"Where are the talents of yesteryear?"

With Comcast, I have dozens and dozens of stations. But more often than not, I find there is nothing to watch.Even my favorite station Turner Classic Movies tends to show the same popular classics night after night, reserving the less-well-known films for afternoons and the wee small hours. Why don't they realize that true film fans have seen all the well-known flicks and would like to view the rarities? I have zero interest in reality shows and couldn't care less who lost more poundage or who survived on the supposedly deserted island where a crew of fifty is watching your every move. All"CSI"are the same and so is every detective show where the older veteran has a hunky or curvy partner. Most of these have two-second scenes which gives me a headache and 42 commercials which is intolerable.The MSNBC lineup is always interesting, but sometimes too depressing and, again, far too many commercials. Jon Stewart is usually terrific and often not, the same is true of Bill Maher. Dramas like "Scrubs" are often so mauldlin and manipulative you could vomit, which is why I don't watch them. I like true crime shows like "Forensic Files" (the best), but some of the new ones are incredibly stupid like the one that is narrated by the person who was murdered. How stupid is that? "Disappeared" is compelling until you realize you are not going to learn how the disappeared disappeared or where he, she or they have gone. Other crime shows have these arty directors with their jittery cameras which I find unwatchable. "Jeopardy" is always good, but only the last puzzle on" Wheel of Fortune" is worth watching because of all that hyped-up applause and acting is if discovering a letter is Nobel-prize worthy. HBO is entertaining, but since they can say fuck and every other curse they go completely overboard in the use of vulgarities and everyone swears endlessly and in the same tone of voice. Not to mention that "Game of Thrones" was a bore. Daytime tv is complete loss from the insipid morning shows with their corral of over-hyped Kansans to the lowest of all entertainment forms: the soap opera. But don't think I don't watch tv that absolutely fascinates and thrills me, astonishes me with its quality writing, dazzles me with its costumes and productions and impresses me that superior quality of acting and directing. I do. I have been especially thrilled for endless hours this year with two excellent series: "Upstairs/Downstairs" and "The House of Eliot". Of course the first one originally ran from 1971-1975, and the second from 1991-1994. And each collection cost me in excess of $100 with both well worth it. But isn't it obscene that with televisions potential to entertain and enlighten, I have to go back at least 40 years to find programming of significant quality?

Note: I realize the titles or programs should be in italics and not quotes, but for some reason this blog isn't always willing to accommodate me.