tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post2235901961644102980..comments2024-03-27T22:27:16.556-04:00Comments on It's About TV: The past, brought to you by the presentMitchell Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-57218591108530057572016-07-06T23:32:21.018-04:002016-07-06T23:32:21.018-04:00I like the idea! And while there is no substitute ...I like the idea! And while there is no substitute for shared reactions emanating from the same room, it would be nice if it were open to others as well, though obviously that's easier said than done. I think once I had a group together, each month I would invite a different member to program a viewing night. David Hofstedehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288510542472710879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-32767446647805581002016-07-06T15:30:19.300-04:002016-07-06T15:30:19.300-04:00You're absolutely right about that, David - te...You're absolutely right about that, David - television was meant, I think, to be communal, not to be something done in isolation from others. All we have left as shared experiences are what - sports and news events? Where's the fun in that? <br /><br />One of my pet projects (which I'd probably be farther along on if I actually did something about it) is to start a classic television group that would meet once a month and watch some old TV shows and then discuss. The shows could have a current theme, or they could all be from the same year, or star the same person - something that would allow for a fun discussion/argument about it afterwards. And that goes directly against this idea that watching TV is now a solitary activity, which is why I think it's a good idea. Do you have any thoughts on that? It would probably be a local group, but I can even see expanding it so that people living in another area or unable to make the meeting could watch the same show on their own TV and then Skype or IM in and be part of the discussion. I personally think it would be a lot of fun!Mitchell Hadleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-55154896804428914312016-07-06T13:06:55.727-04:002016-07-06T13:06:55.727-04:00Excellent piece about a topic I've also ponder...Excellent piece about a topic I've also pondered many times. I agree with your assessment that it's easier to celebrate TV's past with the technology of the present...however, when we had no choice but to watch a program on a certain day at a certain time, as we still must do when going to a Broadway show, it made the presentation more significant. It also had a more communal aspect, as we sat down to watch these shows knowing that tens of millions of other people were doing the same thing at the same time (give or take a time zone difference). We don't have enough such shared passions anymore, and while I wouldn't go as far as to say it contributed to the current fractures in our society, I do think it's nice to have something we can all enjoy together. But as I once wrote in a similar rumination, if you can do something anytime you want, there's nothing special about doing it. David Hofstedehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288510542472710879noreply@blogger.com