Posted in: CBC, CBS, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: bad tv, bleeding cool, cbs, Evil, NCIS, opinion, pilots, series, shows, streaming, television, The Big Bang Theory, The Stand, The Talk, Young Sheldon

CBS Has Become a Revolving Door For Bad Television: Opinion

Before I start, I would like everyone to know that if I could punt kick the fictional character of "Young Sheldon' off a cliff…I would and it would be for free. He annoys the ever-living sh*t out of me and is a horrible character representation of those living outside a neurotypical life. Also, as a byproduct of the turd stain on sitcom history that was The Big Bang Theory, the show depicting the childhood of the main star is exactly what I'd expect from CBS. The network wasn't always responsible for content such as this. Any network has a history of ups and downs of content since no decision is always perfect when it comes to television, but CBS needs to rethink theirs within the past few years.

While I have that special hellish place in my soul for The Big Bang Theory's toxic incel culture disguised as quirky "nice" guys, I have more than feelings just on that show. CBS has shown love for only a select few types of shows within the 21st century. These shows include but are not limited to: desperate "pick me" sitcoms; overdone reality competitions; hit and miss late night tv; shows with potential but also canceled within a short time; talk shows that make me concerned for the suburban mom; crime shows obsessed with any branch of the U.S. military, and shows that should be on air but are hidden behind the paywall of CBS All Access. Now, let's pick apart those "fun" (*starts slightly sobbing*) categories shall we?

The hard-to-watch nature of the "pick me" sitcoms is what makes CBS unique, but in a squirrel dodging traffic sort of way. We all know the "pick me" girls who give the middle finger to feminism in hopes it makes them…better than others? In any case, both CBS and those girls resemble a dwarf hamster on some sort of ecstasy, spinning in his wheel like his life depends on it as well as the success of the local pet store. These sitcoms project an attempt at relating to an audience that they don't have, or to those too old to be willing to think outside of their comforting bubble of belief. Some shows like Bob <3 Abishola or Mom will have drastically different futures ahead of them…with one likely having a shorter lifespan due to *cough* giving into institutional racism *cough*. Now shorter lifespans would be great for CBS if they were given to the correct types of shows like some reality competitions.

Not going to give much attention to reality television on CBS except that you need to stop filming Survivor on the same couple of islands and not expect us to notice after the 100th season. While you would think CBS has to have some sort of power or great insight on late-night television, it doesn't look like it. One good decision on their part was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it has plenty of heart with fantastic research teams and band. But that thing over in the corner, that being The Late Late Show with James Corden? It feels like a bad attempt at Corden to gain recognition in any way he can.

It could be a slippery slope for CBS when it comes to late-night television, but they also don't do well in daytime talk shows either. The Talk is simply a weird discount version of The View, and nobody was out there going "I wish I had more horny middle-aged women confused about social issues talking around a table for too long". Yet no one listens to the most technologically connected generations, but they apparently do when it comes to suburban women who long for clitoral stimulation and knowledge of how the Roku works. CBS doesn't only beg on their knees for suburban white woman viewership with their daytime TV, they also figuratively blow every branch of the military. The primetime lineup for shows surrounding military and/or "law enforcement" could start its own network or cable channel. The variety in these shows only comes from actor changes, conducting scripts like mad libs, and which douchebag soundtrack they should go with.

CBS has the capabilities of being a better network. This is the same entity that brought us I Love Lucy and even The Twilight Zone. We've been lucky enough to see a revival of the previously mentioned series, now with creative direction by Jordan Peele– but where CBS went wrong is that they've decided not to directly air the modern series take on the classic. Instead, the network has hidden this and others (like the upcoming limited series The Stand) behind the paywall of their "All-Access" programming. The fantastic work of many shows is not easily seen by an audience that CBS would benefit from. Broadcast networks have f**ked up connections with creative people and projects in the past- a perfect example being David Lynch and Twin Peaks. It will take a long time and a change to its programming philosophy to make me care for CBS again. They've got more than enough work ahead of them, so here's hoping they stop sliding around in their own s**t and clean their floors for once.

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