Great Questions of the TV and Digital Universe?

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May 7, 2024 by phicks2012

Actually, there ARE no really “Great Questions of the TV and Digital Universe”, unless you include “Why did they cancel Firefly?” and “How did Two Broke Girls last more than one episode?”, but the title sounded catchier than “Pointless Questions to Ask Your TV Provider”, so here goes.

Question:
If Forensic Files has 402 Episodes, why do they show the same few over and over?
Answer:
Who Knows? Google apparently doesn’t, neither does my Cable TV provider, and I’ve been thus far unable o find a TV Psychic to ask.
My Response:
Hey, I’m a mystery geek who enjoys seeing how crimes are solved, but once I know whodunnit, I sort of KNOW. Show me some new freaking episodes or let me find another decent crime-solver series, okay?

Question:
What exactly does Netflix mean by “Gritty”?
Answer:
Gritty is often used to describe things that are dark and edgy. If a movie is gritty, that probably means it is violent, depressing, or isn’t for kids.
My Response:
Yeah, well they lost me at “dark” and “depressing”.

Question:
Is there an actual reason why “Real Housewives” (in any specious incarnation) is still on the air?
Answer:
The Real Housewives franchise is a huge anchor for the Bravo network and won’t be going away anytime soon. They also film and air year round, are a ratings hit for the network, and employ a lot of people.
My Response:
And that sort of thing is a BIG reason why I never tune to Bravo. I fit with their Demographic about as well as I’d fit in at a MAGA rally.

Question:
Will we ever see another great dramedy like Bones?
Answer:
This sort of thing is pure speculation, because Bones had (for me) a unique mix of drama, humor, romance, excellent writing, and superb casting of a great ensemble cast (and of truly amazing extras/regular guests (like Stephen Fry, Billy Gibbons, Cyndi Lauper, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Betty White, Stewie Griffin/Seth MacFarlane, Zooey Deschanel, the cast of “Sleepy Hollow”, and Motley Crue), many of them returning for multiple episodes.
My (additional) Response:
Maybe we should ask Hart Hanson. I asked on the Bones Facebook group, but got no answers, and they have sleezy stalkers on that group who message just about all female posters in bad English wanting to be “friends”. Yeah. I think not.

Question:
What was my first email provider?
Answer:
Compuserve
My Response:
This is a trick question, having nothing to do with TV. I have been trying to remember this for MONTHS, and could only recall that 1) I had to buy the software, 2) it was in a yellow box, and that 3) I didn’t have the option of selecting my own email address. It was preassigned, and I could never remember the series of alphanumerics involved. It took a LOT of on-line searching, let me tell you, before that company name finally popped up, but when it did I actually shouted “Eureka!!” When AOL hit the market (and you had to buy the software for that too) I was finally able to select an email address I could remember, and I was ecstatic!! And yes, I’m OLD!!

Question: What happened to the regulations requiring TV News programs to tell the truth?
Answer: In 1949, the FCC issued a report that established the duty of broadcast licensees to cover controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner. That obligation was termed the Fairness Doctrine. Its basic requirements were that broadcasters “devote a reasonable portion of broadcast time to the discussion and consideration of controversial issues of public importance” and “affirmatively endeavor to make … facilities available for the expression of contrasting viewpoints held by responsible elements with respect to the controversial issues,” per a report by the Congressional Research Service. But, in August 1987, the FCC voted to abolish the doctrine on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment and stifled the sort of democratic debate it was intended to promote, according to the New York Times. (The decision had no impact on a rule that candidates for public office be offered equal airtime, since that had become law. It also left the editorial and personal-attack provisions, which were in effect until 2000.) However, a report by the Congressional Research Service notes that broadcast is “distinct from cable, satellite, and the Internet, which are all services for which consumers must pay”. Therefore the Fairness Doctrine probably would not have prevented fake news/propaganda sources like Fox News from proliferating.
My Response: I had not known (prior to checking up on this) that the Fairness Doctrine would not have applied to Cable or Internet News even if it were still in effect. My main complaint has never really been with regular broadcast network news, but instead with cable and internet “news” channels that act as propaganda outlets and distort, misrepresent, and outright lie to the viewing public.

Question: What happened to Smell-o-Vision?
Answer: Smell-O-Vision was a system that released odor during the projection of a film so that the viewer could “smell” what was happening in the movie. The technique was created by Hans Laube and made its only appearance in the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, produced by Mike Todd Jr., son of film producer Mike Todd. The process injected 30 odors into a movie theater’s seats when triggered by the film’s soundtrack. Roughly similar concepts of integrating odor experiences into entertainment performances have dated back to at least 1868 for live theatre, with the first usage for film being in 1906, and other similar approaches were used in the same era, such as General Electric’s “Smell-O-Rama” of 1953 and the competitive system called “AromaRama” in 1959. Various similar concepts have also been used since then, such as John Waters’s “Odorama” enhanced version of his film Polyester in 1982. Sadly, huge costs and poor reception meant that Smell-O-Vision didn’t take off. Artistic concerns about the distraction of the smells and their effect on the film-viewing experience saw the system shelved as one Time magazine’s Top 100 Worst Ideas of All Time.
My Response: I don’t always agree with TIME Magazine (is that even still being published except for memorial issues?), but when I do — I do. 😉