Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 4:03 pm
How do you remember Alf and not Johnny Carson? God, I feel old... (Although I think I was about twelve when Leno replaced him, so I guess I'm not *that* old.)
Anyway, how much will people remember the shows in "Couch Potato" in, say, 2013? Let's take a look:
AMERICAN IDOL: It's such a huge trend that it won't be forgotten, but I'm sure it won't still be on the air and it doesn't really lend itself to reruns. I suppose a lot of it's staying power has to do with the staying power of the winners, so I think I speak for everyone with taste when I say that hopefully this will be mostly forgotten. (I mean, taste is subjective, and there's no such thing as bad music, but if there was, it would be Justin Guarini.)
THE OSBOURNES: Well, Ozzy will still be popular ten years from now - no doubt about that. And Sharon could have a long career in front of the cameras if she wants it, and I think she does. Hopefully, we'll have forgotten those kids by 2013, but I think the show will be fondly remembered.
DA ALI G SHOW: I don't think most people know this show in 2003. Major props to Al for giving it some love, and I'm sure it's because he's a fan and not because he needed something to rhyme with the next two entries, right? Right?!
CELEBRITY MOLE: Not a chance.
THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW: Not if there's a God.
NASCAR RACING: Yeah, no reason why this won't still be around.
SIX FEET UNDER: Critical acclaim and DVD sales will keep this from being forgotten, but due to the language, you won't be able to rerun it anywhere but HBO, and they've never been big on reruns.
LARRY KING LIVE: Okay gang, he'll still be on TV ten years and seven wives from now.
24: I hope so - it's awesome.
LAW AND ORDER: This will *always* be in reruns. Tight writing, great acting, at least a decade's worth (and three series worth) of episodes and completely self-contained shows. The perfect syndication drama. Without a doubt. (It may still be on the air.)
60 MINUTES: It'll still be on the air, and a 130 year old Andy Rooney will still be complaining about electric typewriters and self-serve gas stations.
E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY: I see no reason this can't go on indefinitely. It's not like Hollywood isn't making more great self-destruction episodes every day. (Boy, that Jennifer Lopez one is going to be HILARIOUS!)
CSI: Same deal as Law and Order. More likely than not.
TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: *sigh* I hope not, but people will remember it if nothing else.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: I don't. But most people do, and it's already thriving in syndication. And Peter Boyle rules.
KING OF QUEENS: This one, on the other hand, will fall by the wayside.
EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR LOSING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER IN TEN DAYS: Or whatever it's called. No, not a chance. Sorry.
THE BACHELORETTE: NO!
WELCOME BACK, KOTTER: Well, yeah... (But I wouldn't have thought so then, so who knows about any of these.)
THE MUPPET SHOW: Ditto.
FRIENDS: Eternal syndication here. No doubt in my mind.
MELROSE PLACE: I can't believe people remember it NOW.
WITHOUT A TRACE: It has that self-contained quality I described before, but I'm still betting against it.
WILL AND GRACE: Maybe. I don't know. As popular as it is with the gay community, I still can't help but think that the Jack character is to gay people as Amos and Andy were to black people. I might be wrong, but I don't see this one being as popular ten years from now.
FEAR FACTOR: Maybe remembered for infamous reasons, but there's no *way* this will still be on the air ten years from now.
SURVIVOR: Probably remembered, but not aired at all.
GILLIGAN'S ISLAND: Who'd have thunk it?
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: Cartoons are immortal. Ten years from now, Spongebob will be the cool nostalgia.
MacGYVER: Again, who'd have thought that people would remember this show ten years later?
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO: Still on the air, still not funny, probably still doing OJ Simpson and Monica Lewinsky jokes.
THE DREW CAREY SHOW: These last seasons where no one's watching and it's all really stupid are going to kill this show in syndication just like "Roseanne". It'll probably be about ten years from now when the quality of the early episodes is "rediscovered".
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT: Probably still on the air.
ARE YOU HOT?: I hope most people forgot this one already.
THE SOPRANOS: Despite what I said about Six Feet Under before, this show will be remembered forever. Period. Fuhgettaboutit.
OPRAH WINFREY: Again, probably still on the air.
So, all in all, outside of the reality shows, it's really not a bad selection.
Anyway, how much will people remember the shows in "Couch Potato" in, say, 2013? Let's take a look:
AMERICAN IDOL: It's such a huge trend that it won't be forgotten, but I'm sure it won't still be on the air and it doesn't really lend itself to reruns. I suppose a lot of it's staying power has to do with the staying power of the winners, so I think I speak for everyone with taste when I say that hopefully this will be mostly forgotten. (I mean, taste is subjective, and there's no such thing as bad music, but if there was, it would be Justin Guarini.)
THE OSBOURNES: Well, Ozzy will still be popular ten years from now - no doubt about that. And Sharon could have a long career in front of the cameras if she wants it, and I think she does. Hopefully, we'll have forgotten those kids by 2013, but I think the show will be fondly remembered.
DA ALI G SHOW: I don't think most people know this show in 2003. Major props to Al for giving it some love, and I'm sure it's because he's a fan and not because he needed something to rhyme with the next two entries, right? Right?!
CELEBRITY MOLE: Not a chance.
THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW: Not if there's a God.
NASCAR RACING: Yeah, no reason why this won't still be around.
SIX FEET UNDER: Critical acclaim and DVD sales will keep this from being forgotten, but due to the language, you won't be able to rerun it anywhere but HBO, and they've never been big on reruns.
LARRY KING LIVE: Okay gang, he'll still be on TV ten years and seven wives from now.
24: I hope so - it's awesome.
LAW AND ORDER: This will *always* be in reruns. Tight writing, great acting, at least a decade's worth (and three series worth) of episodes and completely self-contained shows. The perfect syndication drama. Without a doubt. (It may still be on the air.)
60 MINUTES: It'll still be on the air, and a 130 year old Andy Rooney will still be complaining about electric typewriters and self-serve gas stations.
E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY: I see no reason this can't go on indefinitely. It's not like Hollywood isn't making more great self-destruction episodes every day. (Boy, that Jennifer Lopez one is going to be HILARIOUS!)
CSI: Same deal as Law and Order. More likely than not.
TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: *sigh* I hope not, but people will remember it if nothing else.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: I don't. But most people do, and it's already thriving in syndication. And Peter Boyle rules.
KING OF QUEENS: This one, on the other hand, will fall by the wayside.
EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR LOSING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER IN TEN DAYS: Or whatever it's called. No, not a chance. Sorry.
THE BACHELORETTE: NO!
WELCOME BACK, KOTTER: Well, yeah... (But I wouldn't have thought so then, so who knows about any of these.)
THE MUPPET SHOW: Ditto.
FRIENDS: Eternal syndication here. No doubt in my mind.
MELROSE PLACE: I can't believe people remember it NOW.
WITHOUT A TRACE: It has that self-contained quality I described before, but I'm still betting against it.
WILL AND GRACE: Maybe. I don't know. As popular as it is with the gay community, I still can't help but think that the Jack character is to gay people as Amos and Andy were to black people. I might be wrong, but I don't see this one being as popular ten years from now.
FEAR FACTOR: Maybe remembered for infamous reasons, but there's no *way* this will still be on the air ten years from now.
SURVIVOR: Probably remembered, but not aired at all.
GILLIGAN'S ISLAND: Who'd have thunk it?
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: Cartoons are immortal. Ten years from now, Spongebob will be the cool nostalgia.
MacGYVER: Again, who'd have thought that people would remember this show ten years later?
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO: Still on the air, still not funny, probably still doing OJ Simpson and Monica Lewinsky jokes.
THE DREW CAREY SHOW: These last seasons where no one's watching and it's all really stupid are going to kill this show in syndication just like "Roseanne". It'll probably be about ten years from now when the quality of the early episodes is "rediscovered".
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT: Probably still on the air.
ARE YOU HOT?: I hope most people forgot this one already.
THE SOPRANOS: Despite what I said about Six Feet Under before, this show will be remembered forever. Period. Fuhgettaboutit.
OPRAH WINFREY: Again, probably still on the air.
So, all in all, outside of the reality shows, it's really not a bad selection.
anyways, SFU is currently on HBO and will not be returning for the fourth season until JUNE 2004!!...oh, the agony...anyway...catchin up later...
)