Comments on: Network Television — Down the Tubes? http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/06/28/network-television-down-the-tubes/ A blog about new media, marketing, and communications Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:39:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: sara http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/06/28/network-television-down-the-tubes/#comment-1816 sara Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:04:05 +0000 http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/2007/06/28/network-television-down-the-tubes/#comment-1816 No doubt--network TV's getting its tuckus kicked by cable's (including premium cable's) incredibly well-written, produced, and directed shows. In fact, the ONLY network shows that I watch are "30 Rock" and SOMETIMES "The Unit" (only b/c of David Mamet and Sean Ryan's involvement)...I really WANTED to like "Studio 60" and "Heroes"--but alas... To find TV worth my TiVo-programming time, I pretty much stick with Showtime, HBO, FX, and A&E to grab standouts like "Weeds", "The Shield", "Brotherhood", "The Wire", "The Riches", "Battlestar Galactica"(don't laugh--it's seriously good), "Hustle", "This American Life" (the NPR show-based Showtime series), "Huff", "Sleeper Cell", "the Closer", "Daily Show", "Colbert Report"... Some of these shows are so good, that I literally stop breathing while watching (i.e. this season's "The Shield") and end up gasping for air during commercial breaks... That kind of engagement just doesn't happen while watching "Dancing with the Stars" or "America's Got Talent"... The big three are acting kind of like companies that do crazy one-offs to try and grab attention rather than pulling together a strong branding campaign.They're so caught up in the junky-sugar-high-first-season-viewership-spike brought on by dancing/singing/talent-based gameshow/competition/reality shows, that they've completely lost their identities. Networks really don't seem to be investing in the kind of programming that builds long-term viewer (customer) loyalty anymore... On the flip, HBO and Showtime have completely rebranded their identities and build incredibly loyal followings by offering some of the best storytelling on the tube. No doubt–network TV’s getting its tuckus kicked by cable’s (including premium cable’s) incredibly well-written, produced, and directed shows.

In fact, the ONLY network shows that I watch are “30 Rock” and SOMETIMES “The Unit” (only b/c of David Mamet and Sean Ryan’s involvement)…I really WANTED to like “Studio 60″ and “Heroes”–but alas…

To find TV worth my TiVo-programming time, I pretty much stick with Showtime, HBO, FX, and A&E to grab standouts like “Weeds”, “The Shield”, “Brotherhood”, “The Wire”, “The Riches”, “Battlestar Galactica”(don’t laugh–it’s seriously good), “Hustle”, “This American Life” (the NPR show-based Showtime series), “Huff”, “Sleeper Cell”, “the Closer”, “Daily Show”, “Colbert Report”…

Some of these shows are so good, that I literally stop breathing while watching (i.e. this season’s “The Shield”) and end up gasping for air during commercial breaks…
That kind of engagement just doesn’t happen while watching “Dancing with the Stars” or “America’s Got Talent”…

The big three are acting kind of like companies that do crazy one-offs to try and grab attention rather than pulling together a strong branding campaign.They’re so caught up in the junky-sugar-high-first-season-viewership-spike brought on by dancing/singing/talent-based gameshow/competition/reality shows, that they’ve completely lost their identities. Networks really don’t seem to be investing in the kind of programming that builds long-term viewer (customer) loyalty anymore…

On the flip, HBO and Showtime have completely rebranded their identities and build incredibly loyal followings by offering some of the best storytelling on the tube.

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