Comments on: Where Have PrimeTime Viewers Gone and What Do They Find When They Get There http://cultureby.com/2009/07/where-have-primetime-viewers-gone-and-what-do-they-find-when-they-get-there.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 23 May 2012 20:32:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rick Liebling http://cultureby.com/2009/07/where-have-primetime-viewers-gone-and-what-do-they-find-when-they-get-there.html/comment-page-1#comment-684 Rick Liebling Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:51:17 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=77#comment-684 I don't think this paints the complete picture. Yes, cable has moved more towards the center (and by center, I mean bottom). But not all cable has become The Real Housewives of... How do we explain The Wire, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, Weeds, Californication, Nip/Tuck, The Shield and other shows that aren't just good, but as intelligent, challenging, well-written, well-acted and critically acclaimed as anything in the last 10/20/50 years. So, to me, the issue isn't niche cable's move to center (which is true), but rather the disappearing middle on TV. It's either great quality stuff, or unmitigated dreck. The perfectly serviceable still exists (2 and 1/2 men, CSI, etc.) but that seems to be getting smaller. I don’t think this paints the complete picture. Yes, cable has moved more towards the center (and by center, I mean bottom). But not all cable has become The Real Housewives of…

How do we explain The Wire, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, Weeds, Californication, Nip/Tuck, The Shield and other shows that aren’t just good, but as intelligent, challenging, well-written, well-acted and critically acclaimed as anything in the last 10/20/50 years.

So, to me, the issue isn’t niche cable’s move to center (which is true), but rather the disappearing middle on TV. It’s either great quality stuff, or unmitigated dreck. The perfectly serviceable still exists (2 and 1/2 men, CSI, etc.) but that seems to be getting smaller.

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