Every year, every television season has a theme.
The year after Lost and Desperate Housewives premiered, every show the following Fall was either a campy, over-the-top mystery or a moody drama with long story arcs.
When the WB premiered Dawson's Creek to big ratings, teenagers took over the airwaves to varying degrees of success.
And of course, we still haven't recovered from the reality tv onslaught that followed Survivor's first season.
So what's the theme this year?
Well, call me nostalgic, but I actually thought it was sweet that Fox's new television show Lone Star used an old favorite as a comparison to try and get people to watch, instead of a popular show that's already on television.
In one of its promotional ads, Lone Star compared itself to--
--Dallas.
Now, I guess the comparison isn't that far out.
The show does take place in Texas. It is a soapy-looking drama. Plus, it seems to be seeking the moniker that no longer exists on the airwaves these days:
Appointment Television.
Now that you can get television on the Internet or save it on your DVR until you're ready for it, people don't seem to have any regard for watching a show the first time it's actually aired.
There are exceptions of course, but no show has managed to achieve that golden standard of making people feel like they need to see it RIGHT AWAY!
It does make you think back to when shows like Dallas and Dynasty were on the air. Finding out who shot J.R. was an event that brought the nation to a standstill.
Even the finale of Lost, one of the most hyped events in the past five years, couldn't compare to how intent people were on finding out whether the Fugitive was going to catch the one-armed man or what was going to happen to the folks on M.A.S.H.
Oh sure, people throw Glee parties. They have True Blood parties. I even know a few people who got together to watch The Event in the hopes that it may become the new Lost.
But when you miss a show nowadays, you don't lose sleep over it. You may avoid Facebook until you're able to watch your show on Hulu so that you don't see any spoilers, but aside from that, life goes on.
Still, that old term--"appointment television"--it's still what every television show wants to be:
A show so good it makes people rush home from work or schedule a date on a different night because they have to be ready at eight o'clock on the dot to see it when everyone else does.
Unfortunately now that television has made itself more accessible than ever, an appointment with a show--even your favorite show--just doesn't seem all that urgent.
The year after Lost and Desperate Housewives premiered, every show the following Fall was either a campy, over-the-top mystery or a moody drama with long story arcs.
When the WB premiered Dawson's Creek to big ratings, teenagers took over the airwaves to varying degrees of success.
And of course, we still haven't recovered from the reality tv onslaught that followed Survivor's first season.
So what's the theme this year?
Well, call me nostalgic, but I actually thought it was sweet that Fox's new television show Lone Star used an old favorite as a comparison to try and get people to watch, instead of a popular show that's already on television.
In one of its promotional ads, Lone Star compared itself to--
--Dallas.
Now, I guess the comparison isn't that far out.
The show does take place in Texas. It is a soapy-looking drama. Plus, it seems to be seeking the moniker that no longer exists on the airwaves these days:
Appointment Television.
Now that you can get television on the Internet or save it on your DVR until you're ready for it, people don't seem to have any regard for watching a show the first time it's actually aired.
There are exceptions of course, but no show has managed to achieve that golden standard of making people feel like they need to see it RIGHT AWAY!
It does make you think back to when shows like Dallas and Dynasty were on the air. Finding out who shot J.R. was an event that brought the nation to a standstill.
Even the finale of Lost, one of the most hyped events in the past five years, couldn't compare to how intent people were on finding out whether the Fugitive was going to catch the one-armed man or what was going to happen to the folks on M.A.S.H.
Oh sure, people throw Glee parties. They have True Blood parties. I even know a few people who got together to watch The Event in the hopes that it may become the new Lost.
But when you miss a show nowadays, you don't lose sleep over it. You may avoid Facebook until you're able to watch your show on Hulu so that you don't see any spoilers, but aside from that, life goes on.
Still, that old term--"appointment television"--it's still what every television show wants to be:
A show so good it makes people rush home from work or schedule a date on a different night because they have to be ready at eight o'clock on the dot to see it when everyone else does.
Unfortunately now that television has made itself more accessible than ever, an appointment with a show--even your favorite show--just doesn't seem all that urgent.
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