What is the worst decade for television?

[mgent]

I have to agree with Hobbs, I typically watch (in no particular order) the various History Channels, SyFy, DIY, the Military Channel, and then whatever sports channels. I rarely watch network television.  It's awful.

More importantly however, I read.

There is a military channel?

AKA the best channel ever.

[mgent]

I have to agree, there's significantly less watchable shows than i remember there being in the 90's.
Discovery Channel and Family Guy is basically what i watch.
Other than House, Rescue Me, and 24 I can't really name any good shows still on.  Sons of Anarchy is coming back in the fall, I would recommend that.  That 70's Show and Scrubs will do in a pinch if you're just looking for some laughs.

[Donoghus]

Man, who voted for the '80s?  That's a disgrace. 

The A-Team, Knight Rider, Miami Vice....the list is so long.

C'mon....The '80s were an amazing decade for tv.

[newdusk]

Hands down this is absolutely the worst decade for pretty much everything... Having said that it's not necessarily  because there is a lack of creativity it's because entertainment is at a transitional phase similar to what happened with movies between the 60's and 70's.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

I'm actually kinda surprised... One of the benefits of expanded cable options has been solid television shows on a variety of networks. I would have HATED the 50s with their 4 options and if you don't like it, too bad. The 2000s have had (in no particular order) The Sopranos, The West Wing, 24, The Office, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Entourage, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, the CSIs and Law and Orders, Lost, Scrubs, True Blood, Weeds, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, The Wire, and a ton of other quality shows.

I don't care who you are, chances are you like at least one show on that list. The 50s were nowhere near this.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm actually kinda surprised... One of the benefits of expanded cable options has been solid television shows on a variety of networks. I would have HATED the 50s with their 4 options and if you don't like it, too bad. The 2000s have had (in no particular order) The Sopranos, The West Wing, 24, The Office, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Entourage, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, the CSIs and Law and Orders, Lost, Scrubs, True Blood, Weeds, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and a ton of other quality shows.

I don't care who you are, chances are you like at least one show on that list. The 50s were nowhere near this.

Let's just keep adding....

NCIS
Leverage
Burn Notice
Monk
Psych
How I Met Your Mother
Rome
Six Feet Under
Carnivale
Dexter
Damages
Nip/Tuck
Supernatural
The Shield
Medium
The Mentalist
The Dead Zone
Life
Alias
Prison Break
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Boston Legal
Fringe
Chuck
House
Firefly
The Unit
The Cleaner
Desperate Housewives
Smallville
Angel
Buffy
Veronica Mars
Joan of Arcadia
The Big Bang Theory
Nurse Jackie
The Wire
Bones
Arrested Development
Big Love
Brotherhood
Californication
Criminal Minds
Las Vegas
Dark Angel
Eureka
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
In Plain Sight
My Name is Earl
Sleeper Cell
The 4400
The Riches
Two and a Half Men


If someone can't find something to watch, they're not looking hard enough. Given, not all nights will have something to offer, especially during summer, but this being the worst decade of tv is hard to imagine.

[perks-a-beast]

This decade by far is the best. Just look at the list of classic shows that this decade has produced. Lost (lost alone probably makes this the best decade for TV), The Office, The Wire, Family Guy, The Sopronos, Prison Break, Survivor, 24, and the list goes on. Those are shows that people will still be watching 20 years from now.

I voted for the 50's just because TV wasn't even in color and not even that relevent back then.

[cdif911]

I think its today

not to say I don't like some of what's on, but looking at it objectively, its trash, pure trash

Some of my favorite shows, South Park, Family Guy, Its Always Sunny, WWE Monday Night Raw - all go to the lowest common denominator...sure there's intellectual humor (maybe not on Raw), but the average person who watches these shows don't even get the higher level humor, they just like the poop/drug jokes....

[cdif911]

There is more 'crap' now, but there are just a lot more options in general- for all tastes, so I agree with Roy- the 50s probably shouldn't be an option, because they obviously lose, but 'I Love Lucy' will always be one of the greats...

its so sad when you have 200 channels and nothing to watch....

[blackbird]

I'm actually kinda surprised... One of the benefits of expanded cable options has been solid television shows on a variety of networks. I would have HATED the 50s with their 4 options and if you don't like it, too bad. The 2000s have had (in no particular order) The Sopranos, The West Wing, 24, The Office, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Entourage, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, the CSIs and Law and Orders, Lost, Scrubs, True Blood, Weeds, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and a ton of other quality shows.

I don't care who you are, chances are you like at least one show on that list. The 50s were nowhere near this.

Let's just keep adding....

NCIS
Leverage
Burn Notice
Monk
Psych
How I Met Your Mother
Rome
Six Feet Under
Carnivale
Dexter
Damages
Nip/Tuck
Supernatural
The Shield
Medium
The Mentalist
The Dead Zone
Life
Alias
Prison Break
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Boston Legal
Fringe
Chuck
House
Firefly
The Unit
The Cleaner
Desperate Housewives
Smallville
Angel
Buffy
Veronica Mars
Joan of Arcadia
The Big Bang Theory
Nurse Jackie
The Wire
Bones
Arrested Development
Big Love
Brotherhood
Californication
Criminal Minds
Las Vegas
Dark Angel
Eureka
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
In Plain Sight
My Name is Earl
Sleeper Cell
The 4400
The Riches
Two and a Half Men


If someone can't find something to watch, they're not looking hard enough. Given, not all nights will have something to offer, especially during summer, but this being the worst decade of tv is hard to imagine.

I have literally never seen any of the shows listed here (or in the quoted post). In fact I haven't even heard of probably two thirds of them.

I pretty much only watch The Daily Show, Colbert Report, NOVA, and Frontline. Oh, I like the channel Current_tv, but I just turn it on and watch, I don't know any particular shows there.

The worst development in the last 15 (or so) years is the rise of Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.

[cdif911]

sorry, I just liked it so much =)

[Eja117]

In response to the whole "What was on in the 50s thing" I think Ed Sullivan, Honeymooners, and Lucy alone beat this decade and probably others too.

In response to this decade being so good I would point out one thing.

My Name is Earl was cancelled. What replaced it? Probably a reality show. That is the only time I can think of that a good show that had a following was cancelled?

And what was oppositte My Name is Earl? Survivor 10 or something. Ok. Ugly Betty and Smallville also probably took a bite out of it, but you're telling me they couldn't move the time? They used to do that all the time like when Coach went behind Roseann to give them a good one two punch

This is the only decade that couldn't figure out how to get Futurama back on TV.

The only other comparable scenario I can think of is when they cancelled Star Trek and then it became a legend in reruns.

I wouldn't be surprised if some reruns are beating some original shows now. Like is the 6pm Simpsons more popular than America has talent? It's kinda not the same cause there are over 400 episodes so odds are good you haven't seen it or haven't in a while, but still

[mgent]

I'm actually kinda surprised... One of the benefits of expanded cable options has been solid television shows on a variety of networks. I would have HATED the 50s with their 4 options and if you don't like it, too bad. The 2000s have had (in no particular order) The Sopranos, The West Wing, 24, The Office, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Entourage, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, the CSIs and Law and Orders, Lost, Scrubs, True Blood, Weeds, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and a ton of other quality shows.

I don't care who you are, chances are you like at least one show on that list. The 50s were nowhere near this.

Let's just keep adding....

NCIS
Leverage
Burn Notice
Monk
Psych
How I Met Your Mother
Rome
Six Feet Under
Carnivale
Dexter
Damages
Nip/Tuck
Supernatural
The Shield
Medium
The Mentalist
The Dead Zone
Life
Alias
Prison Break
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Boston Legal
Fringe
Chuck
House
Firefly
The Unit
The Cleaner
Desperate Housewives
Smallville
Angel
Buffy
Veronica Mars
Joan of Arcadia
The Big Bang Theory
Nurse Jackie
The Wire
Bones
Arrested Development
Big Love
Brotherhood
Californication
Criminal Minds
Las Vegas
Dark Angel
Eureka
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
In Plain Sight
My Name is Earl
Sleeper Cell
The 4400
The Riches
Two and a Half Men


If someone can't find something to watch, they're not looking hard enough. Given, not all nights will have something to offer, especially during summer, but this being the worst decade of tv is hard to imagine.

Sorry dude, nothing on that list really does anything for me.
Except for Buffy and Angel, but those are long gone.

[celtsrp33]

My name Is Earl is hilarious.  One of my favs ever. 

[RAcker]

Maybe you should have said "network television", because there's a lot of interesting stuff on cable.

What was the average TV lineup in the fifties?  I can't imagine it was better than the options we have today.

My thoughts exactly.  The lack of variety in the 50's would be horrible for us now that we're spoiled on hundreds of channels to choose from.