I Don't Like TV Shows Anymore, HELP!

[peate]

Learn an instrument. Write stuff.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Ever since the lockdown back in March I can't for the life of me get into TV shows anymore. There's no more immersion and it makes every show I watch seem dumb. All I see when I'm watching now are two people reading lines and it all seems so silly.

It started with "The Walking Dead", which i've heard was a really cool show the first 4 seasons or so and then gets really dumb. I got about 3 or so seasons in (I think a little bit past the "Governor" drama") and when I watch I can't help but think about how the scenes and dialogue is set up. It's not just TWD, I started watching Dexter for the first time a week ago and it's the same thing. This show is apparently really good in a lot of people's eyes but I still can't get immersed.

All I can focus on is how most scenes are these dramatic conversations between two actors. They usually are off somewhere by themselves, the other character comes near them with something to say, and then they turn their backs, gaze into the distance, and say their lines. It all looks so dumb to me!

I don't want to be a cynical douche. I'm really trying here. Has this happened to any of you?

Sometimes I watch stuff and I can't stop analyzing it. Sometimes I really immerse. Can't figure out why but I think it has to do with how the show or film is made. If the show itself is good and a bit different from the normal, I find myself more often immersed in it.

I would suggest watching something made by HBO, Netflix etc. and not your typical NBC, ABC etc. networks because I have found that their shows are more often formulaic and very mass-friendly and therefore not that interesting and less immersive. You notice how they try to hook people and how they repeat stuff they have found to be effective in storytelling and getting likes from the audience. They often don't challenge the watcher in anyway and therefore it is boring.

The Walking Dead has a lot of Daryl shooting zombies with crossbow 'cos its cool and psycho villains because they are easy to comprehend and easy to do, and every season I saw had similar thing going on: find sanctuary -> fight for it -> leave it to find something else. Combine that repetitive plot with boring characters and you find yourself focusing more on how they made the scene because the scene itself isn't interesting. TV and films are like magic tricks, if you see the same trick over and over again, you stop being amazed by it and start thinking about how they did it rather than enjoy the magic.

I can't say, which shows would definitely immerse you. You should try stuff out and try not to think about analyzing what you are watching.

 

[johnjm22]

Ever since the lockdown back in March I can't for the life of me get into TV shows anymore. There's no more immersion and it makes every show I watch seem dumb. All I see when I'm watching now are two people reading lines and it all seems so silly.

It started with "The Walking Dead", which i've heard was a really cool show the first 4 seasons or so and then gets really dumb. I got about 3 or so seasons in (I think a little bit past the "Governor" drama") and when I watch I can't help but think about how the scenes and dialogue is set up. It's not just TWD, I started watching Dexter for the first time a week ago and it's the same thing. This show is apparently really good in a lot of people's eyes but I still can't get immersed.

All I can focus on is how most scenes are these dramatic conversations between two actors. They usually are off somewhere by themselves, the other character comes near them with something to say, and then they turn their backs, gaze into the distance, and say their lines. It all looks so dumb to me!

I don't want to be a cynical douche. I'm really trying here. Has this happened to any of you?

You're getting older.

When you were younger everything was new to you. You didn't know who the actors were, or the director, or what the critics thought.

Nowadays you've seen it all before. Every storyline, every trope, every character-type and scenario are familiar.

 

[Name Nameless]

Ever since the lockdown back in March I can't for the life of me get into TV shows anymore. There's no more immersion and it makes every show I watch seem dumb. All I see when I'm watching now are two people reading lines and it all seems so silly.

It started with "The Walking Dead", which i've heard was a really cool show the first 4 seasons or so and then gets really dumb. I got about 3 or so seasons in (I think a little bit past the "Governor" drama") and when I watch I can't help but think about how the scenes and dialogue is set up. It's not just TWD, I started watching Dexter for the first time a week ago and it's the same thing. This show is apparently really good in a lot of people's eyes but I still can't get immersed.

All I can focus on is how most scenes are these dramatic conversations between two actors. They usually are off somewhere by themselves, the other character comes near them with something to say, and then they turn their backs, gaze into the distance, and say their lines. It all looks so dumb to me!

I don't want to be a cynical douche. I'm really trying here. Has this happened to any of you?

This has happened. The effect is strong, and it affects TV-series, movies, even books. I guess some people are right: this is how it is to grow old.

The last TV-series I managed to binge was the Watchmen, although it was really short. That's an exception nowadays. Actually watching it, I mean.

I guess you have binged all the classics, Buffy, Stargate-franchise, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5. (There might be a pattern there with what I refer to as classics, I admit that.)

But I even stopped halfway into Mad Men and Sopranos, so the effect is strong with me.

 

[JianYang]

You probably had covid and didn't know it. I've heard a side effect is tv immersion dysphoria. Seek help immediately. I'd suggest the good doctor, your closest er, or really any human wearing scrubs.

Speaking of the good Doctor, I did watch his the main actor's previous show "Bates Motel"

I enjoyed the show, but I did find it a little distracting when they kept trying to portray Oregon while filming in the Vancouver area. I recognized many of their locations, some of them just minutes away from my place, but I found myself paying too much attention to the location setting rather than focusing on the storyline.

 

[Shareefruck]

This is kind of a random tangent that might not be entirely applicable here, but I notice a lot of normie-types in real life following the following pattern-- Most people IRL get into vapid formulaic stuff when they're younger (like Walking Dead) and scoffs at the more rewarding/interesting off-the-beaten path stuff for being too weird, slow, or hard to get into because they don't feed into that compulsion, and then when they get older, they inevitably start to notice how vapid and formulaic the stuff they liked was, but instead of adjusting and giving those other things they dismissed a chance, they usually just end up going "Welp, I guess the medium as a whole is a waste of time, then-- I've grown up/out of it -- time to be interested in lifestyle/travel/work/general interest things instead."

But when you truly appreciate something good, it shouldn't really work that way, IMO. It's like how a lot of people repeat the cycle of being into a hit pop song for like a week, spit it out when they're sick of it, and just move onto the next one and do that for an eternity until they think they've just grown out of music as a whole-- as if that's just how it's supposed to work. But like, people who become music-obsessed know that if you dig into the good stuff, it lasts forever and should never really lose its appeal, and if anything, seeing the strings being pulled and understanding the fact that someone made it typically only makes it better. The same thing basically applies to movies and television too.

 

[Suxnet]

You're getting older.

When you were younger everything was new to you. You didn't know who the actors were, or the director, or what the critics thought.

Nowadays you've seen it all before. Every storyline, every trope, every character-type and scenario are familiar.

word. Stopped watching TV a long time ago. Everything is so boring and predictable. Even hockey isn't worth my time anymore. 2.5+ hours i would rather spend doing something else.

 

[member 51464]

word. Stopped watching TV a long time ago. Everything is so boring and predictable. Even hockey isn't worth my time anymore. 2.5+ hours i would rather spend doing something else.

What are your main pastimes?

 

[Shareefruck]

Maybe a weird thing to say in a hockey forum, but I definitely feel that way about hockey (and sports in general), 100%. Getting really into watching hockey is undeniably very stimulating/addictive and because it's really happening, it fabricates this artificial/superficial sensation of stakes and meaning that feels like it matters a whole lot in the moment, and the way that it's set up sustains that feeling year in and year out and makes you want to geek out about it, but over time, I've realized that all of that is just an illusion and it's kind of a worthless past-time that sucks up infinite amounts of time and has no real value, IMO.

There is still that "real" aspect of admiring the talent involved, but that's a very small part of the draw, honestly.

I'd consider it a guilty pleasure now, and something I'm trying to pay less and less attention to-- still compulsively pulls me back in, though.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

I actually have this problem with Youtube. I used to easily find stuff to watch on Youtube that was not related to my interests. Now I find it tough to find stuff. I try to use Youtube like it's PBS but it's mostly just garbage aimed at pre-teens and adolescents and the gaming community unless you know exactly what to look for. It's hard to browse if you want normal sane content.

word. Stopped watching TV a long time ago. Everything is so boring and predictable. Even hockey isn't worth my time anymore. 2.5+ hours i would rather spend doing something else.

Watching live hockey in 2020...they came out with PVRs in the 2000s and they have NHL TV (or pirated versions of it) in the 2010s. The playoffs especially I never watch live, you can get through an entire game in 80-90 minutes if you can skip commercials/intermissions/long-stoppages.

 

[alko]

Watch Simpsons. But now do it different. Focus to all little things behind the main story. Or this little things in every scene, that are in background. Sometimes you will find gem moments, you never saw before.
Cultural references, Science references, characters...

 

[Suxnet]

What are your main pastimes?

Reading (non-fiction), working out, video games occasionally. Thinking of taking some automotive classes at my local college just so I can learn more about cars and tinker with them in my free time if I want to.

Watching live hockey in 2020...they came out with PVRs in the 2000s and they have NHL TV (or pirated versions of it) in the 2010s. The playoffs especially I never watch live, you can get through an entire game in 80-90 minutes if you can skip commercials/intermissions/long-stoppages.

True, but hockey is a sport where you need to focus on the game basically all the time because the play happens so fast. You look away for a moment where you think you have some downtime and the next thing you know there's a turnover and a goal is scored. For me, the live aspect makes it more exciting because you're in the moment and you're sharing it with a bunch of other people in real time. If the Oilers go deep in the playoffs I'll watch of course, but otherwise I'd rather do something else. MMA is the only sport I keep up with now.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Simple solution

Watch old shows that you have always loved or rediscover old shows and decide if there are as good as you remember

I recently began watching some Seaquest on Peacock and the show was not as good as I remembered meanwhile Sliders and Warehouse 13 are still fun silly escapism on rewatch

 

[x Tame Impala]

Thanks for the replies everyone. They're definitely helping. I think it's just harder for me to get into the weekly TV dramas. They're not as appealing because the magic is gone. Movies are still fine, funny shows are still fine, a series on Netflix is still fine. Most recent one I watched was "Waco" and was pretty captivated by it.

I think it's just the structure of TV dramas that have no end in sight. They're formulaic and the creativity begins to dip pretty fast so I lose my immersion. I'll stick to watching other things and just watching less TV in general.

Just bought Kurt Vonnegut's "Galapagos" the other day and am going to get started on that. Thanks for the input everyone! HF is always good for this sort of thing.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This is kind of a random tangent that might not be entirely applicable here, but I notice a lot of normie-types in real life following the following pattern-- Most people IRL get into vapid formulaic stuff when they're younger (like Walking Dead) and scoffs at the more rewarding/interesting off-the-beaten path stuff for being too weird, slow, or hard to get into because they don't feed into that compulsion, and then when they get older, they inevitably start to notice how vapid and formulaic the stuff they liked was, but instead of adjusting and giving those other things they dismissed a chance, they usually just end up going "Welp, I guess the medium as a whole is a waste of time, then-- I've grown up/out of it -- time to be interested in lifestyle/travel/work/general interest things instead."

But when you truly appreciate something good, it shouldn't really work that way, IMO. It's like how a lot of people repeat the cycle of being into a hit pop song for like a week, spit it out when they're sick of it, and just move onto the next one and do that for an eternity until they think they've just grown out of music as a whole-- as if that's just how it's supposed to work. But like, people who become music-obsessed know that if you dig into the good stuff, it lasts forever and should never really lose its appeal, and if anything, seeing the strings being pulled and understanding the fact that someone made it typically only makes it better. The same thing basically applies to movies and television too.

This sounds like a lot of projection onto people you've labeled as "normie-types".

 

[tarheelhockey]

Ever since the lockdown back in March I can't for the life of me get into TV shows anymore. There's no more immersion and it makes every show I watch seem dumb. All I see when I'm watching now are two people reading lines and it all seems so silly.

It started with "The Walking Dead", which i've heard was a really cool show the first 4 seasons or so and then gets really dumb. I got about 3 or so seasons in (I think a little bit past the "Governor" drama") and when I watch I can't help but think about how the scenes and dialogue is set up. It's not just TWD, I started watching Dexter for the first time a week ago and it's the same thing. This show is apparently really good in a lot of people's eyes but I still can't get immersed.

All I can focus on is how most scenes are these dramatic conversations between two actors. They usually are off somewhere by themselves, the other character comes near them with something to say, and then they turn their backs, gaze into the distance, and say their lines. It all looks so dumb to me!

I don't want to be a cynical douche. I'm really trying here. Has this happened to any of you?

I guess the question is, what are you watching it for? What part of it entertains you? Are you there for the story, or for the jokes, or for the action, or what? Are you more attracted to sitcoms, dramas, reality, gameshows? TWD and Dexter suggest you're looking for thriller-drama shows with a somewhat long format. Maybe that really isn't a genre you enjoy anymore... if not, that's OK.

Most character-based TV shows are designed around the basic principle of telling a story by focusing on dialogue between certain characters at a certain point in time. It would be more lifelike and immersive to follow them through a series of locations, doing mundane things and having fragments of conversations that only occasionally relate to the main plot arc... but that's not how people relate to stories (from the telling or the receiving side). So inevitably it's going to gravitate to a series of "set up" scenes, as a sort of psychology-driven tradition. If you're at a point where that just rubs you the wrong way, I'd suggest a radical genre switch. Maybe try anime or something where the focus is less on real-life actors doing things on command, and the settings are less limited by practical staging concerns?

 

[Shareefruck]

This sounds like a lot of projection onto people you've labeled as "normie-types".

Projection of what, though? It's just what I've observed from people who don't get as into this stuff as much as we do, like everyday friends and family rather than people on the internet. I'm adding my own commentary about the pattern based on my perspective, but I don't see why that's unreasonable.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Projection of what, though? It's just what I've observed from people who don't get as into this stuff as much as we do, like everyday friends and family rather than people on the internet. I'm adding my own commentary about the pattern based on my perspective, but I don't see why that's unreasonable.

I just don’t think it’s a particularly true representation of an ordinary person’s life. More like bad lip-reading on other people’s motives.

The idea that most people are just too mentally lazy to appreciate quality content, so they irrationally become actively hostile to it, then arrive later in life at a dawning realization that they’ve enjoyed worthless trash all along, but are still too lazy and self-centered to seek out anything new, so they just move on from the entire medium and focus on other things rather than admit how wrong they were... that sounds like the biography of a very neurotic individual, but not like any substantial group of people.

 

[Shareefruck]

I just don’t think it’s a particularly true representation of an ordinary person’s life. More like bad lip-reading on other people’s motives.

The idea that most people are just too mentally lazy to appreciate quality content, so they irrationally become actively hostile to it, then arrive later in life at a dawning realization that they’ve enjoyed worthless trash all along, but are still too lazy and self-centered to seek out anything new, so they just move on from the entire medium and focus on other things rather than admit how wrong they were... that sounds like the biography of a very neurotic individual, but not like any substantial group of people.

It's anecdotal from the people I'm surrounded by for sure (I never suggested otherwise), and I can't confidently say that that's 100% true about everyone else. But I don't see how just observing that is projection.

I don't know though, that sounds like a pretty normal, sane, and natural occurrence/behaviour to me-- I would be very surprised if it were inaccurate. Everyone starts off with comfort zones and gravitates towards things that feed those comfort zones, and it takes active effort, time, desire, and pushing past difficult barriers that most people can't be bothered with to dig out of that. As a result, I think it's pretty unavoidable common sense for people who are exposed to the default non-challenging comforting things to base their opinion of the medium on the qualities that those things have, which usually aren't interesting enough to sustain a person's attention long term and hold up over time (how much Walking Dead can a person watch for years and years before getting sick of the obvious formula and noticing how skin-deep its appeal is? Even if it's subjectively right up their alley?), especially in the face of more important and life-consuming adult things. None of that requires any abnormal neuroticism-- if anything, it's more neurotic NOT to have that experience and actually obsess over these things (I will gladly admit that).

I am interjecting on top of that that I personally find that unfortunate and frustrating because it's kind of like an initially dismissed point is finally lent credibility after decades, but is still never acknowledged regardless just because of natural circumstances.

 

[tarheelhockey]

It's anecdotal from the people I'm surrounded by for sure (I never suggested otherwise), and I can't confidently say that that's 100% true about everyone else. But I don't see how just observing that is projection.

I should say, a projection of the small group of people you're surrounded by onto the unknowable mass of humanity elsewhere.

(I really don't know who you're surrounded by, and whether your take on them is accurate... maybe it is, maybe not, I have no idea)

I don't know though, that sounds like a pretty normal, sane, and natural occurrence/behaviour to me-- I would be very surprised if it were inaccurate. Everyone starts off with comfort zones and gravitates towards things that feed those comfort zones, and it takes active effort, time, desire, and pushing past difficult barriers that most people can't be bothered with to dig out of that. As a result, I think it's pretty unavoidable common sense for people who are exposed to the default non-challenging comforting things to base their opinion of the medium on the qualities that those things have, which usually aren't interesting enough to sustain a person's attention long term and hold up over time (how much Walking Dead can a person watch for years and years before getting sick of the obvious formula and noticing how skin-deep its appeal is? Even if it's subjectively right up their alley?), especially in the face of more important and life-consuming adult things. None of that requires any abnormal neuroticism-- if anything, it's more neurotic NOT to have that experience and actually obsess over these things (I will gladly admit that).

That just seems way, way oversimplified to the point of glossing over all the nuances that happen in an individual person's life. Life is complex and involves a lot of twists and turns, most of which are highly contextual. People who have simple tastes tend to have those tastes for a reason (not necessarily because they're incapable of challenging themselves) and it feels like a stretch to imagine them arriving at the conclusion late in life that their favorite things were actually junk all along. There are too many lite-oldies radio stations, too many Rambo sequel marathons, too many people still watching Lawrence Welk every night for me to buy this.

Beyond the matter of taste, I think the great majority of people of all tastes don't take television shows too seriously. Most of TV is a diversion -- when people sit down to watch it, they're consciously rejecting alternatives like a serious movie or a serious hobby. The point is to space out and relax for a while. If a TV show delivers that, it's giving them exactly what they want. So there's really nothing lost in a TV show that fails to hold up for a long time, provided it amused a large audience while it was fresh. Expecting a TV show to have staying power with heavy content is simply asking too much of the medium (serious TV shows aren't really even TV shows anymore, they're films chopped into a serial format).

I am interjecting on top of that that I personally find that unfortunate and frustrating because it's kind of like an initially dismissed point is finally lent credibility after decades, but is still never acknowledged regardless just because of natural circumstances.

I agree it's unfortunate and frustrating, but it's the nature a mass medium specifically geared to short-term amusement. At least we live in an age where cult favorites have a chance to be resurrected, rather than disappearing from the landscape forever like they did pre-VHS.

 

[Shareefruck]

I should say, a projection of the small group of people you're surrounded by onto the unknowable mass of humanity elsewhere.

(I really don't know who you're surrounded by, and whether your take on them is accurate... maybe it is, maybe not, I have no idea)

That just seems way, way oversimplified to the point of glossing over all the nuances that happen in an individual person's life. Life is complex and involves a lot of twists and turns, most of which are highly contextual. People who have simple tastes tend to have those tastes for a reason (not necessarily because they're incapable of challenging themselves) and it feels like a stretch to imagine them arriving at the conclusion late in life that their favorite things were actually junk all along. There are too many lite-oldies radio stations, too many Rambo sequel marathons, too many people still watching Lawrence Welk every night for me to buy this.

Beyond the matter of taste, I think the great majority of people of all tastes don't take television shows too seriously. Most of TV is a diversion -- when people sit down to watch it, they're consciously rejecting alternatives like a serious movie or a serious hobby. The point is to space out and relax for a while. If a TV show delivers that, it's giving them exactly what they want. So there's really nothing lost in a TV show that fails to hold up for a long time, provided it amused a large audience while it was fresh. Expecting a TV show to have staying power with heavy content is simply asking too much of the medium (serious TV shows aren't really even TV shows anymore, they're films chopped into a serial format).

I agree it's unfortunate and frustrating, but it's the nature a mass medium specifically geared to short-term amusement. At least we live in an age where cult favorites have a chance to be resurrected, rather than disappearing from the landscape forever like they did pre-VHS.

I think that essentially was what my point was, kind of. People value the purpose of diversion over other more meaningful things that the medium provides that they're not interested in, until they get older and realize that there are more meaningful ways to occupy their time than sheer diversion, and by then they've already gotten so used to what they think the purpose of the medium is that they usually don't explore the other side of it, even though it's as valuable as the next hobbies that people usually take up when becoming adults with responsibilities (like travel, for example).

I'm not saying that it's wrong for them to do that, it's just something I've observed that I think is an unfortunate natural phenomenon.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think that essentially was what my point was, kind of. People value the purpose of diversion over other more meaningful things that the medium provides that they're not interested in, until they get older and realize that there are more meaningful ways to occupy their time than sheer diversion, and by then they've already gotten so used to what they think the purpose of the medium is that they usually don't explore the other side of it, even though it's as valuable as the next hobbies that people usually take up when becoming adults with responsibilities (like travel, for example).

I'm not saying that it's wrong for them to do that, it's just something I've observed that I think is an unfortunate natural phenomenon.

I honestly think almost everyone understands that there are meaningful experiences to be had with television. Especially on streaming platforms, where you almost can't avoid being exposed to very high-quality options even if you're just trying to get to the baking show.

But for most people, they already have other pursuits that are serious and meaningful. Take someone who's seriously religious for example. They are already spending a large chunk of their week contemplating spiritual issues and ancient texts, and there's a good chance they are also doing some sort of volunteer work on top of that... perhaps for the poor or domestic abuse victims or something. That's a lot of time to be emotionally embroiled in meaningful real-life drama. If they also work a hard 40-hour job, and also have a challenging home life which leaves them with nothing other than an hour right before bedtime to decompress, that person doesn't need some heavy meaningful experience from TV. Their decision to watch Desperate Housewives may have nothing to do with ignorance or lack of appreciation for the medium, and it may very well be that the overall impact of watching heavy programming in that mindframe would not be more meaningful for that person than simply having their brain switch off for an hour so they can get a break.

Which isn't to say there aren't useless couch potatoes out there who think Magnum P.I. reruns are the actual pinnacle of culture. But I don't believe that represents the general condition of the human race, or at least not in so clean-cut a fashion as that.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I honestly think almost everyone understands that there are meaningful experiences to be had with television. Especially on streaming platforms, where you almost can't avoid being exposed to very high-quality options even if you're just trying to get to the baking show.

But for most people, they already have other pursuits that are serious and meaningful. Take someone who's seriously religious for example. They are already spending a large chunk of their week contemplating spiritual issues and ancient texts, and there's a good chance they are also doing some sort of volunteer work on top of that... perhaps for the poor or domestic abuse victims or something. That's a lot of time to be emotionally embroiled in meaningful real-life drama. If they also work a hard 40-hour job, and also have a challenging home life which leaves them with nothing other than an hour right before bedtime to decompress, that person doesn't need some heavy meaningful experience from TV. Their decision to watch Desperate Housewives may have nothing to do with ignorance or lack of appreciation for the medium, and it may very well be that the overall impact of watching heavy programming in that mindframe would not be more meaningful for that person than simply having their brain switch off for an hour so they can get a break.

Which isn't to say there aren't useless couch potatoes out there who think Magnum P.I. reruns are the actual pinnacle of culture. But I don't believe that represents the general condition of the human race, or at least not in so clean-cut a fashion as that.

Culture is in the eye of the beholder.

No matter what your hobby is there will be someone that looks down on it as inferior or a waste of time.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Culture is in the eye of the beholder.

No matter what your hobby is there will be someone that looks down on it as inferior or a waste of time.

I think the one expection to that might be books.

 

[Shareefruck]

I honestly think almost everyone understands that there are meaningful experiences to be had with television. Especially on streaming platforms, where you almost can't avoid being exposed to very high-quality options even if you're just trying to get to the baking show.

But for most people, they already have other pursuits that are serious and meaningful. Take someone who's seriously religious for example. They are already spending a large chunk of their week contemplating spiritual issues and ancient texts, and there's a good chance they are also doing some sort of volunteer work on top of that... perhaps for the poor or domestic abuse victims or something. That's a lot of time to be emotionally embroiled in meaningful real-life drama. If they also work a hard 40-hour job, and also have a challenging home life which leaves them with nothing other than an hour right before bedtime to decompress, that person doesn't need some heavy meaningful experience from TV. Their decision to watch Desperate Housewives may have nothing to do with ignorance or lack of appreciation for the medium, and it may very well be that the overall impact of watching heavy programming in that mindframe would not be more meaningful for that person than simply having their brain switch off for an hour so they can get a break.

Which isn't to say there aren't useless couch potatoes out there who think Magnum P.I. reruns are the actual pinnacle of culture. But I don't believe that represents the general condition of the human race, or at least not in so clean-cut a fashion as that.

Right, I'm not talking about couch potatoes who think Magnum P.I. is the pinnacle of culture either, but I think that the more worthwhile alternative side of a lot of these forms of entertainment are often dismissed as lesser options than other things (like travel, for example) partly because of their association with the diversion side of entertainment (which occupies the same mediums) because it's usually the thing that people start to move away from and dismiss at that point in their life. Again, that's anecdotal, but I do suspect that it represents some sizeable subsection of the population.