The New Normal

In the years since I stopped doing regular TV rants, the television landscape as we know it now has been taking shape. Streaming outlets have become the new normal and have reduced basic cable into becoming the new radio. We still have use for the latter, but not even AMC and FX can keep up the kind of programming that's commonplace on the Netflix's and Prime Video's of the world, and now even those brands are under siege by offerings from studios (Disney, ViacomCBS) and telecommunication companies (AT&T, Comcast) trying to get a slice of the action.  

Premium television has stepped up to the plate to challenge Netflix's reign over the award ceremonies and festivals. Once upon a time, it was Netflix that was trying to compete against HBO and Showtime. Now Netflix has disrupted the industry and the two leading pay TV networks in the U.S have offered up their own iconic programming to compete against it. This has lead to the rise of HBO Max and the pending relaunch of CBS All Access as Paramount+. Viewers now have the option of sticking with the two networks and their over-the-top offerings, or bundling their programming with that of their respective corporate siblings as part of an all-encompassing service that will to try and beat Netflix's "everything for everyone" strategy. 

Broadcast television, because it's over-the-air and all you really need is an antenna or digital live TV service, enjoys the benefit of not being tied down to the declining cable and satellite industry. That's not to say they don't have their own problems too, but you would never know from looking at what it has to offer viewers. Live sports and events, classic and retro television, local news, and season-long television programs. That's not even getting into all the syndicated programming that people still watch despite the alternatives present; I think it's better to work for MyNetworkTV then to actually watch it. Major broadcast television networks have become content suppliers to streamers just as they already are for basic cable networks; the fight for the rights to iconic sitcoms was a major story that overshadowed the launches of HBO Max and Peacock. 

In the case of cable networks, however, specialty nets like Comet, Buzzr, and MeTV have all but replaced genre-based, linear networks thanks to their flexibility and commitment, while their cable counterparts (Syfy, Game Show Network, TV Land) have succumbed to the need for high ratings over their original, intended purposes. Syfy can barely afford to produce any scripted programming; GSN's back-to-basics original slate comes too little, too late for the network that once traded in its classic rerun rights for reality competitions and poker; and TV Land, outside of Younger, has no purpose. 

In-general, cable networks have struggled with anything outside of live programming, docudramas, true crime, and low-cost, unscripted programming as a whole. That was pretty much A&E in a nutshell while Live PD was still in production, and it was because of the success of that show that A&E was able to reverse industry trends. By contrast, BET was so bad that they've been airing reruns of Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air longer than they were able to keep a single show on the air. 

Then there's children's television, which you would think would enjoy the same stability that news and sports programming have. No YouTube rant can do justice to how utterly terrible Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon have been in the past decade..., because rant videos are garbage and will give you the same amount of brain damage that the people running these networks have. Cartoon Network has spent the last decade wasting money and resources on either acquiring or producing programming just to bury it in graveyard slots in service to a program lineup that lacks originality and variety, especially compared to Adult Swim and even Boomerang. Nickelodeon, while not as bad, has allowed their impatience for letting shows find an audience to stifle creativity and bring a premature end to countless animated programs. As the preeminent kids' entertainment brand in the U.S, ignoring a brief moment where they were overtaken by a then-in-name only Disney Channel, this obsession for ratings in-spite of all the offerings on the main network and its spin-offs reflects their irrelevance compared to YouTube and Netflix's family programming. 

Meanwhile in Canada, Corus Entertainment's Teletoon and YTV now have the benefit of over-the-top viewing options in both STACKTV and Nick+ on Amazon Prime Video, as well as the new RiverTV service; a much bigger audience for the CanCon filler they produce to help keep the lights on. Both networks continue to give far better treatment to their U.S counterpart's programming, while Teletoon in-particular has become more experimental in the time since the Adult Swim channel (also included with STACKTV) was launched. When I can say that much about the Canadian television industry, especially in regards to the children's sector and the company arguably responsible for killing adult animation in the country, you know you've got problems.

You notice how I didn't say anything else about Disney Channel? Say what you will about their programming at the time and their supposed "65-episode limit" limit, but they've been the least terrible outlet as far as business sense goes. But while the reception to Girl Meets World, and the success of Disney XD's animated programming, did inspire the flagship channel to produce more wholesome, sensible, and watchable shows since then, it sadly comes at at a time when the expansion of Disney+ has led to international versions of these brands to be shuttered and their programming assimilated into the service. 

Basic cable isn't dying, it's already in purgatory. If it's not broadcast television, it's HBO. If it's not HBO, it's streaming networks. If it's not streaming networks, it's social media. No matter how you look at it, basic cable television networks have been left out of the loop in an entertainment landscape ruled by Netflix. 

I say it's time for these cable channels to start thinking like YouTube channels. Between Hulu, Sling, Fubo, YouTube TV, and Philo, cable networks have a new platform to rewrite the manual. Through on-demand and DVR offerings, any network can deliver far more engaging content than the average YouTuber can. Networks like Syfy and TBS have already been experimenting with how and when they premiere new programming. With most of their young adult demographic online, they now have a better chance of attracting newly subscribed Sling and Hulu + Live TV users who wanted to keep up with the shows they still watch on cable. I don't think we are at the point where VMPDs can supplement or replace the audience that cable provides, but that will eventually change as cord cutting rises and cable subscriptions decline.

In the meantime, I will be looking to both SVOD channels and digital networks for my fix. HBO Max has been on my radar from the moment it was announced that franchise creator Aaron McGruder would helm The Boondocks revival this coming Fall; VRV is still my go-to for animated programming; Tubi still has the best free TV library; I've been leaning to Vevo for music video playlists; and Revry has been providing programming for a "work-in-progress" like me to relate to. 

There are so many outlets to choose from, all offering both mainstream and niche entertainment, and you don't even have to pay a subscription fee to watch some of them. I love this, I love everything about this. I don't even need to do TV Rants anymore. Life is just too perfect to waste time lamenting on the Titanic. Maybe I'll just comment on articles from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter from now on, or gush about any new offerings coming in the future. 

For example, TZGZ.

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