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Is TV's Golden Age over?

With so many channels on cable/satellite, so much more crap gets through to the air nowadays. The quality shows are out there, but you have to sort through dozens of crappy shows to find them.
 
The advent of truly episodic TV also makes it difficult to start a show in the middle. If you don't catch most "good" shows from episode 1, its tough to really get into them. Seinfeld, Cheers, ER, MASH- those are shows that you could pick up in the middle of a season and still find funny. I don't feel that way about new shows. Even the comedies are so self-referential that it is tough to come in to a show in the middle.
 
DeaconSig said:
The advent of truly episodic TV also makes it difficult to start a show in the middle. If you don't catch most "good" shows from episode 1, its tough to really get into them. Seinfeld, Cheers, ER, MASH- those are shows that you could pick up in the middle of a season and still find funny. I don't feel that way about new shows. Even the comedies are so self-referential that it is tough to come in to a show in the middle.
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I actually don't mind this too much though. With streaming, on demand, DVD, and netflix it is much easier to check out a show you hear good things about and then catch up to current episodes.

I was thinking about this during Mad Men. In the past, I don't think too many shows would have been able to survive a 2 year layoff and then come back pretty strong. Mad Men might have gained new audience from word of mouth, publicity, and the availability of the DVDs and netflix for people to catch up on the show. I know that's how I got into it.
 
No way.

But if they keep killing off great shows like Terriers and not letting shows like The Chicago Code build up a decent base, then yes it will be over soon.
 
I don't know how you would necessarily define TV's "Golden Age" since it's constantly changing and evolving. This past decade HBO has had a lot to do with the current shift in television programming, and we're right on the verge of things changing again (especially if Apple gets their way and starts offering channels as apps with a la carte pricing models).
 
Over the past three years, 10M+ people have cut the cord from TV/cable in favor of the internet, Hulu, etc. It is projected that 40M+ will do the same over the next decade.

The good news is there will be new networks and more shows will get a chance. The bad news is less will be spent on traditional shows due to the fragmentation.
 
The first paragraph was dreadful. Lenox dreadful. It got better. I'm not sure the point he's trying to make about the Golden Age. He did a good job describing where it started, but not a good job describing how it supposedly ended.
 
I think the best shows on TV now are infinitely better than the best shows a decade ago.

I also think that article was terribly over-written.
 
Here are some of the TV shows I remember I was watching around 1999/2000.

Sports Night
It's Like You Know
Malcolm in the Middle
Family Guy
Freaks and Geeks
Now and Again

Looking back, all those shows were probably ahead of their time and only Malcolm wasn't cancelled earlier than it should looking back.

I refreshed my memory with this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999-00_United_States_network_television_schedule

I think I probably watched that whole Tuesday ABC lineup if I was around. I taped It's Like You Know and Sports Night on the VCR. I think I watched Felicity occasionally. I think I had stopped watching Dawson's Creek by then. I think that was around the time they were filming at Duke and I saw them filming near my building.
 
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