Bring Back My TV

I apologize for this being a day late, life kind of got in the way. This week's topic is something I have been banging on for years...reality TV. I have called it the "decline of America" and "the beginning of the end for the US." It is a lot of crap, in my opinion, and a way for networks to save a buck and avoid the creative process. About twenty years ago, the first and probably the best reality show launched. 'Cops' gave us a look at the typical day of sheriffs in Dade County, Florida. Dealing with drunks, assaults, and domestic situations gave viewers a look at what actual cops do on a daily basis as opposed to shows about cops like 'Miami Vice' or 'Hill Street Blues', which were sensationalized for TV. 'Hill Street' and another Steven Bochco show, 'NYPD Blue' were tauted as great, cutting edge television at the time they were introduced. 'Blue' gave us nudity and graphic language despite protests about that type of material being on network TV. For my money, it ranks in the top three creative, cutting edge shows ever. The other two are 'All in the Family' and 'The Sopranos'. In 'All in the Family', Carroll O'Connor played Archie Bunker, an old school type character who'd served his country but didn't care for the liberalization of the country that he defended. His arguments with liberal son-in-law "Meathead", played by Rob Reiner are legendary television. The show also used epithets not heard before on TV. 'The Sopranos' gave us a look at a northern New Jersey mafia boss balancing his work and home life. The show was so realistic it made actual mob bosses nervous that there was a leak within the organization. The show also helped HBO get more subscribers, which would be unheard of in today's economic climate. At some point, Hollywood got away from these ideas and gave us 'So You Think You Can Dance?', 'The Bachelor', 'The Bachelorette', and 'Survivor'. Some of these shows, like 'Survivor' and 'American Idol' are actually taken from other countries' TV programming. I'll give them it saves money, not having to pay writers and actors, and a lot of Americans enjoy the failing of reality TV characters to make them feel better about their own lives, but it is short on creativity. Americans should demand more of their entertainment. Hollywood could push the envelope further from where shows like 'The Sopranos' left off. Most of the best television no longer appears on networks, but on basic and pay cable channels these days. Some of today's better offering include 'Weeds', 'Entourage', 'Saving Grace', and 'The Closer' are well written with great ensemble casts. Maybe the four networks can catch these shows and get back to writing actual TV shows rather than the reality crap they've been giving us.