New channels, old shows and movies

A few weeks ago I was told of new channels on the new HDTV system that has been in effect for the past couple of years. I figured, then, that it must be time to re-scan for tv channels that could be picked up by my digital converter box.

The new channel selection reminds me of cable TV from the 1970’s. There are kids’ channels Spanish channels, shopping channels, Christian channels, Spanish kids’ channels, Spanish shopping channels, Spanish Christian channels, Spanish kids’ Christian shopping channels, Chinese Channels, Korean channels, and a few channels that show old TV shows and movies.

This is a great opportunity to see what the medium of television was giving us before cable TV and changing technology and social mores gave us the diversity, excitement, and mature subject matters we see today. Shows like “Robin Hood,” “Life with Elizabeth,” “I Married Joan,” “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Peter Gunn,” "Daniel Boone," and “Bat Masterson” show us the attempts that were made to fill time on TV with quality, wholesome entertainment. We also occasionally get to see some well-known actors in their younger days. Acting, writing, and directing styles were very different back then. We even get to see views of cultures that don’t exist anymore, like dinner/dance nightclubs and beat poets.

But what is more personally interesting (and addictive) is This TV (HDTV 11-3 in New York City), a station that shows nothing but movies almost all day and night (with some children’s shows in the morning). But most of the movies are the second-tier, lower-budget sequels and knock-off movies with less-well known actors. Instead of “Bad News Bears” we get “Here Come the Tigers.” Instead of “The Magnificent 7” we get “Guns of the Magnificent 7” and “Magnificent 7” Ride. Instead of “The Guns of Navarone” we get “The Iron Coast.” Instead of “The Wild Angels” we get “The Glory Stompers.” Instead of “Oceans 11,” James Bond, or even Matt Helm, we get “Salt and Pepper” and “One More Time.” Instead of "True Grit" we get "Rooster Cogburn." Instead of "Billy Jack" we get "The Born Losers."

I find it nice to see that these lesser-known works of pop culture get an opportunity to be screened, especially on free TV. Cable TV, the growth of the VCR (followed by the DVD and Blu-Ray), and the commercial effectiveness of the infomercial have meant that free TV has been showing fewer and fewer movies over the past two decades. And even on cable and at the video store, older and lesser-known movies have been drowned out by the ongoing crush of major blockbusters, reality TV, and the forward march of time.

I fear that This TV will go the way of many other stations that have been movie-heavy or had a single programming concept (WPIX in the 1980’s, MTV, The Nashville Network, the Sci-Fi Channel, WBIS). It will find greater profits in original programming and diversity. Then these movies will go back to the dustbins of film-making history. But for now, let’s enjoy seeing what our parents and grandparents saw, and let that inform us on where they came from when we don’t understand them.

Soime thoughts about the Tony Awards this year....

Does Sean Hays remind me of Jon Cryer, or does Jon Cryer remind me of Sean Hays, especially when Jon is doing something "gay" on "Two and a Half Men?"

Daniel Radcliffe and Katie Holmes looked like Frodo and Arwen in "The New Adventures of Middle Earth" on the CW Network.

It's good to see my old Stuyvesant High School classmate, Lucy Liu back in town. I wonder if she made it to the last couple of reunions we've had that I missed?

I am constantly wondering if I am missing some of the gay in-jokes.

Kelsey Grammer in "La Cage Aux Folles" looks like Tony Curtis.

Almost every nominee is a well-known movie actor.

Catherine Zeta Jones is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in teh history of women, but "Send in the Clowns" always depresses me.

The Jewish chick from "Glee" is frickin' awesome!

Miley Cyrus is finally old enough to be up late enough to be on "The Late Show."

Superhero movie actors nominated for awards:
Kelsey Grammar - Beast "X-Men 3"
Alfred Molina - Dr. Octopus "Spider-Man 3"
Scarlet Johansen - Black Widow "Iron Man 2"
Liev Schreiber - Sabertooth "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
Christopher Walken - "Batman Returns"
Rosemary Harrris - Aunt May, "Spider-Man 1, 2, 3"
...and all of them were in superhero movie sequels.

When I tuned in, Green Day was opening the show. I have not really been keeping up with trends on Breadway like I used to, but I remember whn it was in such a state that having a modern rock band at the R=Tony;'s would be a sign that they were desperate. But perhaps its a sign that Boradway is not more accepoting of a greater variety of musical forms that ever before.

After the musical numbers from "Million Dollar Quartet" and Memphis" I was really in a mood to hear more "birth of rock & roll" music in a movie. So I watched "Great Balls of Fire."

Brilliant, just brilliant, having Sean Hays come out in the Spider-Man costume. Between that, Rosemary Harris, and Alfred Molina, who needs a $42 million musical?

Nothing thrills and excites the soul in quite the way a well done Broadway musical number does.

Latest Adventures in Hi-Def TV

When Hi-Def TV became the standard, as regular readers of this blog may recall, I held out to the last minute and beyond (while I tried to figure out why I wasn;t getting a signal) But once I did finally embrace the Hi-Def revolution, I noticed that Channel 5 was duplicated on Channel 9-2, and Channel 9 was duplicated on channel 5-2. It was convenient because if I wanted to flip between chshows on those two channels, or the adjacent channels, I could save one click. Of course it was also a little annoying because when surfing I had two more clicks to go through that were simply du[plicate channels.

Well, now those "2" channels are now blank.

So, what's gonna happen? Are they gonna put new channels there, like 4, 7, 11, and 13? Cuz right now they are two blank black spots on the dial. Couldn't they at least point a camera at a fish tank or something?