Why I Hate Television

Such a provocative title.

I don't hate all television, and I don't hate the medium in and of itself. I hate the way networks have decided to push out series in 8, 10, 12-episode increments and then go on hiatus for what seems like years before returning. (I'm talking to you, Mad Men.)

It's not just Mad Men; it's pretty much any dramatic, scripted show these days. It seems that once you get hooked on something and really start getting into the current storyline, it's the end of the season's run—or worse yet, they split a single season up into two parts.

Pretty much everything we watch (or have watched) on a regular basis falls into this category:

Nurse Jackie
Helix
American Horror Story
Z Nation
The Strain
Doctor Who
Masters of Sex
The Walking Dead

Now I realize the cost of producing a full 30 episodes of a series like networks used to do when I was young is astronomical these days—especially when you factor in many of the shows we enjoy are heavy on special effects, but c'mon people. 8 episodes followed by a year-long hiatus? What's the logic in that?

I mean, it's gotten to the point that we cancel our premium channels for half the year because everything we watch is missing from their lineup. That's costing you money, HBO & Showtime.

I suppose I should just give up complaining about this because the companies that produce what we watch don't give a shit as long as the advertising dollars (or paid subscriptions) keep rolling in, but sooner or later if enough people just flat out cancel their premium channels for half the year they might wake up and take notice…