It's been occuring to me lately that this would be a relatively short list. Even the worst shows have their fans, sports and game shows can be relived for their excitement, newscasts have historic value, etc. What would be shows or specials that have zero rewatch value?

The only thing I can think of is "The Mystery Of Al Capone's Vault", which ironically, was one of the highest rated programs of the 80's. It was never reran and deservedly so and I can't imagine anyone on the planet wanting to relive that atrocity. The only reason I can think to ever re-air it would be to embarass Geraldo enough so that he would finally get out of our lives forever.

It's been occuring to me lately that this would be a relatively short list. Even the worst shows have their fans, sports and game shows can be relived for their excitement, newscasts have historic value, etc. What would be shows or specials that have zero rewatch value?

The only thing I can think of is "The Mystery Of Al Capone's Vault", which ironically, was one of the highest rated programs of the 80's. It was never reran and deservedly so and I can't imagine anyone on the planet wanting to relive that atrocity. The only reason I can think to ever re-air it would be to embarass Geraldo enough so that he would finally get out of our lives forever.

The biggest offender would have to be daytime talk shows. Can you envision anyone sitting down to watch a 5 year-old episode of Dr. Oz? It's a volume business designed to be disposable entertainment. Same deal for morning shows like Good Morning America. Outside of an odd interview or segment here and there, the show is already gathering moss the next day. However I don't think late night talk shows fall victim to this, despite their volume, because the sheer entertainment value is way higher and material not quite as time sensitive.

Outside of daily talk shows, the shows with the absolute shortest shelf life are reality shows. And the crappier the reality show, the shorter the shelf life. Even monster hits of the genre like Survivor almost never see syndication. Jon and Kate Plus 8 might have been huge when it aired but who on earth wants to watch it now? So when a real crapfest like Fat March or Amish in the City comes down the pike, it's practically forgotten as soon as it airs. ZERO rewatchability.

There will always be an audience for scripted material regardless of its age. Shows that don't rely on exploiting a pathetic public figure or some form of over-hyping talentless hacks as genuine celebrities - the shows that place content above all - are the ones people will rewatch years down the road. Class and quality are timeless.

I agree with that to an extent. I think most reality shows don't have any value NOW, so the rewatch value would be even less. Though I have enjoyed a few seasons of Survivor and am looking to get back into it. I will never tire of watching Greg Buis from the first season. Reruns did air on The Outdoor Channel for awhile, and several seasons have been released to dvd.

There are some topics on talk shows I could watch nowadays, particularly any with crazy guests like Madalyn Murray O'Hair or Club Kids, or hosts like Morton Downey Jr.. Also missing persons is a topic that fascinates me.

Another genre that tends to get seen only once is soap operas. How often do they get re-run anyway? Ironically, that only seems to add to their appeal and it explains why there are so many die-hard soap fans out there. You miss one episode and it's gone! That's it! You only get one chance to see it. If you miss it, it becomes harder to follow the plot. (I know, I know. What plot??:lol: )

Today, in the era of 1000+ TV channels, PVRs and DVRs, and YouTube, Hulu, and others, you can watch soaps as often as you want and somehow it doesn't feel the same since a few popular long-running daytime soaps are now off the air. So, in a weird way, soap operas have become the exception to the re-watchability rule: the less you watch the better.

Game shows and reality tv.

I just finished up watching the syndicated reruns of Sale of the Century and now it is back to rerunning again on GSN so, I already know who will win what. Plus, I DVR'd the really good episodes. LOL.

Another genre that tends to get seen only once is soap operas. How often do they get re-run anyway? Ironically, that only seems to add to their appeal and it explains why there are so many die-hard soap fans out there. You miss one episode and it's gone! That's it! You only get one chance to see it. If you miss it, it becomes harder to follow the plot. (I know, I know. What plot??:lol: )

Today, in the era of 1000+ TV channels, PVRs and DVRs, and YouTube, Hulu, and others, you can watch soaps as often as you want and somehow it doesn't feel the same since a few popular long-running daytime soaps are now off the air. So, in a weird way, soap operas have become the exception to the re-watchability rule: the less you watch the better.

there is (or was recently) a soap opera network. Plus, I see requests for them from time to time in the trading post.

there is (or was recently) a soap opera network. Plus, I see requests for them from time to time in the trading post.

This x1000 is why I wouldn't include soaps. Unlike the endless parade of daytime talk shows that have been gradually replacing them over the past 15-20 years, they still manage to have some fans who want to watch them even decades after they air. Again, sheer volume prevents most practical syndication or rerun oppurtunities, but as the trading post proves they still have rewatchability.

It seems like game shows get re ran constantly but thats really it. I mean you could argue old sports games get replayed but they cut a lot of the games out.

I also think its one's taste. Could you sit and watch an old episode of GMA from 1984? Probably not. Some people would like it and some wouldn't. I dont think I'd be able to watch a full episode from 1984. But if there was a certain segment that I was interested in, then I'd watch it.

True Blood= utter garbage

Watching old football/basketball/soccer games, since you already know the outcome I don't see the point in re-watching them unless you're watching a retrospective documentary.

And some reality show like The Jersey Shore are still fun to watch but any garbage with the Kardashians should have the film prints thrown in acid.

Watching old football/basketball/soccer games, since you already know the outcome I don't see the point in re-watching them unless you're watching a retrospective documentary.

With sporting events, it depends. Sometimes a sports fan may just want to relive the glory days for their favorite team or player.:) :cool:

But outside of some game shows that I do like and maybe some news shows, pretty much all the other shows listed here for the most part wouldn't have watchability for me in the first place.;) (I mean, I could watch them, but I would rather not. Thus, I'm really not going to rewatch them.)
I have actually seen some reruns of Family Feud lately though- GSN runs the show for 2 hours or so at a stretch it seems....they've actually cycled through episodes and I'm seeing some contestants show up that I remember seeing earlier- but that's cool because I didn't watch every single one of the episode when that cycle started. And sometimes certain families are just genuinely funny and it's neat to see those particular contestants on there again.:) :cool:

Watching old football/basketball/soccer games, since you already know the outcome I don't see the point in re-watching them unless you're watching a retrospective documentary.

And some reality show like The Jersey Shore are still fun to watch but any garbage with the Kardashians should have the film prints thrown in acid.

How is the Jersey Shore fun to watch and not the Kardashians? If anything the Kardashians are tame compared to those guys. At least the Kardashians are not smoking,drinking,fighting and having sex, all over the place. I'm no holier than thou guy, but that could get sickening after a while.

If I had to choose a lesser between two evils, then it would have to be the Kardashians...and I don't even watch that.

Jersey Shore and The Kardashians are equally repulsive to me, I have no desire to watch either one.

Bachelor my cousin she used to watch it I don't think she watches it any more
The Bachelorette
survivor shows were their in the woods then they go I need water I need food then theirs camer filming them their kind of stupid
one show that was stupid called dating in the dark were people would meet people in the dark kind of stupid
deal or no deal could never get into it I never under stood how they played the game?
the towing reality show they cuss a lot
dog the bounty hunter he's ok they pray before they go get bad guys then they cuss every other word.
DANCINGS with the stars don't know who have of them are I did watch it when Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel was on it
vampire dairies / super natural can't stand these vampire shows

Just about any reality show, however I do enjoy COPS reruns because of the format. It's people getting arrested and cops talking about their job. There's no fake blondes with fake chests crying over some jerk they want to marry after meeting him for five minutes or a bunch of idiots competing to see who can become America's most hated person.

I am the weirdo though who likes to watch old news broadcasts. There's history in seeing how some of the big stories of the past were reported, especially if you were born after it happened. Same goes for soap operas---
I can see how the storylines played out and what made some of them so memorable with viewers. It's also fun watching them in the 50's and 60's, with the organ music and the vintage commercials.

Hoarders and Intervention.

The Housewives of _________
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Jersey Shore

Pretty much almost any star powered reality show.

Is it possible that a scripted TV show only continues to produce original episodes because the original episodes that have already been produced have no rewatch value at all? If so, name one example.

I don't know how much re-watchable value How I Met Your Mother will have, now that we now know "how he met their mother".

I don't know how much re-watchable value How I Met Your Mother will have, now that we now know "how he met their mother".

I haven't rewatched that show even before we met his mother!

I can't stand Reality Shows, Trash Talk Shows, or today's Educational/Informational Shows!

Another genre that tends to get seen only once is soap operas. How often do they get re-run anyway? Ironically, that only seems to add to their appeal and it explains why there are so many die-hard soap fans out there. You miss one episode and it's gone! That's it! You only get one chance to see it. If you miss it, it becomes harder to follow the plot. (I know, I know. What plot??:lol: )

Today, in the era of 1000+ TV channels, PVRs and DVRs, and YouTube, Hulu, and others, you can watch soaps as often as you want and somehow it doesn't feel the same since a few popular long-running daytime soaps are now off the air. So, in a weird way, soap operas have become the exception to the re-watchability rule: the less you watch the better.

Soap operas do have some re-watch value, but to a limited audience. You'd have to be a really big fan to want to re-watch old episodes. BUT, this audience does exist. SOAPNET aired for over 10 years and was built in-part on the nostalgia factor that comes with soaps. They used to run marathons of old episodes and had tons of specials talking about classic storylines, characters, etc. Even on Youtube soap fans re-watch old episodes or classic clips.

so yes, Soap operas have a re-watch value, but just to a limited audience.

USA once aired reruns of The Edge of Night and Search for Tomorrow.

I understand that The Edge of Night reruns had high ratings. Search for Tomorrow did too until the network came to the series finale of The Edge of Night - at which point Search for Tomorrow aired alone. I don't think that the ratings were as high.

I am not sure how many viewers that Another World or Ryan's Hope reruns attracted on SoapNet; however, the shows were aired more than once per day which may have weakened their numbers.

Dark Shadows reruns aired on the Science Fiction network for many years. I imagine that the ratings were good (or, at least, for the first or second time that the series aired).

I wish we could watch older talk shows, and every episode of Johnny and Merv and Mike and Cavett were around.

Especially for the music guests.

And the superstar actors that always were on Carson andweren't rotely promoting something, they came to chat (like jimmy Stewart).

And looking at fashion styles (like Love American Style, Dating Game, Newlywed Game), and other game shows

Even sport events- to watch the 1969 NY Mets
or watch Koufax and Gibson pitch
or watch Jack Nicklaus in his prime or Ali fight are great things.

or watch old news events (back when the news was the news and you could trust Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather).

dancing with the stars
big brother
"The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
Survivor