HATE the Direction in programming HISTORY channel is going?

[CrimsonGhost]

Hi there First I would like to start by saying, that I'm in NO WAY trying to spam here, I'm in no way getting anything out of doing this.

I have been a HUGE fan of the History channel since its inception back in 1995.
If your a fan like I am you have noticed the current direction they have taken with its programming lately.

The History Channel has for years had great informative shows, they were well produced and I have learned alot.

It was one of very very few channels that you could be entertained by and learn a lot at the same time.

Over the past few years, the network has been launching more and more "Reality" shows, with little to none in terms of redeeming value. Its really going in the direction that MTV took.

Instead of programs that delve into HISTORY, (What the Channel Is NAMED!) We have the following cheaply produced programs that have nothing to do with History.

For instance, Here are just a few examples.

Lets start with the the classic, This is what I call the "people arguing with scripting and camera tricks to create fake situations." reality formula,

This Includes,

Axmen
Ice road truckers
Madhouse

Next we have the "End of the world" programs.

Life after people
The Nostradamus effect
Apocalypse Island - ARE YOU FRIGGEN SERIOUS!> Apocalypse Island?!
Doomsday 2012
Nostradamus 2012
The Other Nostradamus
The Bible Code II: Apocalypse and Beyond
After Armageddon
Mayan Doomsday Prophecy
Siberian Apocalypse
Life after people

The Next genre I call "Monsters,ghosts and UFOS" This includes the following.

UFO hunters
Monster quest
Jurassic fight club

Then we Mix in the other NON historical TERRIBLE programming like tougher in Alaska, Gangland, amongst others.

Perhaps some of the programming I just mentioned can be somewhat entertaining, but it DOES NOT BELONG ON HISTORY!.


The list goes on, Wow, a lot of "HISTORY" There! Sounds more like the SciFi, oh wait "SYFY" as its known now. (see a pattern here?)


I'm starting a grassroots push to make sure that the History channel, A&E Television and its advertisers Hear our voices, in bringing back Quality, integrity, education and most importantly HISTORY back to the History Channel!,


Just look at any post that History channel posts, read the comments, you will see hundreds of unhappy viewers venting their frustration. Or just Google "History channel programming" and see just how unhappy many of us are.



If you are on Facebook, please join the group, "SAVE THE HISTORY CHANNEL!" <-- just put that in the search bar,. or Email these contacts @ History/A&E Television.

Please email the following at A&E Television, And if you have any other contacts at A&E Television/History Channel, Please Send them in !!

feedback@aetv.com
,Mel.Berning@aetn.com,
Peter.Olsen@aetn.com,
Jim.Agius@aetn.com
,Amy.Baker@aetn.com,
Brian.Joyce@aetn.com
,Marcela.Tabares@aetn.com,
Shawn.Walker@aetn.com
,Erica.Driscoll@aetn.com,
Stephen.Rhee@aetn.com
,abbe.raven@aetn.com,
robert.sharenow@aetn.com,
bob.debitetto@aetn.com,



Hopefully for once, we can make a dent here!,
Thanks,
Jason

[RWP]

Never really thought about it but tend to agree, most of the shows you listed are junk. I especially dislike all the Life After People crap. Who cares? Guess they ran out of old B&W WWII footage.

[Jimmy Bones]

I like some of those shows you listed, and some do fit the network's genre.

However, as far as the apocalyptic thing goes, it's all the rage these day, with 2012 coming up.

Gangland, underworld, etc, those absolutely historical relevance.

Their reality shows should be on discovery, in my opinion. I dig their UFO stuff, but not so many, all the time...

Basically, the thing that makes me love and hate the History channel at the same time is the reruns. ALL the time. TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT of the SAME show over and over and over.

[Pitbull Growl]

I actually kinda like gangland, and that other one where the guy travels the world to talk to the most feared gangs on the planet (I forget the name of the show.... and it could actually be a NatGeo show)

Originally Posted by RWP

Guess they ran out of old B&W WWII footage.

For a while there I thought it was The Nazi Network.

[Truktek2]

I don't think it's exclusive to the History channel. Pretty much everything on TV is worthless nowadays. Short of a few sitcoms that are good for a laugh I find it to be a waste of time.

[DrSmaggs]

I like Pawn Stars, because you usually get a cool history lesson with stuff people show up with on the show.

Gangland is okay, because it's actually informative and whatnot. I don't stay up to watch it, but if it's already on, I usually check it out.

I don't understand the format for lots of the other shows, as they seem to belong on a sports network or maybe a science channel, rather than History Channel.

I still like History Channel, though.

[CrimsonGhost]

Looks like there is quite the uprising over at the History channel "pickers" forums, with unhappy viewers, I really hope that the bigwigs will get the message!

come on 76ers! join the education fight!

[McHaven]

History channel is worthless for education. Remember when TLC was The Learning Channel? Now its just either midgets, huge families, or fatties.

[bassrique]

History International actually has some history programming. The HC channel has been junk for years if one wants history.

The Science Fiction channel made a change last year for the worse. C'est la vie.

[username n/a]

Start watching History International. It has a lot less suck.

[CrimsonGhost]

Originally Posted by McHaven

History channel is worthless for education. Remember when TLC was The Learning Channel? Now its just either midgets, huge families, or fatties.

TLC is now the SIDESHOW FREAK channel.

[Relic]

I could not agree more, I used to love the History Channel, not I find it to be utter garbage.

[Simo98]

It makes perfect sense, the history, of the future!


To be perfectly honest, i hate the way television is going in general, i rarely watch TV anymore.

[BartmanPDX]

It probably has something to do with the general dumbing down of America. More and more people are morons.

Want better ratings? Produce TV that appeals to them.

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by McHaven

History channel is worthless for education. Remember when TLC was The Learning Channel? Now its just either midgets, huge families, or fatties.

Yeah, but you're learning about midgets, huge families, and fatties. What's the problem?

Mike

[IconBasser]

*sigh* I too have noticed the disreputable decline in intelligent programming on the History Channel. Although I do believe that Gangland is an informative show that does relay important information on how crime organizations have been formed in America.

The only new show that I think is really excellent is The Universe. Good stuff.

[Nedmundo]

While I like some of the shows you mention, and some might have historical relevance, I completely agree with your general point and History Channel's decline has been bugging me for years. They really lost me with Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men. History International is much better, but I keep forgetting about it.

Also, as others said, Learning Channel and Discovery have declined as well. For substance, I normally head to National Geographic, but even that has plenty of weak programming.

With so many channels, and so many programs having been produced on so many topics, the quality average is bound to decline over time. This is apparent even within some shows, like UFO Hunters. After they analyzed the few compelling cases, the show got really thin IMO.

[emor]

And didn't Bravo (the Skanky Housewives channel) used to be ARTS programming?

[Rocker949]

I'll have to say I agree with what others have posted here in saying that I never watch the History Channel, but I do watch History International quite a lot. In fact, it is one of my favorite channels.

[MJ5150]

I just finished watching a cool show on the History Channel about military snipers and a soldier in Afghanistan who nailed a 1.5 mile kill shot on the third try.

-Mike