TV Networks That Went Downhill

[Woops]

Coincidentally, there's a "Smurfs" movie in the works.  Not to be confused with the  recent rip-off of  "Dances With Wolves". 

[Out of the Blue]

How much you want to be it will be all CGI and "updated for a modern audience?" 

[Woops]

One day 'til VH1 Classic's 10th anniversary...


Now it's pretty much unwatchable with the same ol' VH1 specials from the past decade/documentaries, movies (some have nothing to do with music like "Three Men & A Baby"), and the music videos tend to be repetative, interrupted by ad pop-ups, and shown mostly during the dusk... Though most of the music related specials and movies are classic rock oriented. Where's the variety?

Then again, not really suprising... 

Well, there's YouTube   

[Woops]

Vintage Disney Channel listings from January 1990


source

NOTE: There are some holes in these listings, mainly due to the fact that TV Week didn't have any listings between 6-8 am for some reason.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14
8 am – Good Morning, Mickey!
8:30 – Superman
9:00 – Disney’s Wuzzles
9:30 – Donald Duck Presents
10:00 – MOVIE: “No Deposit, No Return”
(1976, Comedy)
12 pm – Anne of Green Gables
1:00 – Born Free
1:50 – Disney Salutes the American Teacher
2:00 – MOVIE: “A Shining Season”
(1979, Docudrama)
4:00 – MOVIE: "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men"
(1952, Adventure) 
5:30 – Animals of Africa
6:00 – Danger Bay
6:30 – MOVIE: "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
(1967, Musical-comedy) 
9:00 – Ready Steady Go!
The Who perform "Shout;" the Rolling Stones sing "I Am Waiting."
9:30 – Ready Steady Go!
Otis Redding performs "My Girl."
10:00 – MOVIE: "Solomon Northup's Odyssey"
(1984, Biography)
12 am – MOVIE: "The Great Waldo Pepper"
(1975, Adventure) 
2:00 – MOVIE: “A Shining Season”
(1979, Docudrama) 
3:40 – MOVIE: "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
(1967, Musical-comedy)

MONDAY, JANUARY 15
8 am – Donald Duck Presents
8:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
9:00 – MOVIE: "The Treasure of Swamp Castle" (1980)
10:30 – You and Me, Kid
11:00 – Walt Disney Presents
12 pm – Lunch Box
12:30 - Kaleidoscope Concert
1:00 – MOVIE: "Once Upon a Brothers Grimm"
(1977, Musical) 
3:00 – Welcome to Pooh Corner
3:30 – Superman
4:00 – The Raccoons
4:30 – Donald Duck Presents
5:00 – Kids, Incorporated
5:30 – Mickey Mouse Club
6:00 – MOVIE: “Tom Thumb”
(1958, Fantasy) 
8:00 – Anne of Green Gables
9:00 – MOVIE: "The Flame and the Arrow"
(1950, Adventure)
10:30 – Ready Steady Go!
11:00 – Ozzie & Harriet
11:30 – MOVIE: “Charlotte Forten’s Mission: Experiment in Freedom”
(1985, Biography)
1:30 am – MOVIE: " Once Upon a Brothers Grimm"
(1977, Musical) 
3:30– MOVIE: "The Flame and the Arrow"
(1950, Adventure) 
5:00 – Walt Disney Presents

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16
8 am – Donald Duck Presents
8:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
9:00 – MOVIE: "The Magic Snowman"
(1987, Children) 
10:30 – You and Me, Kid
11:00 – Walt Disney Presents
12 pm – Lunch Box
12:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
1:00 – MOVIE: "The Secret World of Polly Flint"
(1985, Children) 
3:00 – Welcome to Pooh Corner
3:30 – Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?
4:00 – The Raccoons
4:30 – Donald Duck Presents
5:00 – Kids, Incorporated
5:30 – Mickey Mouse Club
6:00 – MOVIE: “The Care Bears Movie”
(1985, Children)
7:30 – Mouseterpiece Theater
8:00 – Lord of the Lions
"Adamson of Africa"
8:50 – Disney Salutes the American Teacher 
9:00 – MOVIE: "Murder at the Gallop"
(1963, Mystery)
10:30 – Ready Steady Go!
The Dave Clark Five boats up the Thames to the sound of "Catch Us If You Can."
11:00 – Ozzie & Harriet
11:30 – MOVIE: "National Velvet"
(1945, Drama)
1:35 am – MOVIE: "The Secret World of Polly Flint"
(1985, Children)
3:30 – MOVIE: "Murder at the Gallop”
(1963, Mystery)
5:00 – Walt Disney Presents

[Woops]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17
8 am – Donald Duck Presents
8:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
9:00 – MOVIE: "Hockey Night"
(1984, Drama)  
10:30 – You and Me, Kid
11:00 – Walt Disney Presents
12 pm – Lunch Box
12:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
1:00 – Who’s In Charge, Here?
2:00 – The Fig Tree
3:00 – Welcome to Pooh Corner
3:30 – Pound Puppies
4:00 – The Raccoons
4:30 – Donald Duck Presents
5:00 – Kids, Incorporated
5:30 – Mickey Mouse Club
6:00 – MOVIE: “Unico in the Island of Magic”
(1984, Children)
7:30 – Danger Bay
Grant investigates sabotage at a fish plant.
8:00 – MOVIE: "The Time Machine"
(1960, Science fiction)
10:00 – MOVIE: "Friendly Persuasion"
(1956, Drama)
12:30 am – MOVIE: "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
(1983, Suspense)
2:00 – MOVIE: "Hockey Night"
(1984, Drama)
3:30 – MOVIE: "The Time Machine"
(1960, Science fiction)  

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18
8 am – Donald Duck Presents
8:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
9:00 – MOVIE: "Barry of the Great St. Bernard"
(1977, Adventure)
10:30 – You and Me, Kid
11:00 – Walt Disney Presents
12 pm – Lunch Box
12:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
1:00 – MOVIE: "Mooncussers"
(1962, Children)
3:00 – Welcome to Pooh Corner
3:30 – Disney’s Wuzzles
4:00 – The Raccoons
4:30 – Donald Duck Presents
5:00 – Kids, Incorporated
5:30 – Mickey Mouse Club
6:00 – MOVIE: "The Journey of Natty Gann"
(1985, Adventure)
8:00 – MOVIE: "Little Miss Broadway" [colorized]
(1938, Musical comedy)
9:30 – MOVIE: “Russkies”
(1987, Comedy-drama)
11:30 – MOVIE: “The Disorderly Orderly”
(1964, Comedy)
1 am – MOVIE: "Mooncussers"
(1962, Children)  
3:00 – MOVIE: “Russkies”
(1987, Comedy-drama)
5:00 – Walt Disney Presents

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
8 am – Donald Duck Presents
8:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
9:00 – MOVIE: “Almost Angels”
(1962, Children)  
10:35 – You and Me, Kid
11:05 – Walt Disney Presents
12 pm – Lunch Box
12:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
1:00 – MOVIE: "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men"
(1952, Adventure)  
2:30 – Grimm’s Fairy Tales
3:00 – Welcome to Pooh Corner
3:30 – Pound Puppies
4:00 – The Raccoons
4:30 – Donald Duck Presents
5:00 – Kids, Incorporated
5:30 – Mickey Mouse Club
6:00 – Don’t Eat the Pictures
7:00 – MOVIE: "The Emperor's New Clothes"
(1987, Children)  
8:30 – Videopolis: StarTracks
Neil Patrick Harris ("Doogie Howser, MD")
9:00 – MOVIE: “Star Wars”
(1977, Science fiction)
11:00 – MOVIE: "Murder at the Gallop"
(1963, Mystery)  
12:30 am – MOVIE: "Spinout"
(1966, Musical comedy)  
2:30 – MOVIE: “Star Wars”
(1977, Science fiction)
4:30 – Scheme
5:00 – Walt Disney Presents

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
7 am: Welcome to Pooh Corner
7:30 – Dumbo’s Circus
8:00 – Good Morning, Mickey
8:30 – Superman
9:00 – Disney’s Wuzzles
9:30 – Donald Duck Presents
10:00 – MOVIE: "Alice in Wonderland"
(1985) Natalie Gregory, Red Buttons.
12 pm – Mickey Mouse Club
12:30 – Teen Win, Lose or Draw
1:00 – Lord of the Lions
2:00 – MOVIE: “Dennis the Menace”
(1987, Comedy-drama)  
3:35 – Here’s Boomer
4:00 – MOVIE: “No Deposit, No Return”
(1976, Comedy)  
6:00 – Anne of Green Gables
7:00 – MOVIE: "Time Flyer"
(1985, Science fiction)  
8:30 – Sidekicks  
9:00 – MOVIE: “Lucas”
(1986, Comedy-drama)
11:00 – MOVIE: "Rooster Cogburn"
(1975, Western)
1 am – MOVIE: “No Deposit, No Return”
(1976, Comedy)  
3:00 – MOVIE: “Lucas”
(1986, Comedy-drama)
5:00 – Walt Disney Presents

[Woops]

Disney Channel...  would have to say that it becoming a non-pay channel in 1997 would be the beginning of the end since the channel would become more tween oriented in about 5 years and older Disney programming (ie " Walt Disney Presents", "Zorro", vintage cartoons) would get shafted to the dusk hours  by 2000 (aka 'Vault Disney' block) until it's removal in 2002.

 It pretty much reestablished itself to a tween/teenybopper channel.

 I was a young teen when Disney Channel became a basic cable channel. Though used to watch free previews and also in various places. I recall "Under the Umbrella Tree", "Mousterpiece Theatre", and "Donald's Quack Attack". 

[Woops]

A new preschool channel will replace Soap Net...

...since there's already Qubo, Sprout, and Nick Jr. why not a Vault Disney Channel  instead with vintage Disney programming and perhaps other tv shows/films not seen elsewhere  else and/or not available on DVD.

Well, since it'll air several Disney movies, it may also air some vintage theatrical shorts (though those, like the animated movies, were aimed towards general audiences)

source

Disney Launching New Preschool Channel
By Maxie Zeus
05-26-2010, 7:38 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Walt Disney Company will launch a 24-hour basic cable/satellite network devoted to preschool programming in 2012, Deadline Hollywood reports.

Disney Junior will feature new series such as Jake and the Never Land Pirates and current shows, such as Mickey MouseClubhouse, Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, Imagination Movers and Jungle Junction. Disney features films will also appear in the lineup.

The new channel will replace SOAPnet, which is being phased out due to the waning popularity of soap operas and the increasing prevalence of DVRs.

from New York Times

The enormous preschool market, on the other hand, represents an area of growth for Disney, which has made inroads with programs like “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” but has not found a cultural phenomenon like “Dora the Explorer.” That hit Nickelodeon series, now a decade old, generates more than $1 billion annually in sales of related products.


Disney also wants its TV portfolio to retain children as they grow. The hope is that they will start with Disney Junior, migrate to Disney Channel, which is aimed at ages 6 to 14, and then move to boy-centric Disney XD or ABC Family.

[Woops]

source

Nick Greenlights "Fairly OddParents" Live-Action Movie to Premiere in 2011
By Ed Liu
07-23-2010, 6:07 PM
Nickelodeon has announced a live-action adaptation of The Fairly OddParents is in production, and is set to premiere on Nickelodeon in 2011. Titled A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner, the movie will feature Drake & Josh star Drake Bell as a grown-up Timmy Turner; Daniella Monet as Tootie; and Jason Alexander and Cheryl Hines as Cosmo and Wanda, Timmy's fairy godparents. The plot of the movie features a 23-year old Timmy still in fifth grade because a child will lose his fairy godparents as soon as he "grows up." Things are complicated by a grown-up Tootie returning to town as a gorgeous grown-up and by Hugh J. Magnate (Steven Weber) attempting to capture Cosmo and Wanda for his own nefarious purposes.

Sounds bad from the get go...

The cartoon was very much mediocre (have seen worse)...Though the main characters are beyond annoying.

[Woops]

A few days before a certain former "music" channel's 29th anniversary and very likely will do nothing to celebrate the 30th...

Found many arcival footage on YouTube...

Discovered a little known show from the channel:

"Cutting Edge", a precursor to "120 Minutes" that was produced by IRS Records (The Go-Go's, English Beat).

Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

The Bangles (1983)

The Bangles (1985)

Grandmaster Flash (1983)

English Beat (1983)

[Woops]

Digital subchannel RTV (Retro Television) will air vintage kids' programming & cartoons on Saturday morning. Though RTV isn't widely available and only on regular non-cable/satellite television.

Note: Richie Rich is more likely the mid '90's cartoon that aired newly created shorts with vintage Famous Studios produced Harveytoons cartoons (featuring characters from Harvey comics).

The cartoons mentioned are from Jay Ward, UPA, Filmation, and  Harveytoons, which all are currently owned by Classic Media.

TV Land did something similar over a decade ago with bad '70's cartoons based on Mighty Mouse, tv shows (ie Star Trek, Brady Bunch), and those bizarre Kroft shows (ie "HR Puff-n-Stuff"), which didn't last long.

Cartoon Network aired Boomerang as a block before it became a channel of it's own, which each week would feature cartoons from a particular year. Though have stopped about six years ago.


source

Beginning in the fourth quarter, the RTV diginet will feature a new Saturday morning lineup. It's moving its current E/I programming to Monday-Friday, 8-9 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET for national feed stations) to make room.

While the schedule has not yet been finalized, it will include some of the following shows: Lassie, Rocky & Bullwinkle, He-Man, She-Ra, Casper, Richie Rich, The Archies, Ghostbusters, Fat Albert, Mr. Magoo and The Lone Ranger.

All affiliates will get the same lineup of retro kids shows for the Saturday morning slot. The kids block will be scheduled to air 8 a.m.-noon local time

RTV's Neal Ardman said: "Everyone at RTV is thrilled to bring back Saturday Morning TV with this fantastic lineup of great shows."

 

[Woops]

There's about 3 hours of MTV from 1983 (in two parts) on Google Video with original commercials and VJ Mark Goodman (plus about 2 minutes of Martha Quinn at a Police concert and lots of promotion for the band's tour).

Part One

Good slice of early '80's MTV, though a hassle to skip boring commercials/certain music videos and getting to favorite songs/videos... (Well, there's YouTube, which I've made several playlists).

Also suprised that it hasn't yet been taken down...though been up since for about three years ago.

[Woops]

VH1 Classic... nothing cool or exciting just the same ol' boring/repetitive stuff, though for some reason I think the person who's in charge is a huge Rush fan since there's always specials about the band on the channel...

VH1 Classic Brings the Heat This September
 
 VH1 Classic Celebrates the Jewish New Year with 'RUSH Hashanah' September 8 @ 7 PM* and 'Back to School' Labor Day Weekend
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer comes to an end, VH1 Classic turns up the heat giving viewers 24-hours of RUSH for "RUSH Hashanah," a Labor Day weekend of "Back to School" classics hosted by Carrie Keagan and "VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" countdown.

"Back To School" Weekend begins Saturday, September 4 @ 1 PM*

Getting ready for the school year will be a little easier this Labor Day weekend with a full schedule of your favorite movies and music on VH1 Classic beginning Saturday, September 4 at 1 PM*. Carrie Keagan hosts this weekend dedicated to "Back To School" with movie classics "Footloose" (Kevin Bacon) and "Back to School" (Rodney Dangerfield). Then, rock out to your favorite classic videos with the premiere of "Back To School Video Countdown" and a countdown of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" and "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s."

Full schedule below:

•"100 Greatest hard Rock Songs" airs Saturday @ 1 PM
•"Back To School Video Countdown" premieres Saturday @ 6 PM 
•"Footloose" airs Saturday, September 4 @ 8 PM
•"100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s" airs Sunday @ 3 PM
•"Back To School" airs Sunday @ 8 PM


"RUSH Hashanah" begins Wednesday, September 8 @ 7 PM*

When sundown hits, RUSH comes out to play this Rosh Hashanah. VH1 Classic celebrates the Jewish New Year with "RUSH Hashanah" starting at sundown on Wednesday, September 8 at 7 PM* for 24-hours straight.  Tune in to the award-winning VH1 Rock Doc "RUSH: Beyond the Lighted Stage," for an up close and personal look at the Canadian musicians and jam to their "RUSH In Rio" concert.  Take an in-depth look at Classic Albums "2112" and "Moving Pictures" premiering at 9:30 PM ET/PT and get even more RUSH when "That Metal Show" hosts Eddie, Don and Jim sit down with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

"VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" begins Monday, September 20 @ 8PM*

It's the definitive countdown of music--from rock to pop to rap to metal. This 5-hour special will rank the biggest of the big: Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Madonna, Jay Z, Led Zeppelin, Beyonce and The Rolling Stones are just some of the names being considered to be named the "Greatest Artist of All Time." Who better to crown number one than VH1? Determined by a poll of musicians and music experts, the series will premiere over four consecutive nights at 8PM. The countdown will include special, rarely-seen performance footage along with brand new, totally original interviews with music's most famous faces. For decades there have been countless arguments about the greatest artists ever. Now VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of All-Time" is out to settle them for once and for all.

Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that present videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best of rock, soul and pop artists from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90s including The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police, Madonna and many more.

[Woops]

Found a thread from the  Usenet archives from 1990 about MTV & VH1. Though MTV would jump in a few years and VH1 by the next decade...

Don't know much about VH1 from the early '90's, though aware that it was more adult contemporary.

I prefer VH-1 if only because each video doesn't sound just like the last or
the next-to-last video.  MTV seems to play one of two things at any given time:


        1.  Dance music.  Take this however you like.  Paula Abdul, Janet
                Jackson, Bobby Brown, Milli Vanilli, etc.                                       Not that all this music is exactly the same,
                it just seems that way to me.  A synthesized beat and
                some perfunctory vocals.


        2.  Hard rock.  This includes Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Poison, Alice
                Cooper (I'm very sorry to say), Def Leppard, or any other
                number of silly looking people with hair extensions that
                totally rely on MTV for their popularity.


I challenge anyone to tune in to MTV any time [other than their half-hour (!)  
show during which they play old videos, or one of their after-midnight shows
which showcase somewhat progressive music after everyone who has a day job is
long since asleep] and find anything but this crap (my opinion).


VH-1 shows some stuff that I consider pretty boring, whether it's because I
am not exposed to it enough otherwise or whatever, but for the most part
their playlist contains a lot of stuff with merit.  I won't go into it since
for some reason I find it easier to criticize music than compliment it
(although I know what I like).  But I feel that VH-1 definitely has a more
diverse playlist and they don't have those RIDICULOUS and DISTRACTING
backgrounds that MTV is using now.


So much for my 2 cents.


Jim

> Anyway, I just wondered. Those of you that have a choice. Which Music
> Television do you prefer?


        I've been an avid watcher of both MTV and VH1 since their debut on our
NewChannels Cable System in Syracuse, New York. I have found that the quality
of MTV has degraded about 100-fold since it powered up seven (?) years ago. It
really sucks now. I've been watching a lot of VH1, because I enjoy their more
mellow selections a lot more than Madonna or Debbie (ack!) Gibson every few
minutes. Some of the specials on MTV are cool, like my personal favorites, the
Dial-MTV and Headbanger's Ball, but nothing is more relaxing or enjoyable than
Sunday Brunch with Bobby Rivers - the guy is incredible. Cracks me up all the
time!

        I guess if I had to live without one, I'd live without VH1, but only
because of the two aforementioned favorite programs of mine. If MTV removed
them (the only remaining good shows on MTV - my opinion) I would pick VH1

In article <-G|#...@rpi.edu> pri...@pawl.rpi.edu (prince) writes:
>How many people know of "The other Music Television" VH-1? Video Hits One is
>owned by MTV, and it is allegedly geered towards an older yuppy crowd, but *I*
>definitely am not a yuppy but I prefer it, since there is no HEAVY METAL on
>this channel. However I hve noticed recently that Vh-1 is not showing as much
>dance music as they used to at all. Janet's "Escapade", Paula's "Opposite
>Attract" and the B-52's "Roam" are NOT being played by Vh-1, though in all 3
>cases their previous singles were very big successes. VH-1 does show really cool
>stuff that MTV wouldn't dream about, like Tracy CHapman's "Born To Fight",
>plus new stuff from Tanita Tikaram,Basia,Julia Fordham and Soul II Soul.

>Anyway, I just wondered. Those of you that have a choice. Which Music Television
>do you prefer?


>                                   PRINCE  



Which do I prefer?  MTV, but that is NOT to say I don't watch VH-1.

I LOVE heavy metal, but sometimes (3am when everyone is mellow or hungover)
it's not appropriate.  I dislike however a lot of the stupid shows that
they show on MTV (Just say Julie [just say NO!], Remote COntrol [idiots], and
thier interminable babbleing at spring break and such every year), so I switch
to VH-1 where they babble a lot less.  I also don't like RAP, so I don't
watch Yo, MTV Raps, and once again switch channels.  


I do like the fact that VH-1 plays a lot of Jazz (Branford Marsaillis and
such), so sometimes I watch just fo r that stuff.


But I still go for MTV first.

[Woops]

(I prefer Deb over Madonna...though that's another topic)

Actually watched more VH1 than MTV in 1998/1999 and the early 2000's. MTV, only specials, countdowns, cartoons, and some music videos, which I recall aired mostly in the night. VH1 focused more on older music, which gotten my interest more.

Started watching MTV around 1996, though wasn't actually into popular music until the next year.

some more comments from the Usenet thread...




      

I'd rather watch VH-1 as compared to the Janet Jackson s##t
        on MTV. Mainly coz VH-1 has a variety of music, including
        classic rock :-) and it does *not* have Julie whatever the hell her
        name is.

        But then one does come across some interesting stuff on the MTV-News,
        like who is on tour and who else is playing Farm-aid!
        VH-1 on the other hand has these new crummy shows like "The whole
        Enchilada" and something madness--that chick is *not* funny at all.


        But VH-1 takes my vote over MTV big time.


        let it roll...

I think IMHO that is the current problem with both of VH1 and MTV. When MTV
started it targeted an audience (that in '81 or whenever I happened to fit)
They decided who they wanted to watch and played videos that that group wnated
to listen to and sold to advertisers that wanted to sell to that group.
Then the people either loved it or hated it. Either you liked most of what
they played or almost none of it (hey just like most radio stations do).
you forgot one type they play -- RAP (I refuse to user the word music after
that, much like military inteligence :-)). anyone who like Hard Rock does not
like RAP or dance music. The same is true for the other corners of the triangle.
Someone at MTV thinks it is better to satisfy 1/3 of the audience 1/3 of the
time rather than all of a smaller audience all of the time. Unfortunately
VH1 is the same way with different groups of music the same person that likes
Steve Winwood does not like Niel Sadaka or Paula Abdul... I no longer have
any use for either of them but wish someone could see their shortcommings
and re-invent early MTV ideas.

Calvin Sanders

[Out of the Blue]

I've always liked Vh1 over MTV.

And I strongly prefer Deborah to Madonna.