Well, this was unexpected.
When I started this blog
two years ago, one of the first pieces I wrote expressed my hope that the
television shows of the 1950s-1970s would continue to find an audience among
future generations. Now, it appears that is already
happening.
It’s About TV posted
that the MeTV network, which airs classic TV shows 24/7, now ranks 19th
among all national cable networks. (source: Nielsen) Among the 25-54
demographic, MeTV attracts more viewers than CNN and 80 other cable outlets.
Now, I suspect more of
these viewers are closer to the ‘54’ side of that 25-54 range, but I wouldn’t
be surprised if a growing number of 20- and 30-somethings have started to tune
out the loud and coarse celebrations of what is wrong with the world, and are
finding solace in a kinder spot on the television dial.
What’s significant about
this is that 20- and 30 year-olds did not grow up with shows like Make Room
for Daddy, The Donna Reed Show and Petticoat Junction, either in first-run or syndication. These viewers
are encountering Leave it to Beaver,
Daniel Boone, The Mod Squad, Adam-12, Hogan’s Heroes and Get
Smart, among other MeTV offerings,
for the first time. And if the
ratings are any indication, they like what they see.
So why is this happening? I
can think of three reasons.
1. Other TV continues to
find new ways to suck.
We have more viewing
choices than ever these days, and there’s a lot of good stuff out there, but so
much of cable has become one big noisy reality show.
Bravo, one of the networks
MeTV now bests in the ratings, used to be a haven for performing arts programs
and independent films. Today it’s most popular offering is the “Real
Housewives” franchise. At one time, TLC was an acronym for The Learning
Channel, and described itself as “a place for learning minds.” More recently it
has become home to I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Even the once-proud CNN has
seen better days, as evidenced by the two weeks of coverage it devoted to the
plane that disappeared over the Indian Ocean. The news is important, but
wallowing in tragedy is not.
2. There’s a reason
they’re called classics.
While nostalgia and
childhood memories can enrich the viewing of a favorite old program, they are not
essential.
For some of us these shows
have been part of our lives for so long it’s hard to think of anyone having
their first encounter with The Twilight Zone or The Brady Bunch. But why wouldn’t someone raised on Friends and Felicity be able to appreciate the brilliant writing of the former, or the
simple pleasures of the latter?
The age of the material
doesn’t matter, nor will the way our lifestyles have changed in the past five
decades (hey, why don’t Greg and Marcia have cell phones?). Put a kid in front
of a 3 Stooges short from 1935 and they will laugh (well, a boy will, anyway).
Quality is quality. It’s the same reason my generation learned to revere
Sinatra after growing up on Led Zeppelin (though we still like them too).
“Better or worse”
comparisons are tricky without some qualifiers. Certainly today’s television is
often more sophisticated, but it’s also often more cynical. Old situation
comedies can be formulaic, but most of them provide a more optimistic view of
our life and times. Is The Fugitive
better than The Sopranos?
Whatever your response, there’s no doubt that the plight of Dr. Richard Kimble
is just as powerful today as it was 51 years ago.
3. There’s always more
great TV to discover
I know classic shows can
still resonate with a modern audience, because thanks to networks like MeTV and
Antenna and Cozi, I’m still discovering many of them myself. I have no personal
history with shows like The Bold Ones or Wanted: Dead or Alive,
but now they’re staples on my DVR.
Lately I’ve also been
enjoying the horror anthologies Thriller and Night Gallery,
despite their hit-and-miss nature. Haven’t been able to get into Bachelor
Father, but Naked City is a remarkable urban crime drama, and Route 66 has a unique vibe all its own. The location
shooting offers a fascinating window into America in the 1960s, just before the
dramatic social changes that dominated the latter half of the decade.
There was a time when I
thought the Nick at Nite experiment of building a network around vintage
television had come and gone for good. But now I am more confident that
whatever the future holds for this medium, there may always be a place to watch
Lucy sell Vitameatavegamin, to listen to the Monkees sing “Daydream Believer,”
and to find out the results of the trial after Sgt. Joe Friday arrests another lawbreaker.
Now, let’s see if people
still care about Honey Boo Boo in 50 years.