Bought the 'TV Guide' for the first time in awhile and I can't read it! (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

The last time I bought one was a couple of years ago and it was so easy to read and understand, now though, they crammed all the days of the week into one big, complex chart that I just can't comprehend as i'm looking at it.

Why did they do this? It was so easy before.

I think this will be the last issue I ever buy.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Those charts are the second worst idea (behind the "New" Coke) to come along in the 20th century. This is mainly from lack of space. It is ok if I see "Cold Case (new), but after they get done putting in Housewives there isn't any room for the "New" Maybe it's a rerun?

The 1/2 hour shows are even worse There are very few that can get more than 1 word of the title in, and a lot of times there isn't room for the VCR+ number.

Is there anybody out there that actually likes these better?

Glenn

 

[ChuckSolo]

I hadn't bought or looked at a TV Guide for a number of years, preferring to just use the Cox Cable guide from my STB. I happened to look at my buddies copy the other night and found it hard to read and was dismayed that the listings stopped at like 10 PM or so!! I have to say that I probably will NEVER buy a TV Guide ever again. However, the online TV Guide is far better than the printed version. Find it at www.TVGUIDE.com

 

[Chris_Morris]

The changes they made are horrible, but since (through various deals) I am getting the next 3 1/2 years at ~$0.21 per issue, I can't complain too much

 

[Shane Martin]

I'll make sure this thread gets read by our executives

I work for Tvguide The TV version...the magazine is in Pennslyvania.

 

[David Williams]

I always wondered what exactly they did at the TV Guide Building in Tulsa.

 

[Shane Martin]

Alot less than we used to. The majority of the folks left deal with Digicable and the Scrolling guide on TV. This used to be a main mall until they converted it.

FWIW, They filmed parts of the movie UHF here in this building.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Shane,
by all means bring this to their attention if they aren't already aware of it. This format is not very user-freindly at all, it's too complex, confusing and hard to comprehend.

I mean i'm not Rain Man or John Nash here, i'm just an average Joe who wants to know when the next re-run of Monk will be on!

Plus, I don't have the time or patience to sit and stare at that God-aweful scrolling 'TV Guide Channel'. If you miss channel 4, you've got to wait 10 minuets before it comes around again, it's kinda of like 8 Track tapes in this respect.

Why can't they just change it back to the way it used to be? I tell you what, if they did I would gladly buy a couple of years worth of subscriptions and I may even buy one for my brother as well. Just a little incentive.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I wouldn't do that, Shane. You'll have to explain why you were checking HTF during work hours.

 

[Bryan X]

I recently subscribed after not reading TV Guide for a number of years also. I absolutely hate the new layout and may not renew because of it.

 

[Chris_Morris]

Wow Shane, you move quick:

From next week's issue
Changes made:

1. Simple, at-a-glance prime-time grids. Pretty close to the way it used to be, if you look at say CBS channel 7 for Wednesday night, it shows 8pm-11pm straight through, no more splitting the channel up on different pages.

2. More program descriptions in the daily listings. The show info is not in the grid guide, only in the hour by hour listings. All the grid guide shows now is show name, whether it is new or live, and the star rating if it is a movie.

3. Movie descriptions in daily listings, not in back of book. Movie guide in the back only shows name, channel, time, listed alpha. by category.

4. More channels in the "Late night" grid

5. Hits & Misses for the week all on one page, not with each day's grid.

6. Late night talk show guests highlighted in a box on the first page of the "First-Run" feature. The "First-Run" feature shows an alpha. list of every show that is a "first run" show that week, cable and network shows. Very useful new feature.


All in all a very good change, and a big to TVG for listening.

 

[Shane Martin]

I"m looking at next week's copy. It does look different(and better).

They must be mindreaders as I didn't do anything here. I could try to take some credit but I'll be honest

 

[Jesse Skeen]

TV Guide should indicate all the shows that are still logo/bug free, so maybe then I'll make a point to watch them

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Wow! Did my little thread do this!?

They've probably been hearing about this for awhile now. I got so frustrated with it when I bought it that I threw it down and never picked it up again.

It's no wonder Jerry Seinfeld made this joke regarding the TV Guide (paraphrasing)...

"They should really make the TV Guide a little more aerodynamic, because it's the most thrown magazine we have! I mean if your going to be throwing this thing accross the room, you might as well have a little fun and make a game out of it."

 

[Shane Martin]

They must have gotten lots of letters because they mentioned them in the magazine.

 

[Micheal]

Naaaahh... It was all John's doing!
Great work John!

 

[Jay Taylor]

For my comments on TV Guide please go to thread #12974302 post #47 unless you're using a satellite dish in which case go to thread #21978432 post #83.

 

[Joe S]

I was a long time subscriber to TV Guide, when they went to their new format last year, I found it unreadable. My subscription ran out last month and I did not renew.

I'll have to take a look at the "corrected" format, I do miss having the magazine around.