Why is TOS no longer in syndication in the US? We get plenty of TNG. No TOS and no DS9. Enterprise is only available on HDNET and Voyager has 2 or 3 times a week.
Why is TOS no longer in syndication in the US?
- Thread starter ConRefit79
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I have ATT Uverse. Its search feature only finds the series I listed and the occasional film. I cannot tell you if it is running in syndication on some local station somewhere in the US. All I can say is, I cannot find it on expanded cable and my local stations.
I have Comcast in SF, and just checked. Incredibly, no TOS and no DS9 either. ENT, VOY, TNG and about four of the movies are listed. With all the crap they have, they can't find space for the two best series? I ran across something called Deep Fried Parasite. No kidding! They show that but not TOS. Geezus.
TNG and TOS are on back to back every night in Seattle.
With home video, and the likelihood that the audience that would most eagerly want to see TOS probably already has it on DVD, there's far less demand for seeing it on TV.
Many of the TV shows from the '60s, '70s, and '80s are no longer shown. Is it any wonder that anyone younger than 40 is even aware of TOS or a myriad of other TV shows? Now they get treated to endless "reality" shows--they need to kill off cast members for sweeps month, why don't they do that?--and five channels airing Ghost Whisperer reruns at once.
You'd think that the age group currently running TV would have a twinge of nostalgia and actually air the old shows. And why can't turned-to-crap channels like Sci-Fi and TV Land have competition? Sure, there are 400 channels but there's little competition in so-called niche channels. Monopolization Blues, baby...
I'd kill to see Harry-O again!
Star Trek was blessed with an exceptionally long syndicated run. Most shows from the era vanished from the airwaves upon cancellation. The more successful shows might have lasted through the 70's into the very early 80's. It wasn't until baby boomer nostalgia stations cropped up, like Nick at Nite, that old programming had something of a comeback. However, some shows were perpetual: I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, The Honeymooners, Star Trek, etc. Yet, even those other programs have only sporadic airings. Zone and Honeymooners are often left for holiday marathon runs. Once inescapable, Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch have fallen aside. Star Trek is a 44 year old show, and no amount of CGI effects will change that. Oldsters like me and some younger viewers open to less recent fare still enjoy the show, but the once huge audience isn't there anymore. Now the schedule is populated by more profitable ratings winners of recent and current vintage, such as CSI(s), Criminal Minds, Law and Order(s), Ghost Whisperer, Friends, and Two and a Half Men. Star Trek is easily found on home video and with Fancast, Hulu, and YouTube providing legal access, it's become less and less advantageous for broadcast stations to run 60's programming, no matter how legendary. Some shows, which aren't even available on video, can be found on these internet broadcasters, like It Takes a Thief.
Classic Star Trek has had its place in the sun (and then some), and while it will probably be seen on TV somewhere in the US for some time to come, it will prove to be more difficult to find (we can expect it to be hauled back out when the next movie is released). Considering how long it's been on the air, and how easy it is to watch without a station carrying it, I can't say it's that much of a tragedy. Not when you consider all of the other worthy programming forgotten by the public which might never see mass release.
Classic Star Trek has had its place in the sun (and then some), and while it will probably be seen on TV somewhere in the US for some time to come, it will prove to be more difficult to find (we can expect it to be hauled back out when the next movie is released). Considering how long it's been on the air, and how easy it is to watch without a station carrying it, I can't say it's that much of a tragedy. Not when you consider all of the other worthy programming forgotten by the public which might never see mass release.
TV Land still carries a bunch of classics. SciFi channel could run them late at night. If they did not cost an arm and a leg, I might buy them.
TV Land is gradually moving to more recent shows. Their classic line up amounts to Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Andy Griffith, and Bewitched. The first two can be found elsewhere and uncut (Encore Westerns, for example). The TV Land line up is now including Boston Legal and Everybody Loves Raymond.
SyFy would rather run wrestling. Besides, these commercial stations slice up the longer shows of yesteryear to ribbons. I'd love to see a premium channel filled with classic TV shows, all uncunt and commercial free. Some of the premiums do carry old shows; the aforementioned Encore Westerns runs Have Gun Will Travel, Maverick, and Cheyenne. Encore Action used to run The Time Tunnel, The Green Hornet, and Combat. I'd love to see more of this.
SyFy would rather run wrestling. Besides, these commercial stations slice up the longer shows of yesteryear to ribbons. I'd love to see a premium channel filled with classic TV shows, all uncunt and commercial free. Some of the premiums do carry old shows; the aforementioned Encore Westerns runs Have Gun Will Travel, Maverick, and Cheyenne. Encore Action used to run The Time Tunnel, The Green Hornet, and Combat. I'd love to see more of this.
^ Guess I'll have to a look for a deal on the DVD's. I managed to get 4 seasons of FarScape, not the all in one set, and Peace Keeper Wars for < $120.
Unfortunately everytime I'm flipping through the channels and I catch sight of "Star Trek---" I get excited and then I am let down when the rest of it says "The Next Generation". Bleh.
And Deep Fried Parasite? Yummers!
I'd forgotten about the cut-to-ribbons aspect; I actually avoided watching it on Sci-Fi for that very reason, because I just wound up yelling at the screen about how they'd cut to commercials, quite literally, in the middle of a scene, sometimes in the middle of a line of dialogue! Local stations treated TOS with more respect than Sci-Fi did, which is travesty in and of itself.
The remastered version airs every weeknight in the Detroit area. But on such a small, cheapo station that it makes me wonder if the show has slipped in popularity to the point where such a station can afford it. It's the kind of channel that airs only badly produced local commercials for local "our deals are insane" retailers and ambulance chasing lawyers. It's preceded by "Lost In Space" and followed by televangelists.
You know, not for anything, but since Star Trek has run all over the world for four decades, I actually get more excited to hear "Lost in Space" is getting airtime.
I know. I was actually startled to hear that LOST IN SPACE was still being aired anywhere!
I was having lunch at a Long John Silver's recently and heard Pat Boone's version of "Long Tall Sally", which I didn't even think was legal anymore, so anything is possible.
STNG is everywhere...its on major cable networks, syndication and international networks. TOS, even TOS-R has bascially diappeared...Enterprise is shown frequently on Syfy and often has marathons. I think the most popular ST show and most recent are the reasons why they are still on. Anyone who wants TOS(R) has the ultimate versions of them on bluray..so I think networks have pretty much given up on airing it.
RAMA
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