Schadenfroh
Elite Member
- Mar 8, 2003
- 38,416
- 4
- 0
rstove02
Senior member
- Apr 19, 2004
- 508
- 0
- 71
Don't forget SciFi...er Syfy (I pronounce the new spelling as "Sif-fee" which sounds like an abbreviation of the word syphilis).
Most of these channels came about as a grass roots specialty focused on a particular subject. They focused on their core and knew it well. Then they get popular and that is when demographics and advertising cash flow rear their ugly heads and it all boils down to the biggest buck and enlarging their demographic at the cost of alienating their original core followers. The same happens even in the restaurant industry (an example can be Checkers burger place).
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Kirby
Lifer
- Apr 10, 2006
- 12,028
- 2
- 0
Sent them a note.
I used to tune in on a slow weeknight and at least learn something new.
Now all their shows are shit -- ice road truckers, etc.
Funny, I can remember their last real history show being something about the french revolution and thinking to myself -- oh! this is interesting; but I wander how many americans care about the french revo.
- Oct 9, 1999
- 46,873
- 10,668
- 147
Yeah, and in going from full boat FIOS to full boat Cumcast for money reasons, I really miss it.
It was actually quite superior to The Military Channel (non "History") imho.
For two years, I had a killer FIOS deal: Full "premium" package with HD, plus HBO, Showtime and Starz with fast FIOS internet and unlimited home phone for a real life, after all taxes & fees for $109.xx a month.
When I went to re-up they wanted something ridiculous like nearly $180 + (I forget exactly) and, despite repeated attempts, I couldn't get anyone to budge so I reluctantly went back to Cumcast and now pay $137.xx after all the extra fees for the almost the same package but with somewhat slower internet and no Starz (the latter of which I don't freaking care.)
SarcasticDwarf
Diamond Member
- Jun 8, 2001
- 9,574
- 2
- 76
I stopped watching that channel when they switched to simulated footage for everything. I understand that they can't get footage for most events, but when you do away with most real footage and stop interviewing people then it is worthless to me.
PottedMeat
Lifer
- Apr 17, 2002
- 12,363
- 475
- 126
i think they used some games for their 'footage' sometimes. I remember one show that used Brothers in Arms and another that looked like one of the games in the Total War series.
SarcasticDwarf
Diamond Member
- Jun 8, 2001
- 9,574
- 2
- 76
Hah! It isn't just me. I wondered the same thing sometimes. I consider it one thing to do a simulation in order to demonstrate a complicated concept such as how the dam busting bombs were used, but entirely different when they use simulated footage of random planes flying around.
0roo0roo
No Lifer
- Sep 21, 2002
- 64,795
- 84
- 91
microAmp
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2000
- 5,988
- 110
- 106
Thank you, did the same myself. I haven't really watched The History Channel in a long, long time. I'll tune in, see something about monsters, aliens, and other junk and just change the channel.
Cogman
Lifer
- Sep 19, 2000
- 10,286
- 145
- 106
The military channel is what the history channel used to be. Chances are it will be screwed up in a couple of years. Damn the general populous for liking crappy shows.
pyonir
Lifer
- Dec 18, 2001
- 40,856
- 321
- 126
I tried watching some of the "History of Us" series...but when the simulated and CG stuff started, I turned it off. They even do that with things like Ice Road Truckers. The got all the soundbites of the ice breaking and camera angles and have used those same exact soundbites and camera footage in the series since. When they used a lot of the same stuff in Season 2 as Season 1, I stopped watching. It was interesting at first, but became repetitive and boring.
In short...I agree. lol
TehMac
Diamond Member
- Aug 18, 2006
- 9,976
- 3
- 71
The general populace has nothing to do with it. The general populace is eager to see the same shit you are, the problem is that the idiot women in charge of the network wants to push her own agenda and coupled with her cynicism about American culture, pushes these retarded shows as well.
The fact that they don't put on any new series is because these are expensive--it's easy to cover World War 2 and the billion facets of it, because people who participated in it are still alive today, plus all the conspiracy theorists watch eagerly.
It's hard to make a show about ancient times because that requires more money. The History Channel is content making a few million off of these shows as opposed to the potentially higher gain but high risk venture of more appealing shows that less people might watch.
Contrary to popular belief, a lot of these executives are pretty retarded, but there are quite a few I have met who are very intelligent (it's just they tend to get buried by all the parasites)
- Jul 12, 2006
- 111,864
- 31,359
- 146
I gave up on cable "science" programming several years back when, during Shark Week on teh Discovery Channel, their Feature show--the one that they advertised constantly during the week--involved some dude that was bitten in the leg (the supposed first footage of a "real" shark attack).
So, the spend a ridiculous amount of money on this "experiment" to recreate the attack. They build this elaborate shark robot, that can swim and bite. stick the dude in some gigantic pool inside this warehouse, have some operator control the "lifelike robot shark," have it bite him, and proclaim that the real shark was obviously just "testing him out" in the real attack--all of this based entirely on teh actions of the human-contolled fake shark.
...yeah, real fucking science. Not a single damn Marine Biologist in the world has the type of annual budget to do REAL research comparable to the amount of jerkoff cash wasted on this single worthless boondoggle of pseudoscience produced by the fucking Discovery Channel.
- Jul 12, 2006
- 111,864
- 31,359
- 146
- Jul 12, 2006
- 111,864
- 31,359
- 146
- Jul 12, 2006
- 111,864
- 31,359
- 146
I saw a few episodes--it wasn't that bad; entertaining for a minute or two.
But it's still not history.
better than Ice Road fucking Truckers. that's for damn sure. :twisted:
- Jul 12, 2006
- 111,864
- 31,359
- 146
I also sent one in.
I agree with everything in the quote above. Probably won;t even be read, but it makes me feel a little better...
Just in case someone wanted to read the pent up frustration letting rant I sent:
newnameman
Platinum Member
- Nov 20, 2002
- 2,219
- 0
- 0
Hey, I actually miss the days when it was known as "The Hitler Channel."
Yes, so do I...
I remember the Veterans project specifically. Such a good concept.
I was hoping when they started showing commercials for WW2 in HD that maybe THC was moving back to history
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