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I agree with you. i vividly remember growing up with just three channels. I also remember the Million Dollar Movie, the Early Show, the Late Show and even the Late, Late Show. They all showed great old movies. There was even a station here in N.Y. that showed some of the old classic monster movies (I think the show was hosted by Zachaley (sp?). The movies today do al seem geared towards kids and I rarely go to movies anymore.
If you lived in NYC, you had more than 3 mainstream Channels. We were blessed with WPIX (channel 11), WOR (channel 9), and WNEW (channel 5) before they were absorbed into one of the networks. Then we also had WCBS, WNBC, and WABC. The only other city I think that had the same number of local channels was the LA viewing area. The call letters and channel numbers were the same except they started with a K instead of a W.
I also like old movies and remember watching the chopped up versions with my parents (Million Dollar Movie, The Afternoon Movie, The Late, Late movie) until we saw the American Flag and then the test picture after the station went off the air. Yes, kids, even in the big cities, television was not on 24/7 like now. Even though these movies were from my parent's generation, I knew who the big stars of the day were. My mother would point out who was currently on a soap opera or that Irene Ryan from the Beverly Hillbillies had been a big movie star.
I work with a lot of younger people and the millenials and generation z are unfamiliar with most of the names that we knew, even though those movies were "before our time." Most know Audrey Hepburn who became a millenial fashion icon, Natalie Wood, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable. But few recognize the superstars, such as Rosalind Russell, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Stewart Granger, Edward G. Robinson, William Holden . . .
If you lived in NYC, you had more than 3 mainstream Channels. We were blessed with WPIX (channel 11), WOR (channel 9), and WNEW (channel 5) before they were absorbed into one of the networks. Then we also had WCBS, WNBC, and WABC. The only other city I think that had the same number of local channels was the LA viewing area. The call letters and channel numbers were the same except they started with a K instead of a W.
I also like old movies and remember watching the chopped up versions with my parents (Million Dollar Movie, The Afternoon Movie, The Late, Late movie) until we saw the American Flag and then the test picture after the station went off the air. Yes, kids, even in the big cities, television was not on 24/7 like now. Even though these movies were from my parent's generation, I knew who the big stars of the day were. My mother would point out who was currently on a soap opera or that Irene Ryan from the Beverly Hillbillies had been a big movie star.
I work with a lot of younger people and the millenials and generation z are unfamiliar with most of the names that we knew, even though those movies were "before our time." Most know Audrey Hepburn who became a millenial fashion icon, Natalie Wood, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable. But few recognize the superstars, such as Rosalind Russell, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Stewart Granger, Edward G. Robinson, William Holden . . .
Grew up in NJ in the '50's and we had all those channels you mentioned. Now you can catch all of the stars from yesterday on TMC.
TMC was good when Ted first bought the rights and Osborne was giving insights. I gave up on it with the repeats to cut costs, and the satellite company reducing its bandwidth and visual quality to have more sports and QVC channels. I wouldn't pay spit for it these days.
TMC was good when Ted first bought the rights and Osborne was giving insights. I gave up on it with the repeats to cut costs, and the satellite company reducing its bandwidth and visual quality to have more sports and QVC channels. I wouldn't pay spit for it these days.
Comes with my package. I don't live on it there are plenty of different movies on there to watch. I don't know of any place else that you can legally watch most of these old films now.
Laura, with her mention of Abbott and Costello, reminded me of a fun time of my childhood. My little hometown used to set up two telephone poles in the town park in the summertime. They put up something for a screen and showed movies on Saturday nights.
They'd show an early one for us youngsters and then something more mature for the adults later. Can't say we saw anything highbrow but the excitement of taking a blanket and bug spray and walking a couple of blocks to downtown to see the comedic acts of the thirties and forties created an unforgettable ambiance. Ma and Pa Kettle, Abbot and Costello, the Three Stooges, Francis the Talking Mule.
The Disney animation fairy tales of those eras were also a marvel.
TMC was good when Ted first bought the rights and Osborne was giving insights. I gave up on it with the repeats to cut costs, and the satellite company reducing its bandwidth and visual quality to have more sports and QVC channels. I wouldn't pay spit for it these days.
What year did that happen? No doubt, after Robert died, but what year?
I love old movies, especially pre-code ones. However, many of my very favorite movies are silent ones. The lighting effects in many silent movies were exquisite and the stunts were actually performed by the actors, not stunt men in many cases. I used to get a particular thrill when I lived in my 1927 bungalow thinking that the original owners saw those same movies that I was watching on television when they first were shown in theatres. I even like the actors from the early pictures more than most of the current ones.
I like good movies which includes old movies as well as a few newer movies these days. I too grew up in NYC during the 50's & developed an early love of any old film that could transport me somewhere. Started with Hopalong, the Bowery Boys & Stan & Ollie & moved on to cowboys, private eyes & adventurers. I dropped cable about 10 years ago, TCM was the only difficult breakup. Their reluctance to market a streaming app must mean that too much of their revenue comes from basic cable fees... like "news" channels that mostly feature angry people yelling & pointing fingers that I will not support.
MAX (formerly HBO) has a TCM module with a decent selection of on demand films. Roku has a few decent free apps that have really old but decent movies that include sudden ads.
During the covid era I actually managed a Michael Powell "festival" for myself in that I found all of his films, except one, on my apps, only paid for one. Highlights that I recommend to anybody: "The Red Shoes" "Black Narcissus" "A Matter of Life & Death" "The Life & Death of Col. Blimp"... all amazing, there were more. One or two of his films were actually on Youtube then.
The current reliance on CGI & digital tech in collusion with a younger audience whose entire references aren't from literature or the stage but 24 minute TV shows &, mostly now, video games, means that developing characters and relationships through time & good writing takes a back seat to spectacle & action. There are still good writers, actors & directors but they must turn a huge profit to have any career now, people like the Coen brothers & Alexander Payne are the wonderful exceptions to the rule.
TMC was good when Ted first bought the rights and Osborne was giving insights. I gave up on it with the repeats to cut costs, and the satellite company reducing its bandwidth and visual quality to have more sports and QVC channels. I wouldn't pay spit for it these days.
I remember when AMC American Movie Classics did not show commercials. That didn't last long.
In fact, the early days of cable TV had a lot of great features that were quickly killed off in their extreme greed to bleed us dry of every single possible penny. It has just gotten worse and worse over the years.
I kept asking myself, if I am paying for cable TV, why does it have commercials?
But at least during the first 10 years of cable, it was really good. Like everything else, it didn't take long to be ruined on the alter of their greed.
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