Decline of the History Channel

[W|M]

Ninja'd

I'm more concerned with the countries themselves which are occupied and the positions of cities, especially Tobruk.

 

[TheLastOne36]

They couldn't even be bothered to color in Moldova.

I don't understand the logic that people are not interested in history anymore. There will always be a demographic with interest in the subject. I don't buy that 'their audience changed' crap either. That is entirely their fault, if they did something else other than put nonstop WWII documentaries then the vast majority of their audience (including me) would have never left.

I want to learn about Greece, Rome, Carthage, Egypt, Persia+Mesopotamia, Europe in the middle ages as well as in the renaissance and industrial age. I want to see the odd documentary about China, India, SE Asia, Ethiopia, West Africa, New World Civilizations, or Polynesia - all very interesting places.

Fill in the schedule with cool stuff like that Ultimate Warrior (forgot name) show where they compared weapons of two warrior-figures throughout history and see who would win in a fight. Or stuff like Earth without Humans, or the occasional nutbag conspiracy alien theory, but only as filler.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

That Ancient Aliens show is particularly frustrating. I check channel 54. I hear them talking about historical events and think "Actual history? Most excellent!". Then a few seconds later I hear about aliens and change the channel in disgust.

Recently I was lucky to get a show about the Yom Kippur war. This was at around midday on a weekday.

BTW, Discovery Channel is also very crappy presently, at least in Latin America. I remember they had some decent popular science programming, now it's all about "paranormal investigations" and "haunted mansions".

That most certainly means even the beloved documentary channel I remember as the Discovery Channel from my childhood in the Philippines is long gone. How depressing.

 

[Murky]

What they really need to do is figure out a way to make real history interesting for the masses. Just having some dry slideshow or historian interviews doesn't make an interesting or entertaining enough program. I don't see why they couldn't do a historical series like Spartacus or something to fill a weekly slot. Higher the best documentary filmmakers to make compelling documentaries with larger budgets for good CGI and live action (remaking history). Old Westerns are another good model for a series. Hell on Wheels is doing just fine on AMC.

Also they should take into account they have a new generation to teach about History. If they think their only target audience is old people they aren't going to go very far.

 

[Leoreth]

I think the problem with making history appealing to the masses is that it's expensive, and even if it is successful, it's probably even more effective to invest the same amount of money into a dramatic production.

 

[Tahuti]

I think the problem with making history appealing to the masses is that it's expensive, and even if it is successful, it's probably even more effective to invest the same amount of money into a dramatic production.

Yeah, spot on. Maybe it would be an idea for universities and research institutes around the world to team up and make a non-profit science channel; imagine how cool that would be! And they probably wouldn't be opposed to the idea either.

 

[GoodGame]

You don't have the right perspective Dida.

It's the rise of Junk Pickers and Aliens!!!

 

[NovaKart]

I'm watching Law & Order right now and they try to be topical all the time and in this episode they shoehorn the issue of obesity into what is a crime investigation show.

Lifetime is another network that has totally changed. I actually like it better because when they stuck with women's programming it was terrible and the term Lifetime movie became a joke. They pretty much changed their lineup to Reality TV but I don't think it's any worse than what they had before, of course I realize I'm not their target demographic. Now they have an episode of Wife Swap on and I really wish I had caught it from the start because they have a white Rastafarian family on.

South Park did a parody of the history channel so you guys aren't the only one who noticed this problem. My stepfather watches the history channel a lot, that or similar networks and they do a lot of Biblical prophecy end of the world type crap too.

 

[Winner]

And the fact that my cable TV provider wants to remove Viasat History from the package in favour of the Hitler Channel only makes me hate it more.

 

[Antilogic]

I mean, imagine you own a restaurant that's called "Veggie Delights"... but then you figure out that selling steaks and ribs will make you more money, so you get rid of all your veggie dishes and start selling steaks, wings, ribs, etc.

but you do not change your restaurant name and leave it as "Veggie Delights"

Not quite the same, but check out Taco Mac's story. They didn't have the money to take down the sign of the Mexican restaurant they bought, despite the fact they were starting a beef-and-buffalo-wings pub.

 

[Quackers]

Reading the OP i'm alarmed how badly that channel descended into crap!
There is definitely a market for history enthusaists and I want MOAR nazis.

 

[Berzerker]

The ancient alien series is fantastic, where else are you gonna see all those ruins and cultures from around the world? A widespread belief in sky people is part of our history, why is discussing that off limits? It may be called religion or mythology, but its still history even if ancient aliens dont exist.

Hell, the National Geographic Channel has become a show about driving dangerous roads or Alaskan state troopers or being locked up in some foreign jail. Talk about crap! The History channels and the Science ch are my favorite tv educational sources.

 

[Turquoiside]

The ancient alien series is fantastic, where else are you gonna see all those ruins and cultures from around the world? A widespread belief in sky people is part of our history, why is discussing that off limits? It may be called religion or mythology, but its still history even if ancient aliens dont exist.

Hell, the National Geographic Channel has become a show about driving dangerous roads or Alaskan state troopers or being locked up in some foreign jail. Talk about crap! The History channels and the Science ch are my favorite tv educational sources.

Wasn't Nat Geo Wild meant to sort of take that role though?. On another note, I remember when I could turn on Animal Plant almost any weekend and watch it the entire day without running out of solid progamming. Nowadays its nearly as bad as the History Channel. I find it unexplainable; looking at the success of Planet Earth you can see quality documentaries are still well received.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

There is a term for this.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay

Sorry in advance if you lose several hours.

 

[Smellincoffee]

There is a term for this.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay

Sorry in advance if you lose several hours.

Introducing a forum of innocent Civfanatics to the internet-crack that is TvTropes? Have you no shame?

 

[Save_Ferris]

Look at 90's Nickelodeon and NBC. Look at today's Nickelodeon and NBC. Everything was better in the 90's.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Introducing a forum of innocent Civfanatics to the internet-crack that is TvTropes? Have you no shame?

What are you talking about, TV Tropes is awesome!

back to the subject. Most people are not very interested in history, except when it comes to a few certain subjects. People like anything WWII related (over a year since I've seen anything on WWI). And people just love the Hitler stuff (though I must admit, a lot of the Hitler stuff is interesting. And people love conspiracy theories, and that's where you get ancient aliens.

 

[Turquoiside]

Look at 90's Nickelodeon and NBC. Look at today's Nickelodeon and NBC. Everything was better in the 90's.

NBC is still the best.

 

[Antilogic]

Okay, the first Antilogic Challenge (of which I am the only participant, but you all are welcome to join in) has been issued.

I am going to watch every episode, all three seasons, of Ancient Aliens, and try to keep my sanity in the meantime. Use of hard liquors is currently up for debate.

 

[GamezRule]

Meh, Discovery isn't that bad. But that's probably because I've only really known it to be a crossbreed between reality TV and science.

The History Channel does have the occasional good program, mostly just the show "Cities of the Underworld" which has actually had some really interesting stuff.