How do you think USA Network has changed over the years?

I remember as a little tyke, they had all the game shows. They even had the cartoons. They had the short lived sitcoms weekday mornings. They even used to air the Problem Child movies. But now, all it seems like they air is Law and Order and that NCIS.

USA shows a lot more contemporary shows and movies than they did in the past, but their format does work really well for them. I believe they're always in the top 5 cable networks for the week. I mostly only check it out for WWE Monday Night RAW. I remember the promotions for originals like Le Femme Nikita, but never watched it. I do remember watching the Problem Child Movies, but unfortunately I don't see them on anymore.

I loved some of the old promotions they used to have:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzCdsmXQUIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0wI9zx0EHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L_woT3j0WE

USA is my favorite network for original series. I love White Collar, Psych, and Covert Affairs. I'll also be trying out Fairly Legal next week.

I think USA is one network that has changed for the better. Yes, the cartoons, game shows and short-lived sitcoms are gone, but in their place is higher-brow programming than what they used to show. I'd take Monk and Psych over reruns of Press Your Luck or Double Trouble any day of the week.

USA Network also used to show edited softcore porn movies (not kidding). Now they're getting first-run basic cable rights to thinks like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I say good on them! They're a much better network than they were 20 or 30 years ago.

I love their original programs but I wish they would have kept the old programs that they had too. And yes I did used to watch USA Up All Night . lol

Its been so long since I've seen the USA Network I couldnt say.

I love their original programs but I wish they would have kept the old programs that they had too. And yes I did used to watch USA Up All Night . lol

Oh yes, Up All Night, how could anyone forget that? Thank god for Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hyhYiAzpv0

I believe Rhonda Shear now sells products on HSN.

While I do miss the USA of the 90's, what USA is doing today works really well for them as they are one of the most watched cable networks. IMO it's kind of a toss-up. But I'll admit I watched it a lot more back then then I do now. Outside of White Collar and maybe Psych, all I really watch on USA these days are Wings reruns, which pretty much airs whenever the hell they feel like it.

I miss Night Fight Commander USA the weekend creature features and obscure exploitation movies they use to show allot better than the constant barrage of Law and Order and NCIS that you get seven days a week.

I miss the days when USA used to air in the late 1980's,CBS/NBC's 1962-1965 Universal TV drama series "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour".

USA has the best original series on cable. I would never want them to go back in time.

Of course I prefer the old pre-2000's USA for the variety but there is no denying the success of the current format of almost nothing but NCIS and Law and Order reruns. People love to watch the same thing over and over and over everyday.

i miss the old days when they had reruns of shows like the gong show and make me laugh but unlike some cable networks the changing with the times seemes to work for them one old show that i did enjoy was night flight anyone else here remember it?

i miss the old days when they had reruns of shows like the gong show and make me laugh but unlike some cable networks the changing with the times seemes to work for them one old show that i did enjoy was night flight anyone else here remember it?

You BET I remember Night Flight. It was one of the most original, offbeat, eclectic and consistently entertaining shows I've ever seen. It was a great mix of concert footage, videos, old public service announcements, animation, and cult films, plus the wonderful voice of Pat Prescott presiding over it all.

I also miss Commander USA and Up All Night. Those were truly the days, my friend.

I used to love USA's Night Flight in the early '80s -- an eclectic mixture of music videos, concerts and obscure short films and cartoons.

Later, I used to watch their music news show -- Radio 1990.

In 1983, they aired a prime-time KISS special with an interview with the band when their popularity was at an all-time low. What other cable network would do such a thing...?

I think USA is one network that has changed for the better. Yes, the cartoons, game shows and short-lived sitcoms are gone, but in their place is higher-brow programming than what they used to show. I'd take Monk and Psych over reruns of Press Your Luck or Double Trouble any day of the week.


I beg to differ there. I loved those two shows. LOL.

You BET I remember Night Flight. It was one of the most original, offbeat, eclectic and consistently entertaining shows I've ever seen. It was a great mix of concert footage, videos, old public service announcements, animation, and cult films, plus the wonderful voice of Pat Prescott presiding over it all.

I also miss Commander USA and Up All Night. Those were truly the days, my friend.


I so remember Night Flight


I would so love to see reruns of that.

I used to love USA's Night Flight in the early '80s -- an eclectic mixture of music videos, concerts and obscure short films and cartoons.

Later, I used to watch their music news show -- Radio 1990.

In 1983, they aired a prime-time KISS special with an interview with the band when their popularity was at an all-time low. What other cable network would do such a thing...?




Radio 1990 I havent thought of that show in ages. It was hosted by a British chick named Lisa something. They used to show new videos before MTV got them.

Night Flight was the only show that played videos from the Mentors and other bands that MTV wouldn't touch.

I miss how USA was in the 90's. They aired a lot of great sitcoms that had long run and short runs. I remember they aired Just Ten of Us reruns for awhile. I also miss USA Up All Night. Sure the horror movies they showed were edited but it was fun to watch them especially when they horror movie series reruns. Right now USA during the day is pretty boring because they show too SVU or NCIS reruns.

I also miss the USA original movies.

USA during the 1980s showed a lot of major sports events (they were originally, an offshoot of the Madison Square Garden Network) like the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, boxing (with their long running Tuesday Night Fights series), National Basketball Association, college football and basketball, to go along with their mainstays for over 20 years: the Masters, US Open tennis tournament, and Westminster Dog Show (if want to consider that a sport).

pyOnZ4wRjM8

The USA Network was once the biggest player in basic cable. Shows like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice and White Collar were massive successes and solidified their "Characters Welcome" approach. Things changed with the ambitious Mr. Robot, here's why.

When USA Network debuted it was a channel that had something and everything for everyone and was such an amazing channel that with it's format could've been a contender to CBS and other networks. I do remember USA's game show block well because when I would be getting ready for school my mother and I would watch Name That Tune and Press Your Luck on there and USA was where I first discovered Press Your Luck and I believe the block was called USA's Lucky Day because it had a contest every day. I also remember my mom and I waking up at 6AM to see Sailor Moon on USA too as well. But I think once they dropped the game show reruns and cartoons USA started focusing on sitcoms and movies and dramas and this was the start of the current image for USA. But when they had original series like Silk Stalkings La Femme Nikita and The Big Easy that made USA the king. But once Monk made it's debut it saved USA and granted them ratings and the same thing with Psyche. But I think what caused USA big ratings also was because they added stuff like WWE Monday Night Raw and got into sports too. But I think USA should try a variety format to improve itself in the future
Bestie

I used to love USA's Night Flight in the early '80s -- an eclectic mixture of music videos, concerts and obscure short films and cartoons.

Later, I used to watch their music news show -- Radio 1990.

In 1983, they aired a prime-time KISS special with an interview with the band when their popularity was at an all-time low. What other cable network would do such a thing...?
MTV showed Kiss without their makeup around that same time.

As would I

Oh yes!

Their game shows were the bomb! I grew up watching them and they fueled my interest in game shows! Before Lucky Day they did a PYL telephone game which paved the way for Lucky Day USA. As well as Wink Martindale's interactive games.

I never saw one program on USA network in their day, but now due to reruns on other stations, I saw MONK on Metv and now Outer Limits and Ray Bradbury theater, on FETV but sadly OT and RB series don't have much punch. Both are slow moving.

Here's a past thread (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=403881) that I created about the USA Network:
BBfVimw_ANQ

pyOnZ4wRjM8

m8vDFErw4wo

How did USA Network go from 14 years as the #1 cable entertainment network to becoming what the New York Times called "zombie TV"?

In this video, we explore the fascinating rise and strategic retreat of USA Network — from its origins in 1977 as the Madison Square Garden Sports Network, through its golden "Characters Welcome" era with shows like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, and Suits, to its current status as America's default comfort TV channel running endless Law & Order: SVU and NCIS reruns.

But here's the twist: that transformation wasn't a failure. It was a calculated pivot that tapped into deep psychological needs — and the science behind why we crave familiar, predictable content is genuinely fascinating.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Introduction
1:17 - The Origins of USA Network (1977-2002)
4:39 - The Golden Age: Characters Welcome Era
7:56 - Why USA Abandoned Original Programming
11:29 - The Psychology of Comfort TV
15:27 - The NCIS Symbiosis Story
18:13 - Current State: Versant and the Future
21:17 - The Bigger Picture: Cable vs. Streaming
23:23 - Conclusion


📺 SHOWS MENTIONED:
Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, White Collar, Suits, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Chicago P.D., Mr. Robot, The Sinner, WWE Monday Night Raw