right now.

[Wildcat]

I too just said today there’s nothing on.

Honestly there’s plenty of tv shows that interest me and would like to get into but I almost always end up seeing them in reruns. Usually after they’re over.

I guess part of it is that there’s a lot to keep up with. I barely started watching the new season of Masked Singer. I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

I mostly stick to cartoons and non-story stuff like gameshows and reality tv. Not “Reality Shows”. I mean like Discovery, Food Network and such.

[Prowler]

Sure I remember.

Back then, EVERYONE actually watched TV in the sense of turning on the television at home and knowing the schedule of their favourite shows and programs.

Nowadays a lot of people will just watch stuff on their computer or phone by either legal or illegal means. And a lot of the stuff they watch isn't currently airing on any TV channel.

I mostly play videogames and listen to music to nowadays. "TV watching for me" these days means watching anime online and stuff like AVGN on YouTube. No need for me to rely on any schedule. I don't complain there's nothing good on TV because I don't even have a clue what's airing anymore.

[Zulithe]

back when your only options were to watch what was live broadcasting on each channel, yes.

Now you pretty much should always be able to find something you want to watch. Even if you're not paying for a streaming service, there's still an insane amount of free content in every category imaginable on youtube

[frank_one]

it's insane to keep up with everything.What is really insane is wanting to keep up. There's no need for that. Life is short, there's more important stuff than tv.

[CyberCubed]

I consume hundreds of hours of media every week. There is always something to watch, or rewatching old shows/movies you loved.

[sdp]

I don't understand people who rewatch stuff with so much stuff to watch. Rewatching stuff also has diminishing returns in enjoyment unless a long time has happened. I try not to rewatch movies/shows unless like ten years have passed by and by then it's like you're watching it for the first time again.

What is really insane is wanting to keep up. There's no need for that. Life is short, there's more important stuff than tv.

Life is short, I try to average about 1 hour of video more or less per day, anything more and it's excessive, this includes online video not just tv

[IMJ]

I feel that way about Netflix after I power watch a new season of something I'm into once a year and then there's nothing else left until the next season.

[Leo656]

To me, it's NOT watching something again if you enjoyed it to be crazy. Like yeah, you don't need to watch the same five movies or shows every day but if you like something, you like it. If it has "diminishing returns" then maybe you didn't actually like it or maybe it wasn't that good in the first place.

This seems to be a phenomenon people only have with movies and TV. With books or music or games or other forms of art/entertainment, people are far more forgiving of repeating the experience. It's to be expected/encouraged, in those cases. Nobody admits to it, but plenty of people fall in love with a song and repeat it 50 times in a row or whatever. Maybe they get sick of it a little bit after THAT :lol: But the point is that the "I experienced it once, I don't need to experience it again" thing only seems to be a thing people say with movies and TV, not with other forms of entertainment.

It's strange to me. Like, "I had an orgasm once. It was fine, I liked it, but I don't need to do it again, once was enough." :lol: Must not have actually been that good, then! :trazz:

I admit that a lot of the time these days TV is mostly on in the background, but even then I don't get annoyed with the repeat stuff unless it's something that's been replayed a thousand times, like some of the South Park episodes they insist on repeating every three days or so. I mean there's definitely a line where it becomes Too Much but for me that line is pretty far out.

I'm honestly never bored for a second of my life because I just don't fall out of love with things. I obviously welcome something new but if it's not there or I'm not in the mood I can still revisit something and I don't feel like it's a waste. There's a healthy list of movies and shows that if I notice they're on, I will always, always watch them, even if I've already seen them. Very often, I'll notice something new within those things anyway.

Good entertainment holds up to repeat viewings. In my experience, if something falls apart after one or two times then it honestly couldn't have been very good to start with. I suspect some people are afraid that a thing they like won't hold up, and are thus afraid to revisit it. But that's on Them, really.

[CyberCubed]

I don't understand people who rewatch stuff with so much stuff to watch. Rewatching stuff also has diminishing returns in enjoyment unless a long time has happened. I try not to rewatch movies/shows unless like ten years have passed by and by then it's like you're watching it for the first time again.v

I generally rewatch my favorite shows/movies every 3-4 years, and keep a mental note when I last watched them. For example I rewatched all of Breaking Bad last year after having not seen it in 2 years.

I've seen every episode of the original TMNT cartoon at least 10 times, some probably 50+ times if you count all the reruns I watched when I was a kid. I've watched the 4kids TMNT cartoon in full 7 times. I've watched the Nick 2012 series in full twice, I'll probably do a third rewatch of it sometime next year.

Then if you count other stuff like the DCAU especially Batman:TAS, I've seen it probably 10+ times. The older seasons of Pokemon I've rewatched a ton, I've gone through all of Dragonball Z many times, I've watched the first 10 seasons of Simpsons at least 10+ times, this is not even going into movies.

[Leo656]

If I've seen Young Guns I and II a hundred times each since they came out... that is a very conservative estimate. :lol:

[Prowler]

Not everything has the same rewatch value. Plus, my memory tends to be quite good for the biggest and most important parts of the stuff I watch, so I really cba to rewatch stuff often. I recently rewatched Coebnoy Bebop because I had already seen that a decade and a half ago when I was still a kid/teen, meaning not only was my memory of it foggy but also because you get a different perspective and view of things when you experience them as an adult than when you did as a kid.

But rewatching stuff I watched 5 years ago? Nah not interested.

[IMJ]

If I've seen Young Guns I and II a hundred times each since they came out... that is a very conservative estimate. :lol:

They are like.... the only truly rewatchable Westerns ever filmed.

[Leo656]

I maintain that "Tombstone" is pretty damn good.

[MikeandRaph87]

I maintain that "Tombstone" is pretty damn good.

I agree. I saw for the first time back in December and really liked it. Had to grab a copy of it.

As far as Westerns films go I really like The Searchers and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly outdated stereotypes or not. The Searchers has a fantastic setting while The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is really ahead of its time with characterization with who really is the good and the ugly.

The funnier thing is, 'remember the old days when people used to say'. The more channels or steaming service we get the less quality of programs that are put out. I would say there is nothing good on television now.

[Leo656]

I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that you've never watched "Archer". :trazz:

As for Westerns... I'm pretty agnostic. It's a good genre but it's not like I love them for being of that genre. I watched the first Young Guns when I was about 7 and I didn't fall in love with it because it was a Western. I didn't care about Westerns at all at that age, I just really, really liked the movie, particularly the characters.

I don't really have a "type" of movie. Y'know how some people say, "I'm a horror movie guy" or "I like action movies" or comedies or whatever? I don't have a genre I prefer. Stuff either hits me or it doesn't.

My DVD collection looks like someone just walked into a Best Buy and grabbed everything they could at random. :lol: But every single thing on the shelf is there for a reason; If I'm only going to watch something once, I don't buy it. If I bought it, that means it's important to me for whatever reason.

MikeandRaph, one of these days I swear I will type up a comprehensive list of my collection just so you and I can compare notes. :)

[TigerClaw]

There's nothing good to watch on TV, Because all the good stuff is on streaming services now. TV is only good for the News and Sports.

[Leo656]

Streaming is bullsh*t. Peacock is abruptly yanking a bunch of content from the WWE Network for being "problematic". Which reinforces what I've said a million times about why physical media absolutely still needs to exist. I'm thanking God or whoever that I can still watch what I want when I want it, not what some corporation decides I should be "allowed" to watch.

Like yeah, there's good stuff on streaming... so long as they "allow" you to watch it. You don't get any choice, only the Illusion of Choice.

[MikeandRaph87]

Streaming is bullsh*t. Peacock is abruptly yanking a bunch of content from the WWE Network for being "problematic". Which reinforces what I've said a million times about why physical media absolutely still needs to exist. I'm thanking God or whoever that I can still watch what I want when I want it, not what some corporation decides I should be "allowed" to watch.

Like yeah, there's good stuff on streaming... so long as they "allow" you to watch it. You don't get any choice, only the Illusion of Choice.

I share every word of your opinion!:teek::tcool:

[IMJ]

Speaking of physical media, I went to Best Buy today to pick up a copy of Godzilla which was released in 4k, I think today.

Guy tells me that their store got two - that's 2 copies of it and they both sold.

That doesn't even make sense, even in a diminished market for Blu Ray.

[CyberCubed]

I dunno, I can't remember the last time I walked into a brick and mortar store. I can believe it. Besides that if people still buy discs they usually just order them off amazon these days anyway then go to a story to buy a blu-ray.

Honestly going to a store to buy a movie feels like...an outdated practice at this point. Like time traveling back to the year 2005 or something. I mean you have to drive or walk there, wait on line, look through their shelves if they have what you want or not...it's a hassle.

Meanwhile you can go to amazon.com and see if they have what you want and order it in less than 30 seconds and get it delivered within 2 days or so to your home. You just never have to go anywhere again these days.

[MikeandRaph87]

I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that you've never watched "Archer". :trazz:

As for Westerns... I'm pretty agnostic. It's a good genre but it's not like I love them for being of that genre. I watched the first Young Guns when I was about 7 and I didn't fall in love with it because it was a Western. I didn't care about Westerns at all at that age, I just really, really liked the movie, particularly the characters.

I don't really have a "type" of movie. Y'know how some people say, "I'm a horror movie guy" or "I like action movies" or comedies or whatever? I don't have a genre I prefer. Stuff either hits me or it doesn't.

My DVD collection looks like someone just walked into a Best Buy and grabbed everything they could at random. :lol: But every single thing on the shelf is there for a reason; If I'm only going to watch something once, I don't buy it. If I bought it, that means it's important to me for whatever reason.

MikeandRaph, one of these days I swear I will type up a comprehensive list of my collection just so you and I can compare notes. :)

Nope. I know of Archer, but I don't think its my cup of tea.

Yeah, Westerns is more or less a genre of the past. Set in the 1860 to 1890 period made in the 1950s through early 1970s. Something my grandparents were into and among my father's earliest memories. He likes Have Gun Will Travel and Maverick. For me three westerns, two classic and one modern and that is it. I can catch a western every several months, movie not television. However, I don't know if Support Your Local Sherriff counts as a "Western' or at least a pure one.

I would not say I am a particular genre, but I do drift mainstream and appreciate older stuff. I also don't watch movies for actors like so many tend to. I am fans of movies not necessarily actors who are in them. I mean just because I thought an actor was great in a role in a movie I liked it does not mean I will go to see a movie just because I liked them in another role. Thinking about it outside of franchise related films I have six Cary Grant films and six Jimmy Stewart films. Old soul I guess.

I just re-catalogued everything I have. In the last year I accumulated over 30 movies( from Tombstone to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) and two television series. Oddly enough, I don't consider it a collection or a waste of money. Its the silly mindset that I know I will refer back to and I like the leisure of being able to watch something I like when I want to not at the mercy of a variety of streaming subscriptions. Maybe I am my own form of Cubism.:P

[MikeandRaph87]

I dunno, I can't remember the last time I walked into a brick and mortar store. I can believe it. Besides that if people still buy discs they usually just order them off amazon these days anyway then go to a story to buy a blu-ray.

Honestly going to a store to buy a movie feels like...an outdated practice at this point. Like time traveling back to the year 2005 or something. I mean you have to drive or walk there, wait on line, look through their shelves if they have what you want or not...it's a hassle.

Meanwhile you can go to amazon.com and see if they have what you want and order it in less than 30 seconds and get it delivered within 2 days or so to your home. You just never have to go anywhere again these days.

Just yesterday I bought Rick & Morty seasons 2-4 to fill out the series for my brother's birthday. So there! The pandemic like everything has really hurt the only two DVD/Blu-ray places I can go (Wal-Mart and Target). The selections are random in format and not a great selection. Even some newer film releases are online exclusive purchases like the recent Honest Thief film.

I admit I do miss going to the neighboring city and browsing the very vast and somewhat pricey DVD assortment of Best Buy.

[Powder]

Do you remember when you remember when?

[IndigoErth]

https://i.imgur.com/RiqxKXrh.jpg

[Jester]

https://i.imgur.com/RiqxKXrh.jpg
Was wondering who would get there first...

[Leo656]

Yeah, my wife is one of those "I have to own and watch every single movie an actor ever did" types. I definitely have people I'm inclined to sort of "follow" but not obsessively, and I kind of give her a hard time about it sometimes. It just seems a bit much.

Like, I love Roddy Piper. I love some of his movies. "They Live" is one of the greatest films ever made. When I was younger, I set out to watch every single Roddy Piper movie, most of which were at my local video store. And then, sadly, very quickly I learned that aside from "They Live", which remains a masterpiece, "Body Slam" which is dumb but fun, and "Hell Comes To Frogtown" which is "so terrible it circles back around and becomes amazing again"... after those three movies, he just made the same f*cking movie like 87 times. He's either a cop, or an EX-cop, whose partner/wife gets killed by "the mob" and he's out for revenge. Some of them have Billy Blanks. Sometimes they're in the city, sometimes they're in the jungle, but it's the SAME f*cking movie every single time. Except for one where he's a bad guy and gets killed by Shannon Tweed.

Even as a teenager and ostensibly being the audience for those types of dumbass action movies, I was like "...This is kinda f*cking pointless." After a while I no longer needed to see EVERY Roddy Piper movie. I like the guy, but you seen one, you seen most of 'em, sadly.

Plus everybody has stinkers, it's just the way it goes. I don't wanna sit through a bunch of bad movies just because people I like are in them. I don't know why some people do that to themselves.

[CyberCubed]

I scan through rotten and watch the best movies of each actor I like, I don't need to see the bad movies though

Do you remember when you remember when?

I remembered when that time I remembered.

[Leo656]

Rotten Tomatoes has "Speed Racer" at 41%. F*ck that site and anyone who uses it as a "resource".

[Sumac]

My TV is broken for the last 5 years, so I watch TV programs only via Internet and those are usually movies or sports.

Although, out TV has become worse over the years - despite being a totalitarian state Soviet Union had a lot of good and interesting programs about science and animals, some of those programs were inherited by Russian TV, but nowadays most of them are closed in favor of dumb talk shows and Russian TV series, which decrease your IQ the more you watch them.

[CyberCubed]

Don't other countries still import American TV shows and cartoons? Or do they not do that anymore?

[Andrew NDB]

Speaking of physical media, I went to Best Buy today to pick up a copy of Godzilla which was released in 4k, I think today.

Guy tells me that their store got two - that's 2 copies of it and they both sold.

That doesn't even make sense, even in a diminished market for Blu Ray.

That reminds me... now that I have a PS5, I finally own a 4K player.

I'll just re-get the movies I'd watch in heavy rotation. The Rockies, the Rambos... Star Wars.

[MikeandRaph87]

Yeah, my wife is one of those "I have to own and watch every single movie an actor ever did" types. I definitely have people I'm inclined to sort of "follow" but not obsessively, and I kind of give her a hard time about it sometimes. It just seems a bit much.

Like, I love Roddy Piper. I love some of his movies. "They Live" is one of the greatest films ever made. When I was younger, I set out to watch every single Roddy Piper movie, most of which were at my local video store. And then, sadly, very quickly I learned that aside from "They Live", which remains a masterpiece, "Body Slam" which is dumb but fun, and "Hell Comes To Frogtown" which is "so terrible it circles back around and becomes amazing again"... after those three movies, he just made the same f*cking movie like 87 times. He's either a cop, or an EX-cop, whose partner/wife gets killed by "the mob" and he's out for revenge. Some of them have Billy Blanks. Sometimes they're in the city, sometimes they're in the jungle, but it's the SAME f*cking movie every single time. Except for one where he's a bad guy and gets killed by Shannon Tweed.

Even as a teenager and ostensibly being the audience for those types of dumbass action movies, I was like "...This is kinda f*cking pointless." After a while I no longer needed to see EVERY Roddy Piper movie. I like the guy, but you seen one, you seen most of 'em, sadly.

Plus everybody has stinkers, it's just the way it goes. I don't wanna sit through a bunch of bad movies just because people I like are in them. I don't know why some people do that to themselves.

My go to example is Liam Nesson who made success with a long string of older man revenge films. Usually has a mysterious past and is a decent man who gets caught up in a low rank terrorist or drug ring and takes them down. Usually motivated by a deceased loved one. It may be on a plane, a train, a desert highway or snowy mountain to make them stand out from one another. I have seen most of them and even love a couple of them, I really like Non-Stop and The Commuter among the string of thrillers described above. Honest Thief has merit too, but it too was predictable. I don't need to see every one of them, just the one's which the plot itself interest me. It's not Liam that makes me want to see it. Even those with more diversity in their filmography like Tom Hanks I don't have to rush to the theatre because its Tom Hanks. If the plot interest me I will go. Tom Hanks being awesome in the movie is a bonus, not a reason to go.

Billy Blanks? I remember him or his infomercial when I was in middle school. It aired every morning when I watched Pok'emon before going to school. He resurfaced in those random funny Geico bits recently.

[Leo656]

Billy Blanks was something of an "action movie star" before he was just "The Tae-Bo Guy." Although a lot of his stuff went straight-to-video. Not sure why he fell off from acting but I assume Tae-Bo ended up being more lucrative.

[MikeandRaph87]

I had to look up his filmography after reading your post. Looks like he was in B-action films between 1986 to 1997. I watched Assault on Devil's Island upon your recommendation at the end of last year. I don't remember him in it despite it being a recent view. I guess as a 90s' kid I just remember him as the guy who incorporated karate into a morning workout. Looks like he fell off the map around 2003.

[sdp]

Don't other countries still import American TV shows and cartoons? Or do they not do that anymore?

Each country has their own shows, they do import other shows from other countries especially the US but it's not all their entertainment. Each country has their own awesome shows that will only be loved by those who grew up there like say Nintendomania the best gaming show (https://miscrave.com/articles/nintendomania/).
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRz8ppUh8VDKb9n85PuPb7H1ZemhR7DV h60qRAplmIQuV5kQMQF0gdSxQ-DwSSzp45AlwI&usqp=CAU (https://miscrave.com/articles/nintendomania)

Although, out TV has become worse over the years - despite being a totalitarian state Soviet Union had a lot of good and interesting programs about science and animals,

I recently watched Planeta Blur ??????? ????, wow pretty great movie for the time that it was made of course. I'd love to see more sci-fi like that made for the modern era

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/UnfinishedAdorableCanine-small.gif

[IMJ]

Besides that if people still buy discs they usually just order them off amazon these days anyway then go to a story to buy a blu-ray.

Ironically, had I done that I'd have the movie by now and I still don't. But man. There's something about the impulse buying of a disc you found out was coming out.

I don't want to have to plan even down to my movie purchases and tie up my money all the time on pre-orders for everything on Earth. Hell NECA has had hundreds of dollars of mine tied up for months now that could've been earning something somewhere for me, and I still don't have a shipment from them yet. :lol:

But at this point I suppose I'll have to order Godzilla 4k somewhere.

[AquaParade]

It's strange to me. Like, "I had an orgasm once. It was fine, I liked it, but I don't need to do it again, once was enough." :lol: Must not have actually been that good, then! :trazz:


lmao. Good analogy. I use food as an analogy for everything and I think it works here too. "I've already tried pizza once, no thanks."

Of course, different strokes and all. The first time I watch a movie, it's like I'm eyeing it out. On some level, I'm asking myself if this is something I'd want to watch again. Maybe I'm not living in the moment, I don't know. I just know I like to form a strong relationship with media I consume. If I'm going to dive into something, I'm going in deep.

[Leo656]

Yeah, that also works. :lol:

For me, I've seen enough movies multiple times - and had my opinions change one way or the other over multiple viewings - to feel like if I watch a movie once, I'm probably not going to get the full experience of it. Some things get much better upon repeated viewings, while others get much worse. I gushed to an embarrassing degree after seeing "The Dark Knight Rises" in theaters opening night, for example, whereas now I probably have more negative feelings than positive ones about it. I don't watch it very often, because it honestly gets worse for me every time, whereas the first two movies in that series get better, mostly.

Every movie triggers both an emotional and intellectual response, and rarely at the same time and it's also different for every individual which one hits the first time they watch a movie. For me, watching DKR in the theaters, my gut reaction was an Emotional one, whereas after the Shock and Awe factor wears off I'm pretty much left looking at it through the Intellectual lens, in which case the movie's many flaws just overwhelm me to the point where I simply can't like it as much as I did. This works the opposite way for some people - for example, Kevin Smith's initial viewing of BvS, which he's said was mostly him reacting on an Intellectual level, questioning choices and weighing them against what he would have done had he written it, and then once he stopped doing that and began watching it "just" as a comic book fan, he enjoyed it a lot more.

Point being, opinions do change, and in every movie there's always more to see than what you can take in all in one shot. For me, the movies that really hold up are the ones I've seen dozens of times and can watch pretty much anytime. If I find them starting to fall apart the more I watch it, I might not swear off it entirely but I will definitely space out my viewings of it.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as ChickBusters and Transformers 4. I did only see each of them once, but those were life-changingly-Bad experiences already. :lol:

[CyberCubed]

Most people definitely watch their favorite movies or TV shows more than once. I see everywhere online people talk about how they watched a certain show "hundreds of times" or rewatch their favorite movies "every year."

Now obviously nobody has the time to rewatch *everything* but for the top stuff you really enjoyed, definitely.

[Sumac]

I recently watched Planeta Blur ??????? ????, wow pretty great movie for the time that it was made of course. I'd love to see more sci-fi like that made for the modern era
Planeta Blur?

Ah, Planeta Bur (Planet of the Storms). I have never watched it sadly, for some reason.

[CyberCubed]

Unless you count anime, I never watch foreign TV outside what America produces. It feels like the U.S. creates all the primary television of the world, and the most cartoons. Literally the only thing else is the anime that comes from Japan.

Kinda weird how there's like 200+ countries in the world and all the TV shows/movies or animation worth watching only comes out of two countries, the U.S. and Japan. I wonder what the hell all the other countries are doing.

[Hamato Yoshi]

Spirou is a cool cartoon , at least the 90s toon

Tintin 90s too is wonderful

Papyrus cartoon

Iznogood (its kinda like Black Adder except in one time periode only , like BA , Izno is power hungry and surrounded with nit wits)

Rederiet (swedish answer to Dallas except on a boat , shame its not subbed , have watched all 318 shows a few times)

Olsen Gang films (14 films from 1969 - 99 , crime comedies , its kinda like 60s Batman were the characters are exaggerated : the villains are clever while cops are inept , sadly only dvds have subs)

[IndigoErth]

Unless you count anime, I never watch foreign TV outside what America produces.
You have Netflix? There's some pretty decent binge worthy shows on there from other countries.

[CyberCubed]

You have Netflix? There's some pretty decent binge worthy shows on there from other countries.

No, but I don't watch foreign shows. I saw some Japanese stuff from time to time but that's it.

I can't stand watching foreign films. Even have trouble watching British films/movies, the way they make shows is so weird.