bobthehobbyguy Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Finally called Dish and cancelled. Was happy with Dish itself but could not stand the proliferation of reality programs. None of the available car related programs are watchable.The channels that have had interesting programming have been overrun with reality programing -history, discovery, weather channel to name a few. The car series are everything but building I don't care what they have for lunch or the endless pranks and other stupidity. Looking forward to getting more modeling done. bobthehobbyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor phillips Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have to agree with ya, Bob. The car shows have always been a bit... predictable? It seems like they always have less than 7 days to produce some award winning something or other. I guess the "time crunch" adds to the drama.It's also cheaper for the networks to produce reality shows. They save on writers, professionl actors, set design, etc... Money, as we know, is the bottom line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Yeah but I have an issue of it costing $70 a month for the basic programming when its not worth half of that. bobthehobbyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridge Rider Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 No more Honey Boo Boo or Kardashians? I agree and only have kept it around for sports programing. I guess as long as they get ratings and make money it won't be changing any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baugher Garage Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 We cancelled dish last year. Only have a digital antennae for local stuff. Netflix for $8 a month... SO glad we dropped dish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Buckaroo Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 My Wife and I have been married 23 years, and in that time we have Never had tv. We both have hobbies, kids grew up eating dinner at the table not in the living room watching tv. Sometimes when we travel and stay in a Hotel we will turn it on switch through half the channels and think "what a waste of time" We both grew up without it and never acquired the desire to have noise on in the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 "...When television is bad, nothing is worse...what you will observe is a vast wasteland." - Former FCC Chairman Newton Minnow. Seinfeld: NBC Chief of Programming: "(If it's a show about nothing) then why would I watch it?" George: "Because it's on TV." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonW Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I bought a bourgeois house in the Hollywood hills With a trunkload of hundred thousand dollar bills Man came by to hook up my cable TV We settled in for the night my baby and me We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past down There was fifty-seven channels and nothin' on Well now home entertainment was my baby's wish So I hopped into town for a satellite dish I tied it to the top of my Japanese car I came home and I pointed it out into the stars A message came back from the great beyond There's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on Well we might' a made some friends with some billionaires We might' a got all nice and friendly If we'd made it upstairs All I got was a note that said "Bye-bye John Our love is fifty-seven channels and nothin' on" So I bought a .44 magnum it was solid steel cast And in the blessed name of Elvis well I just let it blast 'Til my TV lay in pieces there at my feet And they busted me for disturbin' the almighty peace Judge said "What you got in your defense son ?" "Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on" I can see by your eyes friend you're just about gone Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on Fifty-seven channels and nothin'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmartin Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 The reality shows are anything but! So much staged BS. I would pitch all the "home entermainment" equipment in my house in the river but my wife can't live without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabMan Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I gave up on cabel/ direct tv about 8 years ago. I have a digital tv and have Netflex, but don't watch that that much anymore. But I am on the PC alot or reading which I much perfer over tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 "the revolution will not be televised" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I dumped my access to TV years ago due to what I thought at the time was a proliferation of idiot-targeted content. Nothing's changed, except if anything, the target market must be getting stupider. I've never had much interest in watching other people play sports, I can get online feeds for things like LeMans and Indy, and there are enough online TV outlets (PBS, Hulu, and free VPNs, etc.) that any time I really feel the need for mindless entertainment (or even intelligent entertainment that I might actually learn something from) there's always something, somewhere, more-or-less worth watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonW Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 "the revolution will not be televised" I love that book. The revolution will be for real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Add to that the fact that VERY few "reality" TV shows have much at all to do with reality. They are over acted, scripted, etc etc. A very few of the automotive shows are watchable, like auto week, Geerz etc. but some of the others, very ilttle to do with cars, and that is a shame. I would rather channels like Velocity just air auto/race/care/etc movies all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Add to that the fact that VERY few "reality" TV shows have much at all to do with reality. They are over acted, scripted, etc etc. A very few of the automotive shows are watchable, like auto week, Geerz etc. but some of the others, very ilttle to do with cars, and that is a shame. I would rather channels like Velocity just air auto/race/care/etc movies all the time. I try and watch 'Graveyard Carz'--the Mopars are fantastic, but the moronic 12yr old behavior amongst the people on the show make it pretty dreadful to sit through. About the only 'reality' type car shows I enjoy are Chasing Classic Cars with Wayne Carini and Wheeler Dealers, both are no-nonsense. There is also one on Velocity with a guy in Colorado hunting down cars, can't recall the name. Americarna w/ Ray Evernham is good, and of course I've loved Top Gear (the original) for many years.. Somedays it does feel like it is 200 channels and nothins' on. I do stream shows and movies from Netflix and Amazon, and do enjoy a few regular non-reality shows on BBC America, AMC, CBS, HBO and FX...but the main reason I still have cable to be able to watch live racing and NFL football during the season (though that was difficult this past season--the local CBS channel rarely showed Broncos games). Edited February 27, 2014 by Rob Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 We only have over the air tv, and get 25+ channels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick GMC Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 There are so many good shows on Netflix and Hulu, TV is a waste. I think I pay less than $30/Mo for both subscriptions. Because I need it, I pay about $80/month for my high speed internet. I can't get fiber where I'm at so I have to use Time Warner, which will soon be Comcast, which will suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FASTBACK340 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) I try and watch 'Graveyard Carz'--the Mopars are fantastic, but the moronic 12yr old behavior amongst the people on the show make it pretty dreadful to sit through. About the only car shows I enjoy are Chasing Classic Cars with Wayne Carini and Wheeler Dealers, both are no-nonsense. There is also one on Velocity with a guy in Colorado hunting down cars, can't recall the name. Yeah, TV has deteriorated to the point that it scares me to think that there are actually people watching this stuff! I see the ad's for the programs and me & my wife just look at each other in disbelief. But there are a few gems as far as "car" shows in my opinion. Graveyard Cars MUST be DVR'ed or I'll never watch it. It came on last night and I changed the channel. While it's vastly improved from last season, there's still too much scripted filler. But the cars ARE killer…. Reality Rides is another one of those nut-n-bolt shows with un-attractive people showing how they DO IT. No yelling… just info-tainment for a true gear head. It'll probably get cancelled…. Chasing Classic Cars is OK once you get past Wayne looking bored to tears buying & selling cars that cost more than my house, there's some neat cars he tracks down. But he's becoming a little too "Hollywood" lately. Top Gear. Nothing to add…. just love it to death. BTW: The BBC version, not that lame `mericanized show. The NEW Overhauling is better, but way too much product placement and advertising. I know that's what makes it happen, but oooh-faa! Stop selling me Armor-all!!! It's GARBAGE!!! Wheeler-Dealers: Mike is annoying, Ed has skills. He kills himself replacing frames and rebuilding rust-buckets for $400 profit. Waiting for the day Ed pummels Mike into next week for working him like a slave…. Fun show, neat subject matter (NO Camaro/Mustang parade here!) What's in the Barn. Dale & his son are very likable, knowledgeable enthusiasts. Plus the stuff he finds…. wow. All Girls Garage: OK, before I get flamed well-done I watch it for Jessi. No, she's not hot or any other locker-room mentality here. She's actually a good instructor. Ever watch her WELD!?! She's talented, regardless of her gender (although she is a cute welder….) Americarna: Last nights episode was great. Interviews with Don Purdomme, John Force, etc…. Legendary Motorcars is returning. Peter Klume in another awkward person in front of the camera (not as bad as Chip Foose or Barry Meguire…) but it was a good show. More hands-on nut-n-bolts and no stupid drama. Now the bad…. Fast & Loud? Bottle rocket: got your attention, you watched, and said to yourself "thats it"? Counting Cars: Your kidding, right? Did they really sell an ugly green lace/metal flake Dune Buggy for like 20K? Wasn't even a nice dune buggy, never mind the nightmare paint job…. Phantomworks: Please cancel this guy…. he's got the personality of a prison guard. And his work is so…. YAWN! What was I saying? Fifth Gear: Really? Oh, that's right. Top Gear is already taken. And done so much better…. Yeah, ya gotta weed it all out. There's a few keepers.And a few stinkers….. Edited February 26, 2014 by FASTBACK340 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Well, I guess I'm in the minority here. I like TV. Yes, there is an amazing number of completely stupid shows on TV, but it's easy enough to just not watch them! I have never seen a minute of Honey Boo Boo, the Kardashians, Duck Dynasty, etc., etc., and don't plan to. But if you look past the trash, there is a lot of good stuff on TV. I love the PBS series "American Experience." Fantastic. A few years ago the British Granada Television produced an absolutely spectacular series of Sherlock Holmes episodes. And there's a lot more. I also like a lot of "mindless" sitcoms... great to just sit back at the end of the day and get a few laughs. And I'm a big baseball fan and watch the Sox a LOT during the season. Ditto for the Bears. You just have to be a bit discerning and look for the good stuff and look past the trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Fastback340 I agree that there are a few of the car shows that are ok unfortunately they are not on the basic package and I have no desire to spend more money. Harry yes there are some good things to watch but they are few and far between. Most of the networks I was watching have all jumped on the reality bandwagon. Unfortunately stupidity has taken over the networks and it seems that it is going to continue on the downhill slide in what passes for entertainment. I don't expect everybody to watch the programming I enjoy but I do object when the drivel crowds out what I enjoy watching and then I am expected to pay more for an inferior product. Also have you noticed that the number of commercials in an hour have increased. The big joke is that when the first pay tv was being proposed it was so you didn't have commercials. Plan to get a lot of modeling and reading done instead of watching tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I watch baseball, football, Ghosthunters (I know those guys) and BBC America's series "Ripper Street". That's literally the only cop show I enjoy. Other than that, meh. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have basic Dish mostly for the wife and grand kids (and so my old TV's will pick up something!). I agree that the car shows are far from entertaining, and that Phantomworks is the worse. I feel sorry for you if you think there is anything real about reality TV. What do I "watch" most of the time? Sirius 60's on 6. It's part of the package and I can still read or build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) I have basic Dish mostly for the wife and grand kids (and so my old TV's will pick up something!). I agree that the car shows are far from entertaining, and that Phantomworks is the worse. I feel sorry for you if you think there is anything real about reality TV. What do I "watch" most of the time? Sirius 60's on 6. It's part of the package and I can still read or build. I do not believe that reality tv is real however some people that think it is. bobthehobbyguy Edited February 27, 2014 by bobthehobbyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I do not believe that reality tv is real however some people that think it is. bobthehobbyguy Agreed, wasn't pointing a finger at anyone in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FASTBACK340 Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Aside from the automotive programming, there's a few we watch regularly. American Pickers is interesting, as are Mythbusters. We enjoy watching some of the home improvement shows, especially the shows Mike Holmes is on. And my guilty pleasure is SciFy channel for some of the unexplainable programming they love to make you think about. But the reality is in a few days we start pre-season baseball and there goes MY vote in what we watch for the next 7 months…. My wife loves her Mets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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