Channels That Have Improved Over Time

[Sal]

One of the most common complaints that I keep reading about on here is the fact that most, if not all, of our favourite channels and networks are not as good as they used to be. This could be for many reasons: more reality shows added, total rebranding or renaming of the channel itself, more current and more inferior series being added, or other factors which added together result in turning a channel that was once fun and interesting into something that is now almost totally unwatchable. Even Canadian channels are guilty of this which has left our overall TV landscape a lot worse off than it was more than a decade ago. I'm not going to try and name them because we're all familiar with them and their various faults have all been dissected to death in other posts. What I would like to do instead is salute the rare few that have gone in the opposite direction and have actually become better in the last 5-10 years. Unfortunately, this would have to be a very short list. I'll begin with mine:


US: Antenna TV and ME-TV

Canada: TSN and Sportsnet

Like a wise pig once said: "That's all folks!" Sad, isn't it?

[Dude111]

No they are not!!!!!

THEY START OUT GOOD AND BECOME CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant think of 1 that HAS GOTTON BETTER!!

[treky]

ANTENNA TV and ME TV have always been good!

[Dr. Loveless]

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) started out great, probably the perfect example of how a specialty cable channel should be, and has actually gotten better over the years.

At first, it concerned itself exclusively with its own large, impressive library of films and short subjects (mainly the Ted Turner library of pre-1986 MGM films, RKO films and the pre-1948 Warner Brothers films, plus a few post-1948 films from Warner that weren't part of Ted Turner's holdings).

Since then, It has leased tons of films from every possible studio, occasionally runs vintage TV related to movies (Playhouse 90, Screen Directors Playhouse, MGM Parade, the Frank Sinatra specials, Dick Cavett, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, etc), it acquired all the Hal Roach shorts from the 1930s, and plays a wide variety of interesting things... films from all over the world, from every decade, without straying too far from its original mission of playing classic Hollywood films.

Sometimes, back in the 1990s, the channel would occasionally run a movie from the late-1960s/1970s that would be edited for content, or a widescreen movie would sometimes be shown in 'Pan & Scan' mode... MISTER ROBERTS, for example. Now, everything on the channel is essentially uncut and shown in the proper format at all times. It really is a model of how a channel should be programmed... if we only had a classic TV channel or two that was run like TCM (MeTV is close)!

Another one that has improved a bit is Encore Western Channel, mainly because it has added and maintained the afternoon block of classic TV western series on weekday afternoons, starting many years ago, and, like TCM, hasn't deviated from its original purpose of running westerns, 24/7.

A couple of channels that had gone downhill, I think have redeemed themselves a little bit. AMC was once great, but added commercial breaks in 1999-2000, then stopped treating the movies they'd air (or their audience) with any respect. However, I do give them props for eventually giving us BREAKING BAD and a few other well-made modern drama series (though clearly not 'all-ages' programming) in the last few years. It's not the overall great channel it was in the 1990s, but it's currently a slightly better channel that it was in the early/mid 2000s, thanks to some of these new shows, though I'd never watch a movie on the channel these days.

Same story with FX... it ran some classic TV series in its early days in the 1990s... sort of a lesser version of TV Land (in its better days), but then dropped that stuff to basically run a lot of soulless garbage. It has partially redeemed itself in the last few years with new, original series like JUSTIFIED, SONS OF ANARCHY and FARGO. Admittedly, like AMC's BREAKING BAD, the content is often on the raw and profane side, and not suitable viewing for kids/families, but these are still well-made and, in my opinion anyway, preferable to reality shows and other cheap crap they used to run, 24/7, after dumping the classic series.

But, yeah... 99% of the channels have pretty much gone down the crapper and I don't see them ever improving.

[Tubehead]

i didn't used to watch nick toons they gotten better i also been watching lots of cw and cbs both got awesome shows like I been watching blue bloods on wgn and on cbs then Hawaii Five-0 comes on Fridays at 9:00 pm on cbs I also been watching gospel channel now know as up gotten better they show some classic shows I really like Arrow on cw I also looking forward to the flash tomorrow I also been watching inspiration net work they show classic shows to I also like me TV and Antenna TV a lot they show lots of classic shows.

[bmasters9]

GSN seems to have gotten somewhat better; they're showing more of Press Your Luck and another 65 shows of syndicated $ale, and they've even shown an episode of the short-lived 1979 show All-Star Secrets w/Bob Eubanks.

[Regulus]

LSN I'll be six feet underground before this channel loses its luster.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Regulus

LSN I'll be six feet underground before this channel loses its luster.

Little Stinker Network probably doesn't count.

[MrCleveland]

I'm just hoping the day where these owners of stations who chug reality show after reality show making more money with these cash cows have breakfast one day, watch TRC (The Reality Channel which was TLC The Learning Channel) and say...WAIT A MINUTE!!! WE'VE ****ED UP!!!

But I will say my CW Affiliate (WBNX) improved a lot! It's biggest jump was when they acquired FOX Kids, then The WB.

[mets82]

I will say Antenna TV and ME-TV. Also a dark horse for me is Cozi TV. They picked up some decent shows.

[treky]

Originally Posted by mets82

I will say Antenna TV and ME-TV. Also a dark horse for me is Cozi TV. They picked up some decent shows.

They've always had GREAT shows! (now if only COZI would stop showing them that weird way)

[UMFaninMD]

I agree with TCM. BBC America has slightly gotten better with adding new original British content and showing Doctor Who concurrent with the BBC in the UK. If they would get off their love affair with Star Trek: TNG marathons they would be even better.

I don't have Antenna TV, Me-TV or Cozi because I have satellite and DirecTV won't air those channels in my area but I'm sure if I did I would be watching more of those.

[SitcomsOffline]

Overall (and surprisingly), Cartoon Network has IMPROVED from it's dark 2009-2010 years...

[Sal]

I like TCM too. They show a lot of great vintage movies that you won't find anywhere else including some that I've wanted to see for a long time.

Here's a little trivia for those of you who watch TCM regularly:

One of its hosts is Robert Osborne. You know him as a movie expert and commentator but he was also an actor at one time. If you look closely, you can spot him in the pilot episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies" called "The Clampetts Strike Oil". He plays one of Mr Drysdale's bank employees.

[treky]

yea, but he's just in one scene.