Monday, July 30, 2018

Music died in 1997, and TV died in 1998

Interesting article which I will take as proof that music died in 1997.

And I've espoused this theory before, see if you buy it: 1998 is the year TELEVISION died. My reasoning is near the end of this post, but I wanted to link this video from the 1998 Emmy broadcast showing what was then 50 years of television (the Emmys turned 50 that year); it is NEARLY complete (reasons for which are also at the end of this post).

I could have missed them (and I hope to be corrected), but I see no mentions of The Dumont network, very little (if any) PBS (except Sesame Street), and no clips of Maverick, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Sid Caesar, The Smothers Brothers, Jack Paar, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, WKRP in Cincinnati, Mr. Rogers, Dick Cavett, Conan O'Brien or Tom Snyder.

Nor did I see the following shows that won multiple Emmys, including Best Comedy Series:
The Monkees (1967)
Get Smart (1968, 1969)
Barney Miller (1982)

The Larry Sanders Show was also left out, and it would ironically win both the best comedy writing AND directing Emmys at the very ceremony where this montage was shown?!

The fact that this was the PRIMETIME Emmy Awards makes me think they would have left out news, children's and late night shows. But they didn't, and I'm glad. However, they DID leave out most other dayparts by not including game shows or soap operas. No Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right, Famiy Feud, Hollywood Squares, Password, Days Of Our Lives, General Hospital or All My Children.

On top of that, these mostly forgotten shows DID get a mention: China Beach, Chicago Hope, Touched by An Angel, Murder One, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Practice.

So why did TV die in 1998?

It was the year Seinfeld, Mr. Show and The Larry Sanders Show all ended. Phil Hartman was murdered. Norm Macdonald -- the greatest anchor (to that time) for SNL's Weekend Update -- was fired. Howard Stern and Magic Johnson got their own talk shows. Pax TV launches. Dawson's Creek, TRL, Becker and The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer premiere. And right before 1998 started, Chris Farley died.

So what should be added if they wanted to extend this video up to 2018?

The Sopranos
American Idol
Lost
24
Sex & the City
30 Rock
The Office
Survivor
SpongeBob
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Ellen's daytime show
Modern Family
Curb Your Enthusiasm

And then some current events footage. Not much else of interest, is there?


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