Why isn't there a PREMIUM 'classic TV' channel? (1 Viewer)

[Mary_P]

Well, hulu to you too, Greg!

Yeah, I have been there, and I'm fairly impressed with the offerings, including quite a few things that aren't out on DVD and may never be. ("Raynes," anyone?) At that moment, I can't really use it -- too slow a connection at home, and I have a sneaking suspicion my boss would kinda frown on my spending my work day watching streaming video! But it's definitely something I'll be checking out more fully when I have a faster connection at home. Some good stuff on there, and the commercial breaks are mercifully short.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Oh, speaking of hulu, I've got a strange one! There is at least one example of music replacement in a show that is on hulu but hasn't made it to DVD. The John Doe episode called "Mind Games" features the Gin Blossoms song "Long Time Gone" about a minute and a half in. The song didn't exist when the show originally aired.

 

[JediFonger]

to answer the subject question: it DOES exist!!!!

NETFLIX!

 

[Brian^K]

But that's really it; given the limited appeal, and given that all of the content has existed for a while (i.e., isn't "just come out"), Netflix and Blockbuster Online are going to be the best premium options, making it that much less worthwhile to pursue other types of outlets.

 

[Sylvia*ST]

When it comes to the pioneering Warner Bros. series, FEW of them are available on DVD from Netflix or anywhere else. Not 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon St. Beat, Roaring Twenties, SurfSide 6, Maverick, Bronco, Sugarfoot, etc. American Life ran these (their license to air them has expired), but I could never get a cable company to keep delivering the channel for more than six months at a time. I watched (and loved) Ben Casey on it way back when it was the Nostalgia Channel, but again, the cable company pulled the channel after 4 months. There is simply no way to get things like Dr. Kildare, Medical Center and virtually any drama in black and white from the 1950s and 1960s. Look how long it took for The Fugitive to come out! If some cable channel would air these, I would pay up to $40 EXTRA a month for it. Easily.

 

[Brian^K]

How many of you are there? Figure with just 300,000 subscribers willing to pay $40 extra per month for that channel, that would be a good amount of subscribers. I suspect, though, that getting that number of subscribers would be a problem eh?

 

[Jason Seaver]

And I kind of doubt there's 300k willing to pay $40 a month (that's way at the lonely end of the bell curve).

 

[Jon Martin]

I get FMC as part of Comcast. It is in one of the digital tiers (like TCM is). It isn't a premium channel like HBO or Starz, but it comes bundled with a bunch of other channels.

It isn't worth paying extra though. The only difference, as much as I like old movies, I rarely watch FMC. I go through the programming and they very rarely have anything worth seeing.

Meanwhile, I routinely watch 2 or 3 movies a week on TCM. I'm Tivoing one this morning.

As for a new cable channel, with all the problems of getting cable companies to carry new channels, I'd rather that TV Land just started airing the programming they used to. Who wants reality shows and original programming?

 

[Greg_S_H]

And, "On Fridays, TV Land becomes Movie Land!" Great. Like there aren't enough outlets for '80s/early '90s movies. Since we're on the subject, it was bad enough when TV Land squeezed the credits, but now they aren't even showing original credits most the time. They just take the information and retype it, white on black. And, the bugs are getting incredibly bad. They have that stupid "She's Got the Look" info on the bottom right continously, and now they have a huge red carpet roll out for their awards show. Animated advertisements are getting to be a huge problem on all the nets.

 

[Charles Ellis]

TVLand has gone to hell- instead of adding rarely-seen vintage shows from the 50s-80s, they give us feature films that have already played thousands of times on cable and network TV on weekends! What a waste. It's actions like this that emphasize the need for a premium classic TV channel!

 

[MatthewA]

Gone to Hell? TVLand IS Hell. I refuse to watch edited versions of anything, so they're out of consideration automatically just for that. I haven't watched since they showed uncut All in the Family, but then they sent it to Nick at Nite and switched to the cut versions because the ratings for the uncut versions were so good (maybe because they were uncut), and those are what is now running on TV Bland. That's the textbook definition of "schmuck."

I totally agree about TV Bland showing movies. Do you see The Movie Channel showing The Andy Griffith Show?

Is there a single Viacom channel that has not been completely bastardized from its original intent?

 

[Charles Ellis]

My local cable system has recently added a whole new bunch of channels- with the switch to digital happening soon, and with more competition for local franchises, the need for such a channel should be adressed! Besides, after a few months I'm sure there are new people who can voice their opinions on this topic!

 

[Brian^K]

It is important to consider this question in light of the fact that the intent of each channel is to make as much profit as possible.

 

[MatthewA]

Well, they cut so many corners they can't not be making some profit.

 

[Brian^K]

Again... as much profit as possible.

 

[Charles Ellis]

I feel vindicated- look at this article on the same subject: http://www.avclub.com/articles/we-need-a-tcm-for-television,65187/

 

[Paul D G]

Don't you have


Me-TV - http://metvnetwork.com/

Me-Too - http://metvnetwork.com/schedule.php?station=metoo

or

Antenna TV? - http://www.antennatv.tv/


We've got all three in Chicago.


I just hope they don't go the same way Nick At Nite did, where in a year they'll all be showing Saved by the Bell and Fresh Prince, then next thing you know it's all Seinfeld and Friends reruns.