Why Are Old TV Shows STILL More Popular Than New TV Shows?

[@realjesterbell]

Why do you think people aren't as into new tv shows?

[@ensabahnur7657]

Because they SUCK!😂🎯💯📠

[@trevonpernell0814]

​@@ensabahnur7657 And the likes of shows like Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire became S-tire shows in comparison.

[@matityaloran9157]

Part of it is nostalgia, part of it is forced interconnectedness and part of it is that a lot of older shows are just better than a lot modern ones are

[@1234_Flux]

All the new shows are woke trash. Squid game did amazingly well which shows people will watch new shows, they just need to be decent and not insufferably woke.

[@JarlBarbossa]

The data shows in the past 20 years the writers rooms went from being 75% ⚪ males, down to about 15%

[@fridayth13]

It has a lot to do with escapism. I can’t watch any new media without being reminded of today’s world. It doesn’t feel like something you can watch and get lost in anymore.

[@Darth_Bateman]

It’s not that you don’t like being reminded, it’s just the way they go about talking about it isn’t fun. Imagine for a sec if I went to a rooftop NYC club and they started playing Martin Luther Kings address instead of music. And if you left, they’d call you racist. Fact is, these new people lack talent and their politics demand virtue signalling.

[@Kane.JimLahey.]

Spot on

[@FriendlyBatDoom]

​@@Darth_BatemanAgreed 👍 I want to be entertained not lectured. Nuanced storytelling and perspectives are needed in them.

[@psandker]

Yup

[@brockpifer9929]

Exactly. That’s exactly how especially I feel with projects now, really basically post 2020, is when I started to feel distanced from entertainment because of what was being done

[@buccaneercat]

Hollywood would chalk it up to nothing but nostalgia, and that’s why they’re going hard in the paint with the reboots and cheap soulless callbacks to classic shows/movies. Fans still love the classic shows and movies because they’re full of great writing, fantastic casts, and actual raw talent that transcends the eras they first released. They’re timeless because they’re made by people who had a passion for entertainment, and a drive to prove themselves every chance they could. Modern filmmakers only care about D.E.I or E.S.G checklists. Appeasing the powerful associations, and the elite within, with an aggressive and vicious agenda.

[@bmasters1981]

"They’re timeless because they’re made by people who had a passion for entertainment, and a drive to prove themselves every chance they could." True-- on Emergency! from the 70s on NBC, you had Mantooth, Tighe, Fuller, Troup, London, Pinkard, Norell et al. putting every ounce into it to come across as believable firefighters, paramedics and emergency room personnel (and that's why that 70s NBC medical/action series has been well-worth the money for me on DVD). The Chicago series, 9-1-1, et al., on the other hand-- not worth touching with a 10-ft. pole.

[@aaronredacted6377]

Thankfully there is a rather large backlog of “old” shows and movies.

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

As long as they aren’t being edited to make it for “modern audiences” like Disney probably does

[@aaronredacted6377]

@@Catherine.Dorian. with The MeSsAGE(tm)

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

@@aaronredacted6377 rofl exactly!

[@GreayWorks]

People tend to forget, older shows had the luxury of not only having more episodes but also being allowed to have a season or two kind of be a dud, Captain Midnight brought this up in a video but so many sitcoms are canceled after one season by Netflix now after one season because they aren't as popular as The Office during it's peak but the Office needed to find it's feet and had a pretty weak first season.

[@matityaloran9157]

And the original British The Office lasted for all of two seasons and became popular after cancelation

[@RoseBaggins]

Which I find funny as the shows that aren't being cancelled that people do have complaints about the story, characters, etc., the first come back to that is "Just give it time! It's just the first season!" But everything else gets canceled right when it was finding its footing.

[@Chuck_EL]

Who's the boss was cancelled twice, changed time and day slots in the first two seasons The reason was they had it on the same day and time as Magnum PI and Cobsy Show then family ties But Tony Danza and the show creators knew it would be a hit once they moved it to Tuesdays it became a huge hit I knew even diehard who's the boss fans who didn't know that That's missing these days , especially on streaming shows and not just the badly viewed ones , they've even cancelled well beloved steaming shows Back then they gave shows a good two to three seasons to hit it off , especially if the ratings are mid to decent In the past ten years I'd see shows cancelled who are in the top 25 in ratings and they're not giving a reason why , it keeps people from staying invested in network TV shows as Jester said

[@grahamstrouse1165]

@@matityaloran9157British TV works very differently than American TV. Most Individual series tend to be much shorter, for one, and it’s not that unusual for a show to skip a year or three between series. British TV show runners are also much less fearful of letting a show end when it reaches a natural stopping point than US show runners. The British Office last two season because that Ricky Gervais felt like two seasons was what he needed. The IT crowd had a 4 series run (with a special finale episode) space out over 8-9 years. They just do things differently across the Pond.

[@matityaloran9157]

@@grahamstrouse1165 True.

[@kloassie]

Another thing I hate about nowadays TV series is that episodes now all have full-movie length. You can't quickly watch an episode on a break, or when sitting on the toilet, or on a bus ride or whatever. No, nowadays every episode takes at *_least_* a full hour

[@hope-cat4894]

If you get off work at 5 o'clock and need time to make dinner and be in bed by 10, that means you only get to see one episode per show or else you only get to see 4 episodes of a show compared to the 8 you could have seen if they were 30 minutes. That's a _big_ change. And that's just if your job lets you leave at 5; some people get off later than that or have a long commute home.

[@eatatjoes6751]

I think it’s because there’s nothing to escape to in TV shows anymore. Nothing punches me out of a show harder than “the characters unnaturally talk about *THING.”*

[@grahamstrouse1165]

You need to know where to look. Amazon’s had a couple spectacular failures (Rings of Power, Wheel of Time) but they’ve also produced some real hits, hidden gems & rescued some great shows from other networks. I’m thinking about shows like The Expanse, Reacher, the Boys (although I fear they may be letting that one linger too long) & Invincible. FX & Hulu have Always Sunny, What We Do in the Shadows & Only Murders in the Building. Apple TV’s also been starting to produce some promising shows & movies. Amazon and Apple can afford to take much bigger risks than the traditional studios, even studios like Disney. Even a show that blunders as badly as big as Rings of Power is basically just a tax write-off for Amazon. Apple’s in a similar position. They don’t really NEED to churn out massive amounts of content. When they see something they really like-Ted Lasso, say, or Severance, they can take a chance on it & see how it works. FX & Hulu are on much tighter budgets but they’re a lot more artistically driven than the big studios. What We Do in the Shadows, for instance is a brilliant, campy little show, but it’s also something they can make on the cheap.

[@megsley]

my husband and I have tried to get into new sci-fi series, but they're all so grey-looking, none of the characters stand out, and it's just a bunch of misery porn. the over reliance on green screen sets is way too noticeable, and visually everything is so blatantly computer enhanced/cleaned up. give me farscape over any new sci-fi series on tv today.

[@helgmelia84]

May I recommend Firefly? It was a short-lived series, but had a ton of warmth, humor, and charm alongside fun Sci-Fi action.

[@Tusitala1967]

Babylon 5 was great. That's worth a watch or a rewatch.

[@ArtfulDodger566]

Try "The expanse". Best scifi in last 10yrs

[@JarlBarbossa]

​@@ArtfulDodger566meh

[@Darth_Bateman]

@@ArtfulDodger566oh god that show was so fucking good.

[@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats]

One problem with network TV is all the zombie shows- shows that are on season 10+ but stopped being good years ago.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

So many zombie TV shows out there! NCIS is old enough to vote, smoke & drink legally…and it’s still going!

[@promisemochi]

@@grahamstrouse1165same with grey's and i don't get it. i watched grey's for meredith, christian, alex, george, etc. now it's a whole new cast and i don't care about any of those characters. they needed to make a new show. especially if meredith GREY is no longer a part of it. same with ncis. i watched it for gibbs, tony, ziva, etc. why would i keep watching if they're gone?

[@BoSmith7045]

I bought a TV specifically to watch the Flash. Finally dipped out during the episode were Iris and the girls were beating up the bad guys while literally saying "hashtag feminism" as Barry, Joe and Ralph just went out to get drunk. I no longer have a TV.

[@markpostgate2551]

I think Barry, Joe and Ralph probably had the right idea!

[@wendyharris8026]

The balance in the social contract has been lost. Producers would previously be required to provide a product good enough for the audience to reciprocate by watching. Currently viewers are feeling cheated because the carrot is never attained. The producers are not interested in rewarding the viewer they are simply continuing to move the carrot in the modern business model.

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

The carrot is the stick now. You are hit with what attracted you to it.

[@guygadbois3010]

"just consume product, then get ready for next product" except there's no discrete stage where first product ends and next product begins.

[@cedricfowler3465]

A lot of people play old shows in the background when doing work or chores. I usually watch 80s sitcoms like The Golden Girls while doing the dishes.

[@dermagnus8482]

The best decade ever anyway.

[@corymiller536]

That would be the 90's​@@dermagnus8482

[@deathbysloth]

I watch new stuff & old stuff, but I am nearly 40. I also watch tons of KZbin. I think most young folk almost exclusively watch KZbin, Twitch, Instagram, & Tiktok rather than being the new generation of "tv" or "movie" watchers.

[@EmilyFoxSeaton]

I think the old shows were just better. There was a certain standard to older shows. Netflix doesn't have those standards. Also, Netflix constantly cancels good shows while supporting endlessly bad ones. It is all about getting clicks in the first few weeks and those people... gonna say it... are just stupid and have nothing going on in their lives. So Netflix caters to the lowest common denominator.

[@shooterdownunder]

I’m glad you got to point out the problem with the over reliance of long story arcs and how many of them feel like a opening act of a movie as opposed to a single contained story line that makes watching feel like a chore rather than a relaxing experience.

[@phil4986]

No message. Just about people living their lives. Programs can't do that anymore. They have to preach at you. Tell you... you are stupid and have to believe only the way they believe.

[@azn1011]

this is also true for music. the most streamed songs on Spotify are usually legacy songs (i.e. old songs)

[@Otokichi786]

"Firefly" (2002-2003) makes modern SF TV shows look like failed primary school essays, by comparison. (Today's "Star Trek"? Yeah, right.)

[@gloriathomas3245]

Firefly would be called "woke" in day age

[@bmasters1981]

""Firefly" (2002-2003) makes modern SF TV shows look like failed primary school essays, by comparison." So does Emergency! from the 70s (1972-77 on NBC), when it comes to firefighting and medical shows-- it leaves the Chicago series, 9-1-1, etc. in the dust.

[@deepfreeze49]

You've got most of it with the episodes ending on cliffhangers to bait you into watching another. But then the season ends on a cliff hanger to get you to watch the next season. And then after the 2nd season the show is cancelled so you get no narrative resolution on anything and you might as well have not watched it all. Its like recursive blueballs.

[@willwidrick8039]

Well said! Personally I watch roughly 85% old shows. Recently I’ve been watching Seinfeld, Spider-Man Fox kids, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Batman Beyond, Twilight Zone, & Deep Space 9. Usually I get more enjoyment from these classics than modern tv. Thanks for the video

[@michaelschroeck2254]

Thank you for the self contained episode comment. I have been soap boxing that for awhile! It is so true.

[@shaneaf310]

The episodidic nature and slow moving series meant that shows would have a level of progression and overarching things, but for the most part, episodes where often reasonably self contained and that meant that it was just something you could have on in the background as you did something else. Shows would often be repeated on other networks or at different time slots, things like the simpsons over here for example was a fun one, you'd get a new epsiode on sundays on Sky 1, but channel 4 had all the older episodes on some form of loop, and sky 1 maybe had slightly newer stuff. it meant that for the most part, chances are you were either engrossed in it because it was a new episode you where commited to watching, or it was an episode you've watched 200 times so maybe you'll peek up from what you're doing for a chuckle. Streaming removed the "laxness" of watching TV.

[@otisheckles6249]

"There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind." The same can be said about all media. I watched your vid about Madame Web, the sarcastic one, and laughed my ass off. I subbed. Your content is 'good' therefore I watch. Your opinions on the current state of TV compared to the b4 time, dead on the money. TNG refs always help. Cheers!

[@ThePrincessCH]

I think old shows were more straightforward in their storytelling, but the new ones are constantly trying to draw you in with a cliffhanger to the point where they start changing the premise. "Grimm" and "Murdoch Mysteries" started off as basic murder mysteries, and then they were expanded into conspiracy theory shows. Whereas a show like "Murder, She Wrote" and "Diagnosis: Murder" stick to the standard whodunit narrative.

[@brettdavis5555]

I agree on episodic stuff. I can put on King of the Hill while I’m doing stuff around the house. I can watch it, come back a month later, and pick right up.

[@PhilRiveraMedia]

Back then it was pretty straight forward. Network TV, cable, movies, and video games. TV/Cable was the most consistent and we were somewhat a captive audience to it. The writing was better. The comedy was better. The drama was better. You had to wait every week to watch your show, and then watch re-runs in the summer until the new season. Now, with so many options instantly available, everything is watered down, including the quality.

[@mishynaofficial]

You nailed it! This is the reason why I: 1. Love watching Mini-series and Limited series 2. Start watching a regular length show only after the final season

[@Ghoulstille]

I was recommended shows in the past that everyone was obsessed over, I watched a few episodes and found them not to be my thing and that's when i decided to just quit TV unless it's something I know I will like I don't bother at all anymore. I'm Watching The Twilight Zone from 1959-1964 right now because I still haven't seen all the episodes and it's the best thing. I can watch my favourite episodes and then watch episodes I still haven't seen or have forgotten and I don't have to worry about feeling I'm wasting my time. It's all about feeling I wasted my time a lot of shows do that now like Game of Thrones, The way that ended made me feel I wasted 8 years.

[@NGU7754]

Old shows were made to appeal to a wider group of people, new shows are always targeting specific demographics attempting to get a dedicated fan base in an ocean of streaming content.

[@helgmelia84]

I tell my friends up front “I don’t watch shows.” What I really mean is I don’t want to feel pressured into watching the hot new show only to see loads of my free hours slip away. I don’t have time for that; there’s too much I want to do in life. The only new show I’ve really been enjoying is What We Do in the Shadows. For me, it is a chill-out show that keeps me laughing. I like the characters, the writing is sharp, and I feel like it delivers what it promises. But I don’t feel the need to binge.

[@dynastyfamily00]

2010 was the great divide. This is when the tsunami of "agenda based politics" over stories and talent crashed on the desk of every writing desk and every production meeting.

[@gloriathomas3245]

What do you mean by agenda based politics? A lot of the stuff people complain about as being "woke" is present in many older and seemingly popular shows. For crying out loud people would be labeling both Buffy, Angel, Firefly even DS9 as being woke. In fact I could see religious conservatives calling Stargate SG1 anti-religion since show not only makes a mockery of religion, but Christianity in season 9 and 10

[@bigboi5545]

@dynastyfamily00 I think it began closer to late-2012, but I could be wrong.

[@Aristocles22]

A little later, but that's basically the right idea. More like this started in 2012, but it took until 2015 for it to take full effect.

[@conornordenstam36]

i think it all started with the force awakens@@Aristocles22

[@Aristocles22]

@@conornordenstam36 That's when we SAW it. The Force Gets Woke was developed years before 2015, so the rot came before the 2015 release.

[@jackharpring5849]

I enjoy random episodes from 60s TV shows a lot. You never know if you're going to get a masterpiece, something terribly boring, campy fun, something that thinks it's a masterpiece but is mostly campy fun (Star Trek TOS), intentionally good comedies, thrillers, slice-life-sitcoms...you never know. While limited compared to modern television, I like the simplicity and creativity when it came to exploring what could be done through television. And it has a retro, weirdly-wholesome vibe that's just enjoyable.

[@X3nophiliac]

ive been watching Classic Doctor Who (jon pertwee and tom baker) on Britbox and its been so campy and fun. i was also surprised at the ingenuity of the effects and while most of them were laughable, some surprisingly held up. but the characters and plots are still so fun 50 years later!

[@Chuck_EL]

​​@@X3nophiliac i was just thinking Dr who I been watching since the Tom Baker era and every Dr who has their own personalities And the Daleks were created in the 60s and are still a top 3 beloved villian and weeping angels were created not to long ago and they're in many top ten Dr who villians It's so simple yet so complex while being entertaining

[@PACIFICBboy]

I love old shows. They’re so entertaining and relaxing. What I find funny is that I could have it on, mentally checkout for a few minutes, return and be laughing immediately lol. Not only are the episodes often self contained, but I feel like older shows are self contained almost scene by scene, I think that’s where the magic is. And it’s not nostalgia either, I had never watched cheers in my entire life but I started binging it and loved it immediately for all the reasons mentioned

[@bmasters1981]

"I had never watched cheers in my entire life but I started binging it and loved it immediately for all the reasons mentioned" A lot of old shows, I had never seen in my 43 years on this Earth, then I tried them and they paid remarkable dividends; on the comedy side, Barney Miller (set in the fictional 12th Precinct in the Big Apple, w/Hal Linden as the titular police captain; on ABC from 1975-82) has been winner, winner, chicken dinner with me because of not just the interplay between Miller and his men in the 12th Precinct Squad Room, but also owing to the nature of the work (usually minor offenses that only needed patience and paperwork). On the drama side, Emergency! (that was on NBC from 1972-77) has been the same way, because of how the men of Station 51 of the L.A. County Fire Department (firefighters and paramedics) worked with a teamwork and camaraderie unmatched in firefighting and rescue shows to this day, and how the emergency room personnel at Rampart General Hospital (Drs. Brackett, Early and Morton, and Nurse McCall) also worked with that very same unmatched team spirit in the ER there.

[@mrsam0496]

In a related note, is it just me who thinks after Endgame most Superhero movies are like the premier episode of a current TV show??? The Marvels, Madam Webb, Flash,....

[@lance134679]

Hollywood got rid of a lot of their most talented people so fast because their motto is "male and pale is stale", but it means they didn't have time to properly mentor the next generation which in turn means that the past 100 hundred years of collective experience has been mostly lost.

[@bani_niba]

Once upon a time, there were only 3 channels in the U.S., so everybody basically watched the same shows. Then cable came along with dozens if not hundreds of channels, the audience started to splinter with so much choice. Now with streaming with literally thousands of channels and shows, no one show gets a broad audience anymore. With VOD, the choices are multiplied as you can not only choose any new content, but also any old content (including any specific episode). With so much content being created both the talent and the eyeballs are spread too thin for any one show to have much cultural impact.

[@AK-bw8xk]

Original Twilight Zone! Don't tell anyone but "It's a cookbook"😮

[@matthewkeane211]

We all know why, it’s just flabbergasting how those who make said shows don’t recognise or address it… That and most TV shows don’t have any long term direction and end up winging it and limping to the finish line

[@sg6633]

I mostly watch DVDs of classic shows. There's a certain agenda with all new shows that turns me off. I love shows that were made when entertainment was the main agenda.

[@jasonmcgregor123]

I get the vibe that there's a huge amount of old shows that flew under the radar at the time of airing but were still actually quite amazing. Fringe is a great example. A lengthy show for sure, but the premise is interesting.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Fringe was only six seasons…

[@jasonmcgregor123]

@@grahamstrouse1165 I meant the number of episodes per season was quite lengthy. 21 I believe it was.

[@joannamarieart]

For me a big part of it is how big of a commitment it feels to me. Almost every show these days has 1 hour long episodes, which is a pretty hefty investment just for a single episode at a time. And beyond the runtime, it also feels like a big mental commitment. I can't fully nail that down, but I generally feel absolutely mentally exhausted after watching most modern TV shows. Like I have to pay such close attention to every moment. There are no filler episodes or filler moments anymore and I think those used to really help pace shows in the past. Another big factor of course is the writing. I really don't feel most modern shows are written that well, or they'll often have nonsensical 'twists', 'shock value' jokes, etc. I find it a lot harder to get invested in the characters in general.

[@MrToryhere]

In the old days there were plenty of wonderful series that told one story over 5 to 12 episodes. They would screen one episode a week and we could look forward to the next instalment. The BBC and ITV were both famous for this. I think your problem is not that streaming tv is doing something that old TV didn’t do, but that is only doing one thing out of the many things that old tv did.

[@JoseMendoza-df1ld]

These days I mostly watch anime and kdramas, the writing is just better despite some cultural references going over my head.

[@kennek1976]

modern audiences don't like movies or shows made for hollywoods limited idea of the of what the "MODERN AUDIENCE" is supposed to be.

[@blackhatmaster88]

The excess of choice on the plateforms hurts the will to discover new shows because there's so much shows, you don't know what to choose and end up going back to something you know you'll like and haven't watch for a long time. The general quality of new shows on the 3 I've got Netflix, disney and prime lately does not motivate to discover novelties.

[@ericcampbell4211]

That was deep and very true. Also most people can't fit in the time to sit and binge watch with work and taking care of everyday life.

[@Walt_Chocolate]

Commercials... far too many ADS nowadays... I straight up, stop watching some shows, because an extended ad popped up one too many times.😩

[@1983jcheat]

I agree. 40, former standup Comic who loves classic tv. I like Reacher, but it's an investment of time. Batman the Animated series, Perfect Strangers, In living color and Two and 1/2 men are just fun half hours. Streaming shows are a task to get through.

[@rinwesley3092]

People want to watch a time that was normal.

[@ThePrincessCH]

What do you mean normal?

[@X3nophiliac]

the only tv ive been watching recently is Classic Doctor Who from Britbox

[@dannyrh4]

I completely agree with you on this one. People do not take the time to write a decent stories. They want to make more money. Another major issue is that many individuals nowadays have a short attention span since they want to know everything right now. I blame the media for this. Back then, there was no social media. You have to wait for the drama and suspense to begin. Then wait for an unexpected finale.

[@otakubullfrog1665]

One problem is that there's more shows being produced than ever before and the supply of talented and experienced writers simply hasn't kept pace.

[@jereboy2005]

Im right there with you on Flash. I lasted to somewhere in the middle of seaspn 3 when i realized the CW-ness had infected the show more than it already was before and couldnt handle the meandering story anymore. I am amazed that show made it to 11 seasons.

[@matityaloran9157]

8:09, even the Netflix Marvel shows (of which Daredevil was one)suffered from over-reliance on how interconnected they were

[@ECKohns]

I don’t want to have to rely on old shows that would probably never get made today to feel represented.

[@bethanyvarre9142]

6:54, thank you! I lost interest in the Arrowverse for that reason.

[@1983jcheat]

Same here. 😢

[@richborn6700]

I made it into season four. And that's when I walked away from the DC TV stuff altogether

[@ninthoctopus204]

I enjoy watching over & over again The Tick (Amazon), Hannibal, Get Shorty, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Daredevil, Punisher (season 1) , & Stargirl.

[@Storm17ify]

What were your favorite shows that you rewatch? Mine are "Everybody loves Raymond", King of Queens, "Frasier", the Office, and little of Seinfeld.

[@ermericcarolissen694]

80's TV shows still the best.

[@IN-tm8mw]

I'm one minute into the video but before i continue, let me first say this: I talked to my friends and family about this exact topic. So far my working theory is around the "Writers Guild of America strikes" that have happened over the years. Which might have forced out alot of wellknown writers that created or contributed to all American media. I haven't done a deep dive yet, so i don't have alot of hard data to back me....yet. Edit 1: Also Thomas Flight has an Exceptional video essay inline with this topic called "Why Do Movies Feel So Different Now?" i highly suggest everyone check it out.

[@lance134679]

I really enjoy escaping to the past with old TV shows, to places like Mayberry with Andy and Barney or New Rochelle with Rob and Laura Petrie.

[@12me91]

I miss self contained episodes with maybe an over arching plot. Instead of a 10 hour movie broken up

[@RossM3838]

This is true My all time favorite show remains Maverick that was on in 1958. Burns and Allen and the Jack Benny program continue to get big laughs. 40 year old reruns of the Johnny Carson show get ratings that compete with current talk shows. The reason? They were better shows

[@tiborkovacs5317]

Did not think about the streaming thing but yep get us on the hook line & sinker junk food story we become story gluttons hahah great vid thanks.

[@muppetsstoogesfan1]

There are many factors as to why people don't tune into tv shows anymore. The main factor being that people no longer have trust in the networks. Why bother tuning into a show when it probably won't last more than a season. People are also fatigued. Every new show is either a cop show or a medical drama. It's all the same after awhile. Hollywood executives don't want 4 camera live audience sitcoms anymore. They forget that those types of shows built the networks. They need to embrace sitcoms again. BTW the strongest lineup of shows on tv rn is CBS. All the NCIS, CSI, Ghosts, Blue Bloods, Fire Country, The Equalizer, Tracker. All great stuff.

[@ThePrincessCH]

CBS' "Ghosts" is a remake of a UK show with the same title.

[@Nixlplix]

The new Night Court is a traditional sitcom, but I've only watched the first episode.

[@rebeccaclementz3756]

When you mentioned the Flash I started thinking. I watched the first season episode with Mark Hamill and realized I had missed a lot and I should watch from the beginning to catch everything. So I got the DVD from the library. I think the writers were thinking the fans would buy the DVDs anyway so it didn't matter as much if it wasn't all episodic like the Fall Guy for instance. When all the distribution was reruns, the TV stations demanded episodes that could be shown in any order.

[@StaticBlu2]

I watched The Flash until the end of season 5. I'm surprised I made it that long.

[@adamsultana8380]

Lol, my thoughts exactly although I kept watching until the end just to see it through. It's a shame what the show became.....

[@blkloislane]

The beginning of s5 for me. It just got too annoying and repetitive.

[@zionnewkirk4838]

Made it to Season 4 and didn't look back. Couldn't believe how bad it got.😞😞

[@44excalibur]

Because new shows are not being made for real people like old shows were.

[@AlphaDal-if9vv]

I don't mind more episodic/standalone episodes with overarching story lines for shows like friends, Dr. Who, Stargate etc... but sometimes those type of episodes can either be really fun and awesome or a slog/draining to watch and eventually I get to a point where I just want the main storyline and plot for that season to continue. So, for more modern shows I actually don't mind the time investment required for long form storytelling. Then again, I suppose I've always had a preference for more long form story telling. Is it risky to invest that much time in shows, especially if it turns out to be crap? Sure, but to me half the fun is investing all that time and seeing how the story will turn out. Plus, as long as I got snacks and good drinks, I'll find a way to unwind regardless.

[@TheHorrorMiserMontyG]

I watch new TV shows along with watching the old ones. I always look forward to see what new TV show that will capture my attention. With a new TV show, such as La Brea, it has to have a compelling story that will get my attention, along with interesting characters and a involving story that advances the narrative the show. The 2004 Battlestar Galactica is another example of a good serialized TV show, along with 24. I don't know if you ever saw those shows but I believe show of these new TV show aren't compelling enough to get people to want to watch it.

[@Matt20911985]

My personal biggest complaint is that there are old shows there are still not on streaming. Like Judging Amy, The District, and Major Dad. Highly progressive shows which in this day in age are sorely needed.

[@666deadman1988]

The two worst things for me when it comes to modern serialised TV shows is when they still release the episodes week to week, so you can't just binge the whole season in one or two sittings, and also the amount of unnecessary filler and padding that writers get away with because they have to stretch ideas to get to the commissioned episode count. I very rarely commit to watching a modern show unless I've been given a recommendation from someone I trust or it's connected to something of which I'm already a fan.

[@aeoligarlic4024]

I read it somewhere it's because of familiarity and comfort. You don't need to deal with the dissapointment of terrible development or plot twists and can just relax after a tiring day

[@oldman5247]

Its not that new show are completely devoid of quality. However a lot of older tv shows not only are arguably better. However they arguably have more heart and soul to it as well.

[@tabsdarby9011]

You’re right, Jester, but luckily for me I’m retired and so it suits me

[@bumbleguppy]

Star Trek discourse in the 90's - 00's was all "DS9 was best because it was serialized" and folks like me, what was I gonna say? I want it to stay the same like Next Gen? It's true but whatever. Then some suits wanted new 15 yr olds to spend money and we got JJ Abrahms action films with sex and stuff, exciting. The unholy marriage of serialization and JJ gave us Discovery and I watched them once and just...no. I can still sit down and see Data's daughter yell "HE'S BITING THAT FEMALE!" and I don't need to see the next episode to have a satisfying time.

[@ericb9804]

Star Trek Brave New Worlds. The only reason I pay for Paramount Plus, and worth every penny.

[@matityaloran9157]

6:57, welcome to the club.

[@larry3498]

I’d rather go through Buffy for the 80th time then watch Stranger Things or Euphoria for the second time. For what it’s worth, a proper serialized format, with a beginning, middle and end holds my attention. The episodic sitcom format does not hold my interest. How to invest in characters who never change is a mystery to me.

[@drjohnsmith5282]

‘Old’ shows are more popular, you say? You mean shows that aren’t *shite*? Shows that don’t *constantly* beat you over the head with contemporary politics and agendas? Can’t imagine why shows that don’t do that would be popular

[@yourturn5059]

I stopped watching new series because netflix(and others) kept cancelling every show that I just started getting invested in. Now I just don't even start watching new series because it's guaranteed that the writing sucks! Except for anime and Asian series! I love watching those!❤

[@hermitcard4494]

People, recommend some of your old classic favorite tv shows. I name a few, Lost, X Files, Millenium, Breaking Bad, Arrestment Development.

[@richborn6700]

I used to always add That 70's Show to threads like these, but that show is mired in controversy at this point

[@blkloislane]

Breaking Bad is an old classic? Man, time for me to check into a retirement home.

[@bmasters1981]

M Squad, Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted Dead or Alive, The Untouchables, Emergency!, The Streets of San Francisco, Barney Miller

[@Lily-rz8mg]

A lot of modern shows just have so much gratuitous violence. I might be more sensitive to that stuff by nature, but also, I just don’t want to watch blood and gore and misery after a hard day at work

[@bmasters1981]

True-- that's why, for instance, when it comes to crime, police and detective shows, The Streets of San Francisco that was on in the 70s on ABC (w/Malden, Douglas and Hatch), which I truly have enjoyed on DVD, is something I will always enjoy (unlike True Detective from HBO these days, which I wouldn't touch hide or hair of, because I'm sure I would be disappointed and disillusioned).

[@paultapner2769]

I've just started watching Baywatch. Which I'd never seen before. Reasons. I'm seven episodes in. It's very slight, but it's nice to have something that's simple escapism with stories that are mostly done in one.

[@larry3498]

Also, if contemporary TV is a burden, no one would have watched Game of Thrones. Stranger Things. Etc. If it’s a good serialized show, an audience will appear. If it’s serialized crap, like Amazon’s LOTR fiasco, people will not commit. And you’re not addressing the constant political inserts, which is undeniably a factor.

[@matityaloran9157]

She’s made other videos about that subject (the politics I mean)

[@jordanpatton3622]

There is this show I was watching last year that is really funny and charming called Abbot Elementary. It’s a modern one and I found it to be very relaxing and heartwarming ❤😊

I don't have streaming and cpuld care less. Go blurays !!!

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

From your video it sounds like the newer shows are basically trying to make a show a novel. All of those very detailed backstories are things that work in novels but not so much in film cause it gets too bogged down.

[@blkloislane]

The only recent show (as in the last year) to really get my attention that isn't a miniseries is Gen V -- although it would benefit from 13 episodes instead of 8. But it's definitely not for everyone, the extreme violence of it takes a strong stomach. And it's father show is even better and bloodier. As for sitcoms Abbott Elementary is maybe the only one that I'd say is making any noise right now.

[@rockmangurlx4973]

They’re my only source of entertainment now outside of fanfiction

[@hope-cat4894]

Modern characters aren't relatable or realistic anymore. When I say realistic, I'm talking about characters feeling like separate people from different backgrounds. Characters used to have diversity of thoughts, so you would have characters from different backgrounds have tension for drama but still get along in the end just like people in real life. The relatability has been reduced to "Look she's black just like you!" but the personality is nothing like me. It's surface level diversity for an aesthetic. I have found myself having more in common with white families in sitcoms. It's all so sterile and you can feel the presence of a watching eye 👁, making sure you aren't having too much fun with TV shows now.

[@gg1648]

It's like that famous old poem- "Everything woke goes to sh*t"

[@alecrambles3259]

Besides WWE I don’t have any interest in watching a new show. I tried to watch The Simpsons but; the show seems too modern if that makes sense?. What I’m trying to say is the show is trying to be too relatable to the point where it’s not relatable at all and I feel that way about most of the new shows I try to watch

[@DavidJustice-yj6mt]

I think the fact that there were less viewing options at the time plays into it. A higher percentage of people watched each of the popular shows back then than they do nowadays. So many options today.

[@psychodrummer1567]

The last non-animated TV show I've watched is "Dark Matter" (SyFy, 2015-2017).

[@samflood5631]

I guess the reason why people are streaming old shows or shows that have ended with a satisfying conclusion is because they just choose to binge watch an entire series. They don’t want to wait for a new episode of a new show that will either be good, disappointing or bad. And if they do believe that episode is either bad or disappointing, they choose to rewatch an episode of their favorite show just to get the awful taste out of their mouths.

[@SiresOrbwits-oi8mz]

It's just psychological, when a person is given a large variety of choices they tend to stick to the already known.

[@pacecory1]

I've been rewatching old tv shows from the 90s and 2000s recently and realized their so much better than most of the crud coming out recently too. Ah, the good ol' episodic story structure. One of my favorites as an adult, but as a kid I used to dislike it. Mostly because anime rarely does episodic structures and that was what I loved more as a kid.

[@jonathanjones3091]

Work, grad school, and family life. I don't have 13 hours to binge anything. I am constantly doing stuff. If it is not a live action event like March madness or college football I will watch old shows. I want to watch something to relax give me blue bloods, Chicago pd, The Andy Griffith show, or an old episode of south park. I just want to relax and go to bed. I don't want to watch something new that I know is going to disappointment. The point of TV is getting shows on syndication. The point of watching tv is to relax and enjoy. Not watch something that is trying too much to make a point, and then having to wait two years before the next episode.