Where to Watch Classic TV (Besides TV Land)
With its new slate of original programming, there's just not enough room in the schedule for TV Land to air many classic TV shows anymore.At least that's the word from executive vice president Jaci Cohen. Or to quote her directly, "There are still only 24 hours in a day." TV Land viewers have been posting complaints/suggestions on the network's Facebook page, many irritated that classic sitcoms are being pushed aside in favor of reality shows like 'High School Reunion' and 'She's Got the Look.' While it's true that TV Land is investing in some original, old fashioned comedies -- like 'Hot in Cleveland' and 'Retired at 35' -- it's been moving away from the classics for some time now.
But there's still hope! We live in a world of 9,000 cable channels, and here are five places where you can get your classic TV fix.
RTV (Retro TV Network)I've talked about RTV here before, and it continues to be a great place to find classic dramas and sitcoms -- some you probably haven't seen in years. The quality of some of these shows isn't always the best -- sometimes I have to turn the volume way up on 'Run For Your Life' to understand what the heck Ben Gazzara is saying -- but they have a good selection of shows.
Shows you can find on RTV include the 1950s version of 'Mike Hammer' (with Darren McGavin), 'It Takes A Thief,' 'I Spy,' 'Peter Gunn,' Marcus Welby, M.D.,' 'Run For Your Life,' 'Emergency,' 'Dragnet,' 'Adam-12,' 'The Rockford Files,' 'Magnum, P.I.,' 'Knight Rider,' 'The A-Team,' 'Simon & Simon,' 'Kate & Allie,' and original late night shows like 'Offbeat Cinema' and 'Chiller Drive-In Theatre.'
The network isn't everywhere yet, but it's growing. Here's a map of where you can watch it in your area.
The Hub
Formerly Discovery Kids, this new network on the TV block is co-owned by Hasbro. It's mostly a channel for the youngins, but you can find some classic TV too.
Shows you can find on The Hub include 'Happy Days,' 'Family Ties,' 'Doogie Howser, M.D.,' 'The Wonder Years,' 'Laverne & Shirley,' 'Transformers Prime,' 'Fraggle Rock,' 'Batman Beyond.'
Hallmark ChannelThough this cable channel is known mostly for its Martha Stewart-centric programming, made-for-TV movies and frequent 'Golden Girls' marathons, believe it or not, it's actually got much more to offer.
You can find 'I Love Lucy,' 'Empty Nest,' 'Little House on the Prairie,' 'Who's the Boss' and 'Cheers.' 'Frasier' starts April 4.
Universal HD
Tune in here to catch an interesting mix of sitcoms and dramas, including 'Hogan's Heroes,' 'Monk,' Law & Order: Criminal Intent' and 'Becker.' There's also a block of Friday night programming called 'Rediscovered TV,' where you can catch short-lived shows like 'Out of Practice,' 'The Handler' and 'A Minute with Stan Hooper.'
Nick at Nite
Let's not forget TV Land's sister network, which still shows 'Home Improvement,' 'The Nanny,' 'The George Lopez Show' and 'My Wife and Kids,' though one could argue that those shows -- except for maybe 'Home Improvement' -- are more "recent" than "classic."
Of course, TV Land does still show some classic TV. Depending on the season, you can catch 'The Andy Griffith Show,' 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' 'All in the Family,' 'Bonanza,' 'Three's Company,' 'M*A*S*H,' 'I Dream of Jeannie' and 'Bewitched,' and soon they're adding 'Friends' and 'Yes, Dear' (cough).
But what TV Land fans like myself are looking for is more of these shows throughout the schedule, fewer repeats of the same episodes during marathons, less reliance on recent shows (they've even started showing reruns of 'CSI' -- ugh), and fewer reality shows in general.
Oh, and find a place for 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' again, will ya?
Do you watch any of these channels, and what classic shows would you like to see again?
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