I was born in 1983 - the beginning of a Golden Age. I never had a pet growing up. I did have 2 sisters, but who wants to hang out with their siblings for every waking moment? So...I grew up watching television. It was one of the best friends I could have ever asked for. I was raised on MacGyver, Pee Wee's Playhouse, and TGIF. I can write an essay on why Roundhouse was the best show on the original SNICK even though I have yet to find anyone else other than me that actually remembers this show existed. I can write you a thesis on "The Essence of Cool as Demonstrated by Zack Morris". I watched any show from any genre. I think I've seen every episode of both Matlock and The Brady Bunch. I can describe why I loved obscure, short-lived Saturday morning cartoons such as ReBoot. I even remember the shows my parents used to watch on a regular basis (while I watched from behind the recliner so they thought I was fast asleep in my room) such as Cheers, Night Court, and Murder, She Wrote (the original CSI).

The point of this is not to tell you what shows I loved growing up, but to tell you why I am disappointed with television now. I have been bemoaning the end of Arrested Development for quite some time. However, its demise after three incredibly short, but incredibly brilliant seasons was very much expected. The problem was not the content of the show. It was the funniest and most original show in decades (I don't care what any of you Seinfeld fans have to say). The problem was not the cost of the show, even though it had a cast of 9 main characters. Advertising revenue can easily offset the cost of major stars on television series as evidenced by the exorbitant salaries for the cast of Friends for many years. The obvious reason it was cancelled was for ratings. FOX can't air a show for 3 consecutive seasons in primetime that averages no more than 3-5 million viewers, even if it did win 5 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes in its first year. So, the problem is viewers and it was obvious that Arrested Development was going to be cancelled.

What ignited this rant was not the recent cancellation of Arrested Development (my favorite show), but that on Monday I found out that CBS cancelled another one of my 3 favorite shows, Love Monkey. This show has only aired 3 episodes, but it was one of the coolest new shows I have seen. It wasn't the characters (6 single and recently married thirtysomethings living in New York), because that's obviously been done. The writing was pretty good, but nothing completely unorthodox. The reason I loved it after only 3 episodes was that it chronicled an A&R rep (Tom) at a small, independent record label. To my recollection, there hasn't been a show on one of the major networks that had the same story. The kicker is...for those that don't know, this is pretty much my dream job. So for CBS to cancel the show after only 3 episodes with viewership between 6.2-8.6 million on a Tuesday night was unfathomable to me. 3 EPISODES! The actors are still settling into their roles at that point and getting a feel for one another. Give it at least half a season. Tom said in the first episode, "great music always finds its following." Expand that to, "talent always finds its audience," and I think it still holds true. This show is no different given its great talent in Tom Cavanagh and Judy Greer along with the rest of the cast. Pulling the plug this early made me mad enough. That is until I heard the official reason Love Monkey was cancelled: to make room for a new season of The Amazing Race. I flipped out.

Don't get me wrong, I don't completely blame the major television networks for getting rid of quality programming. Bottom line: it's a business. God Bless Capitalism: the democracy where we all get to vote with our dollars and remote controls. The only thing I can fault them for is not promoting the truely creative and innovative shows. In the post-sitcom era of television, plot lines weave from episode to episode. That means that if you haven't watched a program from the series premier, you aren't likely to enjoy it nearly as much. For a show to be successful it needs a great pilot, but also a huge audience from the begining. In my opinion, the onus is on the network to run promos and get the attention of the viewing public prior to that first episode. The obligation doesn't end there though. In this crazy world we live in now where 80% of the population has ADD, the network must provide at least a minimum of advertising budget to these shows after the premier to keep people informed of when the program airs (especially if it shuffles the program to 3 different timeslots in as many years). In the past month I have probably seen 1,463,756 commercials for shows like Skating With Celebrities and Desperate Housewives, but slim to none for shows like Love Monkey and, before that, Arrested Development. Also, what's wrong with a little programming variety? Do we really need 3 CSIs? A quick look at the primetime scedules for the Big Four networks reveals 14 crime shows, 12 reality competition shows, and 5 lawyer shows. (pause and let that soak in). These are all aired in 5 weekdays on 4 networks. I just want something original to last.

Some of the blame goes to the viewing public. I understand that arriving home after a long day of work, most people want "easy television". The type of shows that don't require thinking: reality, celebrity, etc. I don't really want to continue on the subject of the American public's viewing habits because, frankly, it sounds pretentious. I guess everyone has their own tastes, but with all things equal (advertising budgets, promos, consistent time slots) I just want to believe that most people would rather watch Love Monkey over shows like According to Jim.

There are a few bright spots. Grey's Anatomy is one of my current favorites, as is The Office, which was briliantly spun off into its current American version (originally British) with its own unique styling (much faster pace, new themes, etc.). ER is still going strong with great episodes and plots after 12 seasons. Some shows I don't typically watch such as Gilmore Girls are unique and refreshing from the usual crap shown on the Big Four. However, even these shows are being tampered with now. The last 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy (a two-parter starting after the Super Bowl) strayed from the shows typical focus on the relationships between the characters and instead focused on freak injuries coming into the hospital. It seemed to be a copy of ER at that point when it had developed a reputation as a fresh approach on the "hospital show".

I hope that these shows don't stray too much from their roots. I also hope that talented directors and writers don't stop being creative when the much blander, uninnovate, "by-the-mold" shows seem to sell much better. What we can still do is watch the good shows that aren't getting great ratings and spread the word. If you happen to know one of the few secretive "Nielsen Families" (or if you are one), I encourage you to watch shows that aren't just in primetime on the Big Four. And use word of mouth to get your friends to watch. An encouraging note is that Nielsen, for the first time, will start assigning "Nielsen Families" in college dorms where the mold-breaking shows are typically watched more frequently. Also, buy the DVDs of your favorite shows when they come out and watch them in syndication. This alone is what brought the great show Family Guy back on the air (a largely underappreciated show when it initially ran).

Well, now I finally got that off my chest. You won't have to hear me bitching about it anymore (at least not as often). This needed to be written for the Arrested Developments and the Love Monkeys of the world. It had to be said for the unappreciated great shows, like Sports Night and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. This is for you. Here's hoping that the great shows cut down by short-sighted, poor-managing executives receive Family Guy-like redemption.