Has Discovery lost the plot?

[ozzy72]

I'm a huge fan of Discovery, Nat Geo etc. However lately I'm beginning to think Discovery is losing it. They're having programs about moonshiners, and street outlaws drag racing. Now I may be confused, but what these people are doing is illegal. However they're on telly, surely all someone has to do is show the program to a judge and bang, off to prison these morons go? But this doesn't seem to be happening inspite of overwhelming evidence of criminal goings on....
Or am I just thinking that the lure of all those free doughnuts keep all those Feds away from their TVs?
I'm baffled...

[Jean Loup]

TOTALLY LOST THE PLOT. Not only Discovery, the NatGeo´s, Animal & History, but also the Formula race channels, like FoxS3: now, plastic electrical contraptions pretend to replace autos with real metal design & motor design like F1. Like watching the plastic traks I bought for my sons, tembling & sounding alike. RiDiCULOUS!!

[B0ikat]

Most of the shows do seem to have trended to the mockumentary direction. I guess they jumped the shark in favor of appealing to the lowest common denominator of "entertainment" over education and information.

[OldAirmail]

Most of the shows do seem to have trended to the mockumentary direction. I guess they jumped the shark in favor of appealing to the lowest common denominator of "entertainment" over education and information.

My guess is that you are 100% correct.

One of the problems may be that they have to keep the show "exciting", or loose viewers.



Educational TV? What's that?

When Broadcast TV first started, many thought that a new world of free/low cost education would move the world into the future.

Didn't work out all that well, because most people want zombie TV complete with laugh tracks so they'll know when to laugh.

That's not to say that GOOD Edutainment doesn't exist. It's out there. It just doesn't bring in as much money as the sitcoms.


My favorites were James Burke's Connections series (1, 2, & 3), and his (all to short series) The Day the Universe Changed. Never missed one, and saw several many times.

I haven't watched a TV for.... . Well, many years.

The sitcoms are pretty much repeats of other sitcoms, and the more laugh tracks, the better. Right?

Many sitcoms try for a shock value to increase viewers. I'm just not interested.

In spite of a few good shows, most of TV is aimed at the youth of today. And like the youth of the last 10,000 years, "NEW" is often the most important criteria in their lives.

That's life. Times change, but the changes are pretty much alike.

[Dave T]

Only watched Discovery for Mythbusters, Overhaulin, Tanked , Fast and loud and How its made. Usually end up on Gold watching reruns of Mash or Forces TV. Tinkering in the garage is more fun than watching the modern rubbish reality tv.

[zswobbie1]

It's all about entertainment!
Remember, Discovery & other such documentary sites, are NOT the moral policemen of the airways. They do exactly what they are paid to do, for entertainment.
As far as I know, all TV's & computers now days have an on-off switch, as well as a mute button, so, if you are offended by anything that these entertainment channels show, you have the option of opting out of watching.

It is certainly NOT within their mandate to 'tattle tail' to police if anything is found objectionable by viewers.

Just sayin'

[Jetranger]

Have to agree with Pete

I can remember back in the late 1980's & early 1990's when TLC / The Learning Channel,, Discovery Nat Geo was fun & educational with science thrown in .

But the last few years I've seen those channels stoop to new lows with their programming agenda !!

Majority of the stuff is stupid to watch anymore, boring & useless non educational crap !

My brother works out there in Holly'Weird land,,, around a lotta those young just got out of Film School college,,, and their ideology & agenda is so skewed its pathetic !!

Majority couldn't run a lemonade stand without screwing it up !

BUT they got some piece of paper that claims their somehow qualified to be a VIDEO Producer and make Films ??

Their able to borrow money and get financing to produce their flops that never generate any revenue back to those who originally financed their flops

Majority are here today - gone tomorrow producers & directors, much like the 1 hit wonders of the Pop Hip Hop music world,,,,,,

[Fozzer]

I used to like watching and listening to the "Open University" on the TV in its early days when it was sensibly presented for the public, schools and students.

Nothing fancy, just simple, straight forward education.

Nowadays everything is drowned out by fancy computer graphics and unnecessary music and sound effects.

....including the daily BBC News! ... ...!

For anyone who uses an atom of common-sense, most of the stuff presented nowadays is unreal and unbelievable!

I've given up watching it long ago.

Rarely believe anything that you see, read, or hear... ... ...!

Paul .... ...!

[H]

One of the problems may be that they have to keep the show "exciting", or loose viewers.
...I haven't watched a TV for.... . Well, many years.

You meant the verb 'lose' but 'loose viewers' might actually be applicable...
My flat-screen TV is only used as a monitor (it has a VGA socket as well as alternate video inputs and was cheaper than a standard monitor); I do occasion to buy old TV serials on DVD, whereupon I can be more selective with what I watch.

Educational TV? What's that?

Oh, they can all be educational -- but sometimes far from decent education...

It's all about entertainment!
Remember, Discovery & other such documentary sites, are NOT the moral policemen of the airways. They do exactly what they are paid to do, for entertainment.
As far as I know, all TV's & computers now days have an on-off switch, as well as a mute button, so, if you are offended by anything that these entertainment channels show, you have the option of opting out of watching.
It is certainly NOT within their mandate to 'tattle tail' to police if anything is found objectionable by viewers.
Just sayin'

To which I will say a little more.
First, there's your "It's all about entertainment!" There are all sorts of possible scenario correlations here. First, police need direct proof: was the filming real or staged? Prove it...
As to the oft applied 'on-off switch' response, it is somewhat apathetic...
We pay for our computer systems, we pay for our televisions and we pay for our internet and television signals; we all have expectations of what we'll get for what we pay. Having to turn it off equates to 'paying for nothing' -- something a little too oft nowadays...

[Jetranger]

Then this pops up today in the news

Discovery to buy some other networks,

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/discovery-and-scripps-seek-to-tie-up-in-dollar12-billion-tv-deal/ar-AAp9s1C?ocid=mailsignout

[OldAirmail]

And THAT, brings us to the "news".

I don't watch it on TV. I don't watch, or read, it on the internet.

The left wing "news" is so biased that it's hard to believe that it's passed off as news. The right wing "news" seems pretty far out there.

I want news from a variety of sources. What's happening, generally, in this country, and in the world.



The New York Times once had a moto - "All the news that's fit to print".

But I don't think that anyone does that anymore.


It's now all "click bait". Outrageous declarations and TV "personalities" designed to get you to watch their station.

And if their ratings slip? Why, crank it up a few notches. Make it more objectionable, more outrageous.


I don't want to hide from the world, but I don't want to be spoon fed someone else's regurgitated biases.

[napamule]

My TV is turned ON almost 24/7. My computer is ALWAYS on - 24/7. I sleep because I HAVE to - they don't have to so they DON'T ever sleep! I believe that world wide, 50% of tv's are on all the time. Maybe not 24/7 but a LOT of hours per day. Any country. All countrys. It's a developed (ie: LEARNED) modern society 'habit'. We have changed in a lot of ways when it comes what 'TV' means to us as an activity. Now a days it can be on but we can ignore it. A lot of people use it as a night light and even as 'white noise' so they can sleep.
Chuck B
Napamule

[Fozzer]

My TV is turned ON almost 24/7. My computer is ALWAYS on - 24/7. I sleep because I HAVE to - they don't have to so they DON'T ever sleep! I believe that world wide, 50% of tv's are on all the time. Maybe not 24/7 but a LOT of hours per day. Any country. All countrys. It's a developed (ie: LEARNED) modern society 'habit'. We have changed in a lot of ways when it comes what 'TV' means to us as an activity. Now a days it can be on but we can ignore it. A lot of people use it as a night light and even as 'white noise' so they can sleep.
Chuck B
Napamule

You've just reminded me that I switch my TV on every morning when I come downstairs from bed!
...and switch it off a night when I retire to bed!
It becomes a daily habit!
It runs in the background all day long keeping me company whilst I do other things around the house!

....really.... it's just a background "noise" in which I would otherwise be in a world of complete silence all day, every day! ... ...!

I rarely, if ever, "watch" the TV...there is mostly nothing worth watching on it!!

Goodness knows how much electricity it uses during the year!

It's the way of the world!

Paul.... ...!

[Apex]

PBS has lost the plot too. Once there was a time with lots of Britcoms, like Black Adder, Red Dwarf, Benny Hill, Monty Python, and shows like Dr Who, etc. PBS now takes a few months every year and tosses their Begathons at us, and the rest is thin programming, same ol' same ol'. A few new shows every now and then, but nothing like years ago. They even took off Are You Being Served, which ran every night at 7.30 for years. So it's pledge drive shows, food shows, and other stuff I personally find boring. Gimme a laugh? Not any more.

And I don't have cable, so nowhere to go for an alternative. Looks like I might have to take up lion taming after all.

[Fozzer]

PBS has lost the plot too. Once there was a time with lots of Britcoms, like Black Adder, Red Dwarf, Benny Hill, Monty Python, and shows like Dr Who, etc. PBS now takes a few months every year and tosses their Begathons at us, and the rest is thin programming, same ol' same ol'. A few new shows every now and then, but nothing like years ago. They even took off Are You Being Served, which ran every night at 7.30 for years. So it's pledge drive shows, food shows, and other stuff I personally find boring. Gimme a laugh? Not any more.

And I don't have cable, so nowhere to go for an alternative. Looks like I might have to take up lion taming after all.

Apex!...

I didn't know that you could get that sort of Magic British stuff over in the Land of Fox! .... ....!

I get the old comedy stuff now and again, broadcast from the BBC, etc, on my Freeview Channel (free stuff)!

At the moment I get glued to Judge Judy and the various USA Detective Stuff, etc, on the CBS Reality Channel.

"Judge Judy" gets me breathlessly glued to the screen in awe of a selection of (typical?) folks from the USA.... ...

...it's got to be one of the best comedy shows out there! ....: lol: ... ...!

Otherwise, there's sod-all worth watching on the TV ... ...!

Lion Taming?....

...Nah...

I go for navel fluff searching...

Paul.... ... ...!