The Lake Today

They say everything operates in cycles, like that old saying “everything old is new again.”

I’m trying real hard to believe that is true and that what passes for television today, will gradually fade into oblivion and the viewing public will begin once again demanding shows that truly do entertain.

This afternoon, I spent an hour surfing through the channels to determine if there were anything on that I would enjoy watching. And, much to my dismay I found that there were very few regular programs or even movies that were worth watching.

Oh yes, the films that were on were quality entertainment, but unfortunately they have all been running over and over, on one channel or another, for the best part of the past two or three months.

Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” John Wayne in “Rio Bravo” and “Hondo.” Bruce Willis in “The Sixth Sense” and “Die Hard” and so on. I mean, just how many times do the cable channels think viewers want to see the same movies?

Then we have the marathons. “NCIS,” “Law and Order,” “The Nanny,” “Bones” and on and on. Once again quality programs, but shown so many times that one could almost quote the dialogue by heart.

Of course you can always find a “reality” show to watch. But to me shows like “Celebrity Weddings,” “The Biggest Loser,” and “Fashion Police” have more to do with gossip than they do with entertainment.

Of course there are some channels that offer at least a few quality shows. PBS has some really excellent programming, but then it also has some that are pretty boring. National Geographic has some good informational shows, but it also has some really dumb ones. The History Channel and HGTV still have a few topnotch shows, but more and more even those channels are swinging toward the so-called reality programs like “Ice Road Truckers, “ “Axe Men” and “Property Virgins.”

HGTV and The History Channel used to be two of the main reasons I paid for cable television. But frankly, today, if it wasn’t that the only way I have to watch my St. Louis Cardinals and most of the Mizzou games, I’d be tempted to just shut it off and save the money.

So I’ve said all this to demonstrate how the adage “everything old is new again” will, I hope and pray, in time apply even to television programming.

I mean, come on, all you TV execs, there are literally hundreds of thousands of films and television tape recordings stored in climate controlled vaults all over this country, isn’t there even one of you who is willing dip into that deep well of quality entertainment. Just think if you did, you could show a new program every day of the week for years. And, I bet you’d have the most popular channel on the tube.