Ironduke

Remember when there used to be at least an attempt at news shows? Everything now is blatant infotainment. Sometimes I find it entertaining, and there's only one place to see candidates speak live and such.

I turned off the TV for 3 or 4 years, and when I started watching again I couldn't believe how much TV had transformed. Lou Dobbs for example is completely alien to the Lou Dobbs I remember in 2000. I never saw Fox News until 2007, so I can't judge it against the old one. The list is endless, I'm sure.

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TopHatter

Time for know-it-all mode...apologies in advance, I quit this industry 4 years ago but I've still got it in me


Military Channel is owned by Discovery Communications (obviously the owners of the Discovery family of channels.) It used to be Discovery Wings until a couple years ago.

A&E Television Networks (owners of the History Channel) recently launched the Military History Channel, though neither of the small-dish companies have launched it. The only cable company that I know of that's launched is Verizon FiOS fiber optic service.

And yes, I know you probably don't care
100% agree. The only good news is that they seem to have stopped airing those 15-year old military documentaries...especially the ones narrated by Monte Markham.

They need to shoot the guy who cancelled History's Mysteries and hired Arthur Kent to "host" it in the first place.

They also need to have David Ackroyd narrate more of their programming

Ok, that's enough of that.

troung

The 24 hour news stations have become an extension of the "E" channel. No coverage of world events, no coverage of anything really. They can only focus on one story a week. But will preempt any important news to show some celebrity.

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Stan187

The military channel makes some good shows though, like Futureweapons. If only they had hired a former Navy Seal who doesn't have the most annoying talking style in the world.

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S-2

Let's get this thread out of here, please?

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omon

keep in mind these shows aimed at general poulation, not military pros. or anyone with above avarige knowlege of the sudject, some episodes are better than others, they are as reliable as wikipedia.

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Wraith601

His problem is that the dialog he's written to write is overly melodramatic.

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Stan187

Unjustifiably so. He makes real life situations sound like a Steven Segal flick or something.

TopHatter

So OK guys, on the History / Discovery programs, who is your favorite and least favorite narrators?

Ironduke

/shrug... Mike Wallace?

ChrisF202

The History Channel now pretty much sucks. I mean whats with all these shows about prehistoric monsters and people crashing dirtbikes and stuff? The Military Channel seems to be mostly WW2 related so it gets boring pretty quickly.

My timeline of the History Channel:

Appx. late 1990s/2000ish: a nice blend of military and other history combined with great movies on Friday and Saturday nights.

Appx. 2004: WW2, Civil War, WW2, Civil War, WW2, Civil War. Only show of any interest is Mail Call.

2007/2008: science fiction, truckers, ice fishing, History of Hot Dogs, monsters, etc with the occasional WW2 show from 20 years ago being re-aired is the order of the day. Mail Call is nowhere to be found.


What went wrong here and why? What made them go from a pretty decent lineup that could attract me all day to one where I pretty much want to bash my head against the wall?

glyn

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Stan187

Yeah, I think once Ice Road Truckers came on, and I thought I was watching national geographic or something. The only good show that has recently been added to the lineup is Dogfights. As far as Mail Call, that pissed me off too that you don't see it anymore. I wish they'd take Gunny and put him in a replacement for Mack from Futureweapons.

Ironduke

It's sunk to the level of mediocre.
Agreed, R. Lee Ermey was great and I haven't seen him around for awhile.

glyn

Irondukes post:

Quote:
Originally Posted by glyn
If our History Channel is the same as you get I suggest that it has yet to aspire to rise to the mediocre!

It's sunk to the level of mediocre.

Perhaps your version is superior to that seen by me. Ours is so poor that I've given up viewing it. I am fed up with inexpert commentary, stock footage (often inappropriate) and the whole low tone of the channel.