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TV Land cutting back on reruns, aiming younger

by Jason Hughes, posted Sep 2nd 2008 10:21AM
FriendsDon't get too worked up, they're not dumping all reruns. But TV Land announced that by the end of 2009 they are looking to have original programming fill up half of their prime-time lineup. Last year it was 4% and it's only 15% now. The Wall Street Journal article goes on and on about how the channel is aiming to skew younger, to generate more ad revenue. When it spun off solo in 1996, TV on DVD was still relatively new, so it was a lot of fun to have a place to go to get your nostalgia fix. But now, most folks can go to their DVD library if they want to see M*A*S*H again.

It goes on to say that the types of shows they're developing are romance and dating shows, like Cougar, which is basically The Bachelorette with an older woman scouting younger guys. The strides they've made so far have improved their ratings and median age, so I guess this will work, too but it's disappointing to me. Basic cable used to have channels where you knew what to expect when you went there and TV Land was one of them.

They've also said that they're looking to import newer shows to rerun like Friends and other more recent shows. Oh and since everyone else is doing it, they're developing their own scripted sitcom, too. Essentially, everything that made TV Land unique and special in the landscape of television is not worth it any more. Their average audience member is 55 and those people just aren't the kind of people you want watching your network, apparently. It almost seems like an integrity issue to me. Why go to the trouble of developing a brand and an identity that's unique if you're willing to drop it all by the wayside for a quick buck?

Now it's going to become just like all the rest of those networks that have lost their brand identity in search of the almighty advertisement dollar. Eventually, those network names will be completely meaningless, just like MTV and VH1 have already become. We already have AMC losing its meaning as its hardly all about American Movie Classics anymore. Sci Fi has wrestling and Cartoon Network has live action programming. At least TNN (The Nashville Network) had the decency to change their name to Spike to reflect their new more generalized approach.

So what do you think of this news? Is there any place left for a network focusing on rerunning classic television? Is there any place left for niche channels at all or will they all follow suit eventually?

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April VanDusen

I totally agree with what I have read about TV Land so far. I, like many other viewers, don't understand why a "classic television station" (As they called themselves in the beginning) would want to change.
As one other person mentioned they are watching TV Land less and less, well, so am I. I am so disappointed in TV Land.
I used to put Nick at Nite and TV Land on for my grandchildren to watch. And guess what, they are 10, 6, and almost 2. They enjoyed it !!
Maybe the programs are sugar coated, but don't you think we all get enough reality in our every day lives?
I know I sure do!!
I'm sorry TV Land to see you change so much. I won't be watching any more. I have already begun to look for alternate programming.
Hey, did anyone know that WGN network runs classic programming on Sunday Nights? They have The Honeymooners, Newhart, WKRP in Cincinnati, and many more. And ION network is running Quantum Leap along with some other very interesting programs.
I'm afraid TV Land has lost a viewer, but I wonder if they even care.

September 04 2008 at 9:28 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Wyler

I'm 54 yo, and have watched Nick at Nite and TV Land for many years. I watched them over any other channels, because I always like the programs they showed as well as it seemed the content was much better. Sure maybe the shows were vanilla and everything was sugar coated; always a happy ending. Maybe the shows were old and silly and not reality (at leaste in todays world), but it was refreshing and relaxing. Not like the shows of today, sex, profanity, killings, using drugs, disrespect ,etc., heck, I had enough of that in real life being a cop for 26 years. Why would I want to watch it on television too. I don't like the reality shows, or someones 10 or 20 year reunion (which was so fake) and I have always liked George Foreman but I hated his show (why would anyone air their family issues, which again was fake). TV Land will do anything for the money and now want a younger audience....so be it. I'm wathing TV Land less and less because of the changes. Now I hope their days are numbered since they couldn't be loyal to those who were loyal to them all these years. And what I really think of the gurus who made this decision I can't put in print.

September 04 2008 at 12:34 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
patti8955

I think TV Land should stick to what they have shown for
years:classic TV, that goes from the earliest days of TV,
in the 50's to the most recent of times. On one hand it's
OK for Friends to be part of that mix, but on the other
hand, shows like Extreme Makeover and Scrubs, those
are shows that are still on the air! They are cheapening
their product in selling out to the damn reality genre, but
I guess that it is just a sign of the times
.

September 03 2008 at 10:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nate

Not everyone gets AmericanLifeTV though, it's in about 20 million homes. We were going to get it on our cable system, but it got pushed aside in one of those annoying fights with public access channels (which most of the time shows that annoying Free Speech channel with shows made for $3.50).

I'm so sick of Viacom and their networks which don't seem to care about anything about ratings. I loved TV Land when it started, and now it's going down the tubes with this stupid obsession with getting older women to watch TV with modeling shows and "High School Reunion", a show no one was asking to come back.

September 02 2008 at 4:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
A Fan

How about American Life TV? They show a bunch of old shows.

September 02 2008 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mel

Just one more reason to get rid of cable. Not all young people want to watch "reality" shows or junk like Friends. I love the comedies of the 70s and 80s when I was a toddler/grade schooler, because THEY ARE ACTUALLY FUNNY, unlike the stuff they air today. It's a good thing some of the classics have been released on DVD or else I'd have absolutely nothing to watch.

September 02 2008 at 3:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tool

Wouldn't a retro television network inherently skew to an older demographic?

That's the reason why you watch TV Land in the first place: Oldies.

Who needs more "original programming"? Isn't that what NBC, CBS, ABC, et al supposed to do?

September 02 2008 at 2:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Adrienne

I'm terribly disappointed, but I haven't watched TV Land in ages because of all their "young" content. I'm not 55. I won't be 55 for another 27 years. It seems like I should be in the prime demographic. Anyway, I loved watching tv shows from before I was born. I loved the simpler storylines, and honestly the history that came along with them. Again, it's disappointing, but I've already stopped watching both TV Land and Nick at Nite because they aren't any good any more.

September 02 2008 at 2:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tony

...and how about Tech TV? The last time I bothered even checking the listings Leo and the guys were gone and they were showing "The Man Show".

September 02 2008 at 12:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
lucyfan62

I used to watch TV Land all the time because I could see shows that weren't (at the time) avaialble to see in any other format. I'm sure the DVD landscape has changed TV Land, but there is still a wealth of programming out there not available on DVD or other formats. I used to stay up late on Friday nights and watch the old CBN network (yes, Christian Broadcasting!) because they would run THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM, THE BURNS & ALLEN SHOW, MY LITTLE MARGIE, BACHELOR FATHER, and THE LIFE OF RILEY. I'd never seen those shows before and I loved them - and I was 20 at the time - and TV Land, to the best of my knowledge, has never shown any of these series except for maybe Jack Benny. They've run I LOVE LUCY and THE LUCY SHOW, but what about HERE'S LUCY? The people running TV Land let it get stagnant by showing the same shows over and over again, and then acquiring shows readily available in syndication. There are a ton of shows I'd program the channel with to make it a destination for baby boomers and their kids to introduce them to what TV used to be like. As it stands, TV Land has lost a viewer...but at 46 I'm probably not the demographic they're looking for anymore. Farewell, Goodbye and Amen, TV Land.

September 02 2008 at 12:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to lucyfan62's comment
suegbarnes

I TOTALLY AGREE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY ME THAT
WAS GETTING SO DISAPPOINTED WITH TVLAND. I WAS
HOPING THAT THEY WOULD BRING IN MORE OLD SHOWS LIKE MY THREE SONS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEY
BRING IN THIS CRAP.

I,M FINDING MYSELF WATCHING ANYTHING BUT TVLAND. THEY HAVE LOST ME TOO.

IT WAS GOOD WHILE IT LASTED.
WHY TRY TO FIX THINGS WHEN IT AIN'T BROKEN.
YOU ONLY MAKE IT WORSE.

October 01 2008 at 4:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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