Has daytime television always been this god-awful?

[AKA]

So thanks to the magic of the Family and Medical Leave Act, I've been sick at home three days in a row (should be well enough to return to work tomorrow, thank goodness).

Boy am I grateful for DVDs, because there's nothing on daytime television these days. Infomercials (and not even the good ones, like the one with Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley; that one was legendary), Tyra Banks trying to be Oprah, soap operas, an abundance of judge shows and six zillion episodes of Roseanne (all of which I'd seen six zillion times).

Worst of all, there was nary a Phil Donahue to be found.

I even ran out of DVDs I really felt like watching, so I had to resort to the unthinkable - reading a book. Oh, the horror!

[MsOrange]

yep--day time TV sucks

[Janice]

There's always Fox News.

[PZelda]

Hey, books are great! Don't knock 'em.

And, you tell me about it. TV Land has also taken to airing Sanford and Son reruns a zillion times a day. I'm sorry, but Sanford and Son SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yuck. I just keep the TV shut off and read a book. The good stuff is never on til late at night, anyway. And just remember that in a few more days, the "i" channel will start being decent again.

[swedeace]

I wouldn't know. I don't watch daytime TV unless it's sitcom reruns.

[Chelsea]

Back until the early 1990s, there was significantly more options in terms of daytime television. Most networks had reruns of at least a few sitcoms (One peculiarity: NBC ran daytime reruns of Full House - an ABC staple), in addition to a few game shows per network, and of course, the soaps (and not all of the soaps back then were *as* horrible as they seem to be today). Then, Daytime departments got downsized, timeslots were given back to affiliates, and all but a few soaps were left by the wayside.

As for cable: 57 varities of the same garbage during the day. TV Land, GSN, Sci-Fi channel, and ABC Family once Pat Robertson shuts the hell up every morning, are the things that keep me sane during the long daytimes with nothing much else on.

[Mr. Television]

Their's always Judge Judy.

[Bobby F.]

Originally Posted by Janice

There's always Fox News.

[Nighthawk76]

Originally Posted by I Walk The Line

Their's always Judge Judy.

I used to watch Judge Judy in college. I started watching her about the time I gave up on Jerry Springer. I remember this episode where she asked this guy if he had a job and when he said no she yelled, Get One!

[PZelda]

Originally Posted by Seth

Back until the early 1990s, there was significantly more options in terms of daytime television. Most networks had reruns of at least a few sitcoms (One peculiarity: NBC ran daytime reruns of Full House - an ABC staple), in addition to a few game shows per network, and of course, the soaps (and not all of the soaps back then were *as* horrible as they seem to be today). Then, Daytime departments got downsized, timeslots were given back to affiliates, and all but a few soaps were left by the wayside.

As for cable: 57 varities of the same garbage during the day. TV Land, GSN, Sci-Fi channel, and ABC Family once Pat Robertson shuts the hell up every morning, are the things that keep me sane during the long daytimes with nothing much else on.

Man, you aren't kidding. More game shows used to be on TV back then, in the days before GSN. I'm not talking about game shows like The Price Is Right or Jeopardy!, but like... Supermarket Sweep, Shop 'Til You Drop, Love Connection, Tic Tac Dough, Pyramid, Hollywood Squares, Family Feud (NOT the crappy version with Richard Karn. BLAH! But, the ones with Richard Dawson/Ray Combs), Win, Lose or Draw (both daytime/nighttime versions) and oh gosh, sooooooooo many more. There was always a game show airing at some hour on daytime TV. Now, it seems like there are barely any game shows on TV. All I can think of offhand that airs on daytime network TV is TPIR, Jeopardy! and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. Three game shows, that's it. To me, game shows on cable channels DON'T COUNT.

My local Fox affliate used to air network TV shows that were STILL on the air. For example, I remember in the 90's, my sister and I would go into our bedroom at 10 at night, and we would watch Fraiser at 10 and Seinfeld at 10:30. They aired Home Improvement at 6:30pm...Fox still airs HI reruns here, but I'm just saying that they've been airing reruns since HI was still on the air.

I've seriously considered getting rid of my cable because really, I hardly watch TV, save for my DVDs. I'm not going to get rid of it, but just saying I've considered it in the past. There are still people out there that don't have TiVo or any of that fancy **** - just extended cable (I have about 70 channels with the package I have). And, we gotta deal with what we have.

[TVFactFan]

Thanks to Oxygen and TBS, when I'm off I can watch these Shows during the day

10am-Different World-Oxygen
10:30am-Diferent World-Oxygen
11am-Living Single-Oxygen
11:30am-Living Single-Oxygen
12pm-Saved By the Bell-TBS
12:30pm-Saved By The Bell-TBS
1pm-Cosby Show-TBS
1:30pm-Cosby Show-TBS
2pm-Steve Harvey-TBS
2:30-pm-Steve Harvey-TBS

[Brian Damage]

I like Days of Our Lives. LOL

[APPLEI]

i miss the Game Shows

Wheel Of Fortune(with Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford)
Card Sharks(original version with Jim Perry)
Sale of the Century
Press Your Luck
High Rollers
Super Password
Match Game(with Gene Rayburn)
Classic Concentration
To Tell The Truth
Hollywood Squares(with Peter Marshall)
Family Feud(with Richard Dawson)
Tattletales

at least we still have Price Is Right

[Sharop]

Originally Posted by AKA

and six zillion episodes of Roseanne (all of which I'd seen six zillion times).

I like Roseanne.

I like some the day-time TV in the UK, as in the afternoons, on BBC1, Diagnosis Murder or Murder, She Wrote are usually shown. I like both of those shows a lot. Right now, they're showing Diagnosis Murder. I always love watching them solve the mystery and reveal who the murderer is. I often wish I could be a part of it.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by Janice

There's always Fox News.

FOX ROCKS!