To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=66201
55 messages

BS: Discover This

19 Jan 04 - 12:22 PM (#1096350)
Subject: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

What has happened to my Discovery channel?

It is now full of shows about morons that turn a house into another house, or some idiot and his father building motorcycles, or computer geek shows that feature crap that no one could ever buy even if they had too much money!

I know that these things are all discoveries too but I miss quality shows like:
Great Canadian Parks
Great rivers
Profiles in nature
The Nature Nut
Twits and Pishers
Wild Discovery
Nature Bites

Raptor


19 Jan 04 - 12:27 PM (#1096358)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Sorcha

Ride
American Chopper
etc...I'm with you, Raptor.


19 Jan 04 - 12:43 PM (#1096371)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: artbrooks

"Twits and Pishers", Raptor?

I'd guess that it is partly a symptom of the continual dumbing down of American TV, and partly a result of the proliferaton of cable channels. Discovery.com has a lot of different channels, and I'd guess that the quality shows were divided among them. Don't have a particular one on your local cable? Discovery.com would love to have you agitate for its addition...more money for them.

"American Chopper" is still on Discovery, Sorcha...tonight at 10:00 pm, in whatever time zone their schedule is posted for.


19 Jan 04 - 01:54 PM (#1096400)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Sorcha

Yes, and I detest it....


19 Jan 04 - 02:33 PM (#1096423)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

Great Canadian Parks
Great rivers
Profiles in nature
The Nature Nut
Twits and Pishers
Wild Discovery
Nature Bites

Those are shows I'm glad are GONE! (Wild Discovery I think is actually still running)

I LOVE Monster House... and Monster Garage as well...

"computer geek shows that feature crap that no one could ever buy even if they had too much money"

Speak for yourself... some of us are interested in the cutting edge of tech.... Even if that's only as close as The Discovery Channel comes to it...

It's like
Paul Goebel, The TV Geek once said on Beat The Geeks ... "IF you do it right, there are over a thousand channels available on your TV... if you're complaining that you can't find anything to watch that you like, you're not really trying."


19 Jan 04 - 03:19 PM (#1096461)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

So Clinton you'd buy the Ass-wiper 2000 for 1.7 million bucks to save money on toilet paper?

Mabey then you could put it by your Monster Toilet

Raptor


19 Jan 04 - 03:30 PM (#1096467)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

I'm with you too Raptor, you could get that kind of crap on other channels and I used to be a great fan of Discovery, but lately the line up is full of shit. I'm not interested in propoganda about super killing machines or rehashing of past war glories. As for American Chopper, if I wanted to view neurotic, disfunctional, abusive families, I'd prefer to watch Trailor Park Boys, or look up some of my relatives, at least its they're humorous.

I have considered dropping some of our channels from Shaw Cable because of it. Discovery Channel was the reason that we paid for the extra tier on our Cable in the first place. I am considering writng a letter of complaint to Discovery Channel before I notify our Cable Company of our concern.


19 Jan 04 - 03:41 PM (#1096475)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

I'm also not sure that I am totally comfortable with Jay Ingram's current partner either. She reminds me of a giant stick insect. I preferred the little one who got pregnant.


19 Jan 04 - 03:49 PM (#1096487)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

Metch... I'm there with ya on that one... Natasha Stillwell needs a steak dinner or 6!

And she needs to give Sigourney Weaver back her lower jaw...


19 Jan 04 - 03:58 PM (#1096495)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

To thin or not, it is the only worthwhile segment left on the whole damn channel. At least if we drop it, we can still get Quirks and Quarks on CBC Radio.


19 Jan 04 - 04:01 PM (#1096496)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

Ug... CBC radio... now THERE'S a vast wasteland, devoid of entertainment...

I can usually find lots of intersting stuff on Discovery... if not there, then TLC... if not there then The History Channel or A&E (When it's not got stupid mysteries up to HERE!)

Or when it doubt, turn it off and play some music!

:-)


19 Jan 04 - 04:04 PM (#1096499)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

Speaking of that I met Bob MacDonald and had a chance to jam with him He's a good player. He's got a twelve string ibanez that sounds pretty good!

Raptor


19 Jan 04 - 04:36 PM (#1096525)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

Recently I'm inclined to agree with you Clinton, at least on the music end of CBC 1, their current musical talent pool is abysmal, they're really dragging up the bottom of the swamp for some of that stuff and their morning talk show is pretty lame (nice lady, no balls, God, I miss Gzowski). On the bright side, they still have good old Stuart "MacClean", Lorne Elliot's still a hoot and Michael Enright comes through occasionally with some pretty incisive stuff at times.

I do play music, a lot Clinton, but I got other needs too, I want to feed my head!


19 Jan 04 - 04:41 PM (#1096529)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

Maybe it's that I HATE talk-radio...   So CBC just bores me to tears...


19 Jan 04 - 06:13 PM (#1096599)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

Raptor, thanks for starting a thread that let me know that I was not alone in my distress. I just fired off an email of protest, for what its worth.


19 Jan 04 - 07:00 PM (#1096628)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

You go girl!

:-)


19 Jan 04 - 07:19 PM (#1096638)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: artbrooks

And more drivel is on its way:

NEW YORK, Jan 19, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A push is underway for lighter, family-oriented or reality syndicated shows, according to the opinion of several U.S. industry experts.

"Light, up-tempo entertainment and serious self-help have replaced tawdry talk as the top syndicated fare and, based on the development for fall, that trend will continue," said Garnett Losak of Petry Media, who is playing a large role in this week's 2004 NATPE Convention in New York, an annual event for television programmers and independent television stations.

Losak said the success of shows such as "Dr. Phil," "Oprah" and the Meredith Vieira-hosted "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" were examples of this trend.

The family entertainment trend, she said represents "a whole different place from where we were. That's what cable is doing and that's what stations are demanding."

Losak also said reality programming, defined as unscripted programming with real people interacting in real situations, is "the next frontier" on syndication.

"Prime time and cable are being overrun" with these reality shows, "and it is inevitable that it will spill to syndication." she said.


19 Jan 04 - 07:38 PM (#1096655)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

I'd like to kick that dick Dr Phill to death!


19 Jan 04 - 07:53 PM (#1096658)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

Maybe its a generational thing Clinton, but I can still sort of multi-task with a radio. When I'm at home or in the office, its about the only thing left that I can have going on and still remain functional in other areas.

Music's different, I like music as singleminded experience, not muzak of the background persuasion. Besides, I find it frustrating to catch something that was musically incredible only to discover I have no damned idea how to find out who it was, because it was on somebodies, God knows where, nearly innaccessible set play list.

I hate talk shows that have guests phoning in, but if they are interviewing someone that has just come back from Mars, thats OK.

Gee, I should never start whining, now I'm getting pissed off about everything.


20 Jan 04 - 11:41 AM (#1097171)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

I dig music...

sometimes I actively listen... sometimes I just let it play in the background...


20 Jan 04 - 11:47 AM (#1097180)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Dave the Gnome

Sounds like you all want to join me in the TOG (Terry's Old Geezers) club! Listen to Terry Wogan on bbc.co.uk/radio2 and you will get the picture.

Like minded folks wandering round aimlesly saying things like "There's never anything on the telly" or "Do I come here often"...;-)

Once you find yourself in a room in the house, with no idea why you have gone there, you can qualify as a grand TOG!

Cheers

:D


20 Jan 04 - 11:52 AM (#1097186)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

When I start finding myself in rooms with no idea why I've gone there, I'll sign up for a dirt nap, thanks!

LOL


20 Jan 04 - 12:57 PM (#1097236)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

I wonder what Dr.Phil would say about your violent fantasy about him and yourself Clinton!

And it's quite interesting that you see him as a phalic symbol! Hmmm!

Raptor


20 Jan 04 - 01:02 PM (#1097242)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

ya... whatever...

Your 'voice' is muffled by your butt again raptor....

heh


20 Jan 04 - 03:33 PM (#1097373)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

Mph mpph mphh mpph!


20 Jan 04 - 03:46 PM (#1097388)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

SEE!!

LOL


20 Jan 04 - 03:53 PM (#1097395)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

Anyone got a breath mint?


20 Jan 04 - 04:56 PM (#1097444)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Cluin

I agree Discovery Channel has taken a turn for the worse, but I do like American Chopper. Not for the father-son pissing contest, though; I just like watching the customized parts getting designed, machined and put together.


21 Jan 04 - 09:04 AM (#1097781)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

I have no problem with those shows but couldn't they make a channel called "The watch someone else work while I sit on my ass network" and put all the build it, fix it, wreak it shows on that and put nature shows back on discovery Channel!

Raptor


21 Jan 04 - 12:46 PM (#1097978)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

How about creating a "nature" network and put all the goofy stupid shows about grass and birds no one in their right mind cares about on it...


Oh... wait... they have that.... It's called "Animal Planet"... why don't you subscribe to that?

,-)


21 Jan 04 - 01:33 PM (#1098029)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

No one in thier right mind cares about grass and birds Clinton?

It's people like you that are gonna destroy this planet by polluting it with your monster trucks in your monster garage beside your monster chopper at your monster house! (what are you compensating for)(Wait I don't want to know).

Raptor


21 Jan 04 - 01:51 PM (#1098046)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

" It's people like you that are gonna destroy this planet"

Damn... Raptor is ON to me!!

Hehehe


21 Jan 04 - 01:56 PM (#1098050)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

LOL


21 Jan 04 - 02:05 PM (#1098061)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Kim C

All this fancy talk makes me glad I don't have cable...


21 Jan 04 - 02:26 PM (#1098076)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Leadfingers

KimC You say you are glad you dont have cable ? I dont even have a television and havent missed it for sixteen years. I got fed up with the codswallop in UK TV when we only had FOUR channels of crap.


21 Jan 04 - 02:38 PM (#1098088)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Bill D

The Discovery Channel and "The Learning Channel" and a couple others are owned by the same folks...whose new headquarters is just 15 minutes from me...I have actively considered putting on a suit and showing up at their front door and asking for the "vice-president in charge of inane balderdash" Anyone want me to deliver a "special" note? *grin*

They (the conglomerate) still DO have an occasional program of interest, but usually they run these on the same night on competing channels. On most other nights we get "environmental horror" (volcanos, tidal waves, earthquakes, meteors) narrated in sonorous tones designed to make us pull the blankets over our heads and suck our thumbs!) Or "morbid crime stories"...every serial killer in 40 years has been done & RE-done!
Or maybe..people sneaking in and re-decorating each other's houses...with eccentricities of color that would cause Dali to spin in his grave!

And they are planning MORE "grouchy guys yelling at each other and pounding metal into fast toys" programs...hot rods, and one MORE motorcycle show.

I tell ya', it ain't restful!


21 Jan 04 - 02:49 PM (#1098096)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

So change the channel BD....

Ya honestly think the "Conglomerate" cares one way or the other about YOU specifically??

If they did, then there would be the BillD Channel.....


21 Jan 04 - 06:03 PM (#1098234)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Cluin

The Buildy Channel? Isn't that the one Bob Vila is trying to get off the ground?


21 Jan 04 - 06:07 PM (#1098238)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

LOL!


21 Jan 04 - 10:45 PM (#1098447)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: artbrooks

Animal Planet is also a Discovery.com property...


21 Jan 04 - 11:06 PM (#1098472)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: The Fooles Troupe

Aussie land here is about to launch DIGITAL CABLE!!!!!! they think that they can get the 18% retention rate up to 40 percent by DIGITAL CABLE!!!!! with thousands of channels!!! movies on demand.... (end of video shops!)

Most people cancel aussie cable when they realise that paying 40 - 80 $ per month just gets you crap - they might actually want 3-5 channels of watchable stuff for $10-15 per month - but now they just put on the DVD or even radio, or read a book, or expand the family...

Robin


21 Jan 04 - 11:23 PM (#1098478)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: artbrooks

We were offered digital cable. After a bit of a struggle with the ignorent telephone salesperson, I found out that it would cost me an extra $25 per month (after the 3 month "free trial"). I then got a listing of all of the new channels we'd receive, and a sample program guide, and discovered that there was nothing there I'd watch for free, much less pay for.


21 Jan 04 - 11:57 PM (#1098499)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Bill D

"Ya honestly think the "Conglomerate" cares one way or the other about YOU specifically??" nope...nor my type...we have too much taste! YOUR type, Clinton, on the other hand..... ;>)

I DO change the channel...constantly..*grin*..and sometimes, when nothing is pleasing to my discriminating taste, I stop at the motorcycle bashing program for a few minutes to marvel at how much money can be made from the combination of gasoline, acetylene and testosterone!

oh, yeah..there's also this newish program where this guy demonstrates, (using 'volunteers' who can't afford $50,000 bikes) how our ancestors in the middle ages used to kill each other in the most gruesome ways possible. ¡I wonder if they could combine those programs and have the metal pounders among the bike builders make armor and choppers with mounted lances and knives on the wheels like the Roman chariots! Wowee! Then they could have jousts using 800cc custom bikes, sorta like the robot fights that were popular a couple years ago, only with REAL riders in armor! With my idea, they'd rival NASCAR!

Oh...durn..now I've gone and published my brainstorm publically and someone will read it and sell it for $10,000,000...ah, well, when this all HAPPENS in a couple years, remember, you read it here first!


22 Jan 04 - 12:22 AM (#1098517)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

Bill D, I thought they had a dry run of that kind of stufff with Mad Max and sequels......oh your talking reality TV.....maybe some real blood and guts........good idea.


22 Jan 04 - 12:47 AM (#1098524)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Metchosin

come to think of it....why don't we try throwing some Christians to the crocodiles again? Oh, that was lions, wasn't it....Well not throw, maybe just scare 'em a bit, have Steve Erwin or Michael Jackson hang'em by their heels from a balcony out over a pond.


22 Jan 04 - 01:43 AM (#1098541)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Cluin

Well, it's been said before... TV sucks!


22 Jan 04 - 02:03 AM (#1098551)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: katlaughing

Here's one small voice in favour of Animal Planet
:-)

Rog and I have been wishing there was a way for us to tie into Canadian satellite tv, but so far we've not figured it out. We got rid of digital cable..there was nothing we wanted on it except BBC-America and that had a lot of re-runs. We now have expanded basic and it's still pretty boring. We do like Home & Garden, esp. If walls could talk.

kat


22 Jan 04 - 09:15 AM (#1098651)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Raptor

I like animal planet too Kat.

Even though I the president of the Clinton Hammond Fan Club I think he's off his nut!

Raptor


22 Jan 04 - 03:02 PM (#1098930)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Kim C

Leadfingers, I have been TV-less before. Our house was robbed about 10 years ago, and we didn't replace the telly for two years. We decided we still liked to rent movies & such, so we got another. I like PBS very well, and my DVD collection. But there is still a lot of crap on regular television, without having to pay for cable. Thankfully, though, there are a few good programs.


22 Jan 04 - 03:11 PM (#1098938)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Cluin

Are you really off your nut, Clinton?

Finally gave up on the boxers and wearing gautches with more support? I told ya the years would catch up with ya sooner or later.


22 Jan 04 - 03:14 PM (#1098942)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

How did this get to be about my underwear?

LOL


22 Jan 04 - 03:24 PM (#1098954)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: katlaughing

What underwear?


22 Jan 04 - 03:27 PM (#1098959)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: Clinton Hammond

who told????


22 Jan 04 - 05:17 PM (#1099050)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: The Fooles Troupe

Bill D
"I wonder if they could combine those programs and have the metal pounders among the bike builders make armor and choppers with mounted lances and knives on the wheels like the Roman chariots! Wowee! Then they could have jousts using 800cc custom bikes, sorta like the robot fights that were popular a couple years ago, only with REAL riders in armor!"

Been done before as a MOVIE! Don't remember the name, but was one of those post nuclear holocaust things. ome of the "armour" looked disturbingly "SCA", and I heard that they had been involved...

And then ther was a movie that dissapeared without trace her in Oz - I never got to see it - called "Robot Jock" - no wait, I think it was on FTA TV about 3 am... about those 'mechwarrior' thingies...

Robin


22 Jan 04 - 06:27 PM (#1099140)
Subject: RE: BS: Discover This
From: GUEST

Reading this thread assures me that we were on the right track when we launched the official Clinton Hammond Fan Club!

- LH