![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galacticjourney[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!]
by Gideon Marcus
The Fall season of television is nearly upon us, so it is appropriate that we pause to reflect on what the Idiot Box has brought us recently. May of last year, Newton Minow, our (relatively) new FCC chief, described television as "The Vast Wasteland." While it may have its moments of education, quality, and even sublimity, he argued, the majority of the stuff you see, network or syndicated, will turn your brain to mush.
I imagine anyone exposing themselves 24 hours a day to every game show, every variety act, every soap opera would make a similar assessment. But what about the selective viewer? The one who rewards only quality with her/his eyeballs? And has there been improvement since Minow made his judgment?
Now, I normally restrict my reviews to things SFnal (science fictional for the non-fan), but over the last year, I've found myself in front of the small screen more hours than I'd normally care to admit. And since a subsection of my followers are, perversely, as interested in my humdrum 1962 life as they are in my analysis, I thought I'd give you insight as to what shows keep the Traveller's tube aglow.
So here are the Galactic Stars, 1961-62 TV edition, covering the television season that ended back in June and has since been in summer reruns. Many of these programs will continue into the Fall season, so consider this a Galactic Readers' Digest:
(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)
by Gideon Marcus
The Fall season of television is nearly upon us, so it is appropriate that we pause to reflect on what the Idiot Box has brought us recently. May of last year, Newton Minow, our (relatively) new FCC chief, described television as "The Vast Wasteland." While it may have its moments of education, quality, and even sublimity, he argued, the majority of the stuff you see, network or syndicated, will turn your brain to mush.
I imagine anyone exposing themselves 24 hours a day to every game show, every variety act, every soap opera would make a similar assessment. But what about the selective viewer? The one who rewards only quality with her/his eyeballs? And has there been improvement since Minow made his judgment?
Now, I normally restrict my reviews to things SFnal (science fictional for the non-fan), but over the last year, I've found myself in front of the small screen more hours than I'd normally care to admit. And since a subsection of my followers are, perversely, as interested in my humdrum 1962 life as they are in my analysis, I thought I'd give you insight as to what shows keep the Traveller's tube aglow.
So here are the Galactic Stars, 1961-62 TV edition, covering the television season that ended back in June and has since been in summer reruns. Many of these programs will continue into the Fall season, so consider this a Galactic Readers' Digest:
(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)
