You see this on Bad Television...

So far throughout my life I have had a torrid on again off again love affair with television. I was raised in front of the the television. I know most old TV sitcom theme songs and commercials by heart. Then all the sudden right around my teenage years I was done. I barely watched TV at all. After a few years I would occasionally pick up a show or two but never for long. Over the last few years I have slowly reintroduced a show or two. For the record I can't even stand shows like 24 and Prison Break. Over the top sensational drama where you only stay tuned to see what absolutely retarded thing they will do next has no appeal. I have noticed a tendency over the past few years of watching movies and fast forwarding through most parts. The number of movies and shows I have watched this way are actually too numerous to count. I think my wife chalks it up to a short attention span but I've been mulling it over the last few days and I disagree. I've noticed an uncanny ability to predict with uncanny accuracy several elements of most plot lines. My wife has often heard me summarize an entire 15 minute scene ahead of time. I can usually map out what about to happen, what the characters are going to learn and what its going to be a transition for in the next scene. A few nights ago for example we rented the movie "Wanted". I had reasonable hopes for the movie and to be fair it was entertaining but knew pretty quickly exactly where it was going. Originality. That's whats missing. Perhaps it was all those years of watching TV that desensitized me to the common plot line and scenarios. I fast forward not because I can't focus, its because I already know the part I'm watching and I just don't want to wait for it to resolve so I can get to the part I don't. It's like knowing 3/4ths of a story and then having to sit through the whole thing again to hear the ending. The "Amazing Plot Twist" game of the last few years has been so overplayed that the new "Amazing Plot Twist" is actually not having one. The plot twist you never see coming because it isn't there! It seems equivalent to the "made you look" games of childhood. Enough with the reality TV, down with the over the top sensationalism, and to hell with all the Americas Top [Model, Singer, Got Talent, Fashion Designer, Hair Stylist, insert random profession here]. Bring back good old fashion television. All in the Family was entertaining, and you never tuned in to see Edith tied up in the basement while Archie negotiated for Gloria's life after Meathead was arrested for importing Chinese for black market organ donation. Night Court, MASH, Gilligan's Islands, sure they all had their little cliff hangers but you watched for the show itself. Another common fupa seems to be prematurely canceling shows. Pilots and first seasons typically aren't they great. Even the great shows weren't the best in their first season. Give the darn show a couple of seasons for the series to develop and people to get interested. It seems like if there isn't immediate overwhelming interest the immediately start changing the characters, the main story, or just cancel it all together for the next short lived series. Lately it seems this practice has been biting back. After the shows are canceled the networks discover how popular they really were and they try to scramble to get them back together. Just my two cents.