Media Curmudgeon: Tuesday, December 16, 2003. What

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December 16, 2003

Tuesday, December 16, 2003. What

Tuesday, December 16, 2003. What is Television?
When people (commonly referred to as "they"), including myself, say, "Television is so dreadful; there's nothing good on." What exactly are they talking about? Are they talking about television in general--broadcast network television, local television, cable television? Unfortunately, television has become a term that represents something so complex that people have simplified it, as they usually do with complex things, by stereotyping it. And, as we all know, stereotyping usually means negative stereotyping, which is not only an oversimplification but also just plain wrong.

So, when I say, "Television is do dreadful; there's nothing good on," I should qualify it by saying, "there are too many vapid, dumb-and-dumber programs on broadcast network television, such as "The Simple Life," that debase the human condition. We've retrogressed to a point in broadcast network television where programmers are, in a sense, throwing Christians to the lions to please the crowd and get ratings."

On the other hand, HBO's two-part airing of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" was one of the finest, most uplifting, most artistically satisfying, and most brilliant achievements in the history of television--as good, if not better, than anything Broadway or Holllywood has ever produced.

Another joy about watching "Angels..." was that the superb dramtic flow, magnificent acting, and pace of the program were uninterrupted by commercials for trucks and toilet paper, or for anything. We TiVoed it (a new verb?) so we could watch it over and over again. If the one million homes that have TiVo did the same thing, then viewing to broadcast television will suffer, which will motivate the networks to develop crasser and crasser programs--to start throwing naked Christians to the lions--and increasing the commercial loads, which will shoo viewers to cable in general and HBO specifically faster than ever.

How is it that cable can produce both "WWF Wrestling and "Angels in America?" Is "Angels in America" a defining moment for television? Part I got high ratings, and I'm sure the ratings of Part II of "Angles..." will be even higher. Will this mean that high-quality, intellectually stimulating, and complex drama will now be the next hot trend in television and replace degrading trash like "WWF Wrestling?" I doubt it. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if HBO didn't attempt to create more high-quality programs like "Angels..." Let's hope so. I'd love to see HBO do Shakespeare's "Henry IV," with Kevin Klein as Falstaff, now playing at Lincoln Center, for example.

However, I am concerned about HBO's showing of "Angels..." in that it could lead to the further ghettoization of broadcast television. If HBO gets better and better by showing brilliant programming like "Angels...," then the only people who watch broadcast networks will be those who cannot afford cable and HBO, thus increasing the cultural divide that already exists. And I'm rustrated, because I don't know what the answer is. The free, over-the-air broadcast networks aren't going to start showing culturally uplifting programming any time soon. Maybe HBO could distribute free DVDs of "Angels..." to high schools (for seniors to watch) with an Instructor's Manual that could be used to stimulate discussions about the ideas in "Angels..." There were enough ideas in one scene of "Angels..." to stimulate a one-week discussion, and more ideas than in an entire season of "The Simple Life."

I guess what I'd like you to think about is, "What can we do to improve broadcast television?" If the answer is, "Nothing," then I'll continure to be frustrated and concerned. It's extremely frustrating to know that the public's airways (we own the electormagnetic specturm that local television stations use free to send us network programming) are being used to send us stupid, overcommercialized crap that is enriching large, conglomerate owners and is making us culturally poorer. And, as those of you who know me know that I don't deal with frustration well. So if you have any ideas, please, please let me know.

And if you didn't see "Angels in America," watch it when it's replayed on HBO or drop by the house and we'll pop some popcorn and watch it together; I can't to see it again...and again.

Posted by Charles Warner at December 16, 2003 6:35 PM

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