Old TV shows being revived

[Lencoboy]

Clarkson is certainly like something sticky and brown...

Agreed.

[Fishmanpa]

I'm sure lots of people care, even if they're not necessarily admitting it in this thread right now.

I disagree. What does it matter? Watch or don't watch. It really is that simple Besides, you're not in a hurry to watch so why even bring it up?

FMP

[Lencoboy]

One thing I really do like about having multi channel Virgin TV now is that a lot of the shows from my past are being re-run. Over the last few years I've casually re-watched episodes of Knight Rider, Airwolf, Fawlty Towers and even some obscure British sitcoms from the 80s. It's a nice hit of nostalgia, and a reminder of how good some old TV used to be. I think there is merit is the idea that newer shows aren't as good as they used to be as my eldest son got hooked on 80s TV for a while, suggesting to me that it was just more fun and watchable than the newer stuff.

I have dabbled with some remakes/rehashes as well, but they tend to be poor imitations of the originals and just a cynical exercise is 'free branding'.

The one exception (albeit not really a rehash of an old show from history) was the US version of The Office, which was a spectacular success, and far superior to the already good UK original.

Exactly my point AJ.

Some people reckon that it also spoils their memories and love of the originals.

As for the general decline in the perceived quality of newer TV shows, I think it's partly down to the endless choice of multiple TV channels on offer today, coupled with the advent of 24/7 broadcasting. Quantity often presiding over quality, and all that, unlike back in the days of just 3 (and 4 since late 1982) TV channels, complete with only the testcards being shown between 12 and 6 or 7 am, where less was more in many peoples' opinions.

Sadly we're highly unlikely to see brands who excelled at quality programming such as Thames TV and the like ever again.

[Darksky]

As for the general decline in the perceived quality of newer TV shows, I think it's partly down to the endless choice of multiple TV channels on offer today, coupled with the advent of 24/7 broadcasting. Quantity often presiding over quality, and all that, unlike back in the days of just 3 (and 4 since late 1982) TV channels, complete with only the testcards being shown between 12 and 6 or 7 am, where less was more in many peoples' .

I do agree with this…..a hundred channels and 98 of them are rubbish.

[ankietyjoe]

My eldest loves US The Office. He thinks it’s far better than the UK original.

Now me, although I can watch US I don’t think it’s a patch on the UK version. But I love Ricky Gervais, I think he’s hilarious and he plays to the camera better than his US counterpart. But we’re all different and Ricky Gervais is like Jeremy Clarkson…marmite.

I do like the original too, but I never 'got' Steve Carrell until I saw him in the US office. I thought he was terrible before that.

Exactly my point AJ.

Some people reckon that it also spoils their memories and love of the originals.

As for the general decline in the perceived quality of newer TV shows, I think it's partly down to the endless choice of multiple TV channels on offer today, coupled with the advent of 24/7 broadcasting. Quantity often presiding over quality, and all that, unlike back in the days of just 3 (and 4 since late 1982) TV channels, complete with only the testcards being shown between 12 and 6 or 7 am, where less was more in many peoples' opinions.

Sadly we're highly unlikely to see brands who excelled at quality programming such as Thames TV and the like ever again.

Sadly, one of the reasons for a decline in quality of all media (music included) is that longevity is not desirable for the production companies. They want you to keep consuming new films, new TV series, new music and you're less likely to do that if you're satisfied with your back catalogue.

This is a known phenomenon. Keep throwing out new content, it keeps people on their Netflix/Spotify subscriptions.

[Lencoboy]

I do like the original too, but I never 'got' Steve Carrell until I saw him in the US office. I thought he was terrible before that.






Sadly, one of the reasons for a decline in quality of all media (music included) is that longevity is not desirable for the production companies. They want you to keep consuming new films, new TV series, new music and you're less likely to do that if you're satisfied with your back catalogue.

This is a known phenomenon. Keep throwing out new content, it keeps people on their Netflix/Spotify subscriptions.

Or trying to keep recycling old content, or old names with new content.

[pulisa]

Exactly my point AJ.

Some people reckon that it also spoils their memories and love of the originals.

As for the general decline in the perceived quality of newer TV shows, I think it's partly down to the endless choice of multiple TV channels on offer today, coupled with the advent of 24/7 broadcasting. Quantity often presiding over quality, and all that, unlike back in the days of just 3 (and 4 since late 1982) TV channels, complete with only the testcards being shown between 12 and 6 or 7 am, where less was more in many peoples' opinions.

Sadly we're highly unlikely to see brands who excelled at quality programming such as Thames TV and the like ever again.

Watching the testcard or ceefax would be more entertaining than a lot of the rubbish on offer today.

[Lencoboy]

Watching the testcard or ceefax would be more entertaining than a lot of the rubbish on offer today.

Totally agree.

I'm sure I remember back in the 80s the Ceefax pages sometimes being broadcast live on the BBC channels during downtime, with instrumental library music playing over it, though I think this was more during daytime hours.

I've also just been reminded of when we got our second Sony Trinitron TV set in 1994 that had user-interactive Teletext capabilities and thinking that it seemed really high-tech and 'out of this world', despite said facility having already been around for quite a number of years as a user-switchable option on many higher-end TV sets. Technically a kind of forerunner to the Internet, albeit only specific to the (then) 4 main TV channels.

That set also had on-screen subtitle capabilities, which was also rather revolutionary at the time, but that particular model only could only reproduce its sound in bog standard mono, though the VHS recorder my dad purchased at the same time, incidentally, was our first VCR with NICAM stereo sound capabilities, whose audio outputs were connected to my dad's hi-fi setup. That also seemed really advanced at the time too.

[LauraJF]

There was a show in the USA called Night Court and it was on from 1984 - 1992. It is back on TV now with the same set and only one cast member, Dan Fielding. It brings back memories but it's not as good as the original and I don't think it will last long.

[Lolalee1]

I remember Night Court.Have you seen the show I can’t remember the name but Jerry Springer is the Judge