On the Scene | In defense of TV

By Sebastian Fryer
Arts Editor

Ask any college student what the biggest television event of the past year was, and I assure you that he or she will most likely mention the now-viral clip of Snooki getting punched on “Jersey Shore.”

And who can blame them? The scandalous scene made headlines when MTV decided not to air the clip with its corresponding episode, but that didn’t stop the Internet taking a hold of it and going crazy.

I don’t blame people for following the trainwreck of “Jersey Shore” over the past year.  I even followed the show for most of the season, watching episodes on a lazy Sunday here and there, and even catching a few when they aired.

“Jersey Shore” is terrible television, but that’s OK, because it doesn’t pretend to be quality television.  It’s a trashy, junk food show that isn’t selling itself as filet mignon. 

In a land of guilty pleasure television, I consider a taste of “Shore” to be all right every once in a while.  However, it’s only the tip of the iceberg of terrible television.  Trash television floods the airwaves every day, exploiting pregnant moms, mothers of eight, and more 24 hours a day.  MTV and VH1 are the guilty culprits here, but are certainly not alone.

There are some saviors out there, but the diamonds are a little difficult to find in the rough these days. Premium cable channels HBO and Showtime continue to push premium content, but with less success than ever. HBO is still struggling to find the next big thing, with “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “The Wire,” “Deadwood,” and more all off the air.  

Broadcast television hasn’t been known for true quality television for a while, either – “The West Wing” has long been off-air, and “Lost” started losing its credentials as a truly dramatic television series a few years ago.

So that leaves one section of television broadcasting to step up – basic cable.  And surprisingly, they have.  

 Take, for instance, AMC, a basic cable channel that’s been making waves over the past few years.  Its flagship television shows, “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” are showered with accolades.

FX also has a corner of the quality-television market with “Damages” and the new “Justified” earning rave reviews.

All in all, it’s a tough scene out there for those who are looking for some good TV.  And really, who’s to say what exactly “quality television” is? 

It’s safe to say, however, that if your show features 20 women vying for the love of a clock-toting former rap star, you know exactly where you stand.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=16019

Posted by heraldstaff on Mar 25 2010. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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