How Dead Is Cable TV?

How much worse can it get in the 2020s? I don't know what the standards are for every single channel and conglomerate, but it probably varies. Streaming has grown more and more. Apps on phones. Everything. The future is looking very grim. Which channels have suffered the most. This is courtesy of ctv.kwayisi.org for some networks changes and their look at cable in general.

The reason why I'm curious is because of Viacom and CNN. You get one look at Viacom and it is a mess of channels. BET has stayed consistent in a year's span. Interesting considering all the Martin and Fresh Prince reruns with airing the same films over and over. Comedy Central has suffered with a 15 percent decline from last year. They have a library they can dig into instead of airing The Office and South Park. How about movies that don't star Adam Sandler and Vince Vaughn? No knock against those two guys, but comedy variety is a thing. CMT is a shell of itself, but is doing a tiny bit better. MTV's numbers have stumbled with some uptick recently. It's a zig zag despite tries to not air three plus days worth of Ridculousness. MTV2 and Classic's numbers are a very small blip. They're not at risk given the standards.

Nickelodeon has dropped a bit at 26 percent. I don't know if it's the network in general, but the lack of shows that aren't SpongeBob SquarePants, not enough airing of shows, the political route they are going. Viacom is trying to pander on every channel they have, but this is bad for a network that has kids as the demographic. Nick at Nite doesn't even have much either. A stark contrast from 2005-06. Paramount Network saw a small decline of 9 percent, but it has fluctuated wildly. Cut the Bar Rescue marathons and not have reruns of shows from their other networks, and it could fare a little better. Maybe some films that aren't the usual ones they air. TV Land also fluctuates. That channel suffers from having the same shows over and over, but they're not overaired for the most part. VH1 has suffered a bit at a 22 percent decline from a year perspective. Do they have any new shows or new anything? Something that isn't a rerun or the same films? Viacom's smaller stuff is doing okay. The big channels I would be worried about.

There was to be a ratings drop at CNN. To drop 45 percent from where they were a year prior, that says something. Too many controversies with anchors, getting exposed by other media channels. These channels do have social media presence, but it will not save them as a channel. Turner has its highs and lows. Headline News is not doing well, but not struggling badly like CNN. TBS is steady despite a 9 percent decline.The amount of shows and films helps, but they could do better with cutting hours of Friends and The Bing Bang Theory and give other shows they have a license to a chance. TNT has done a lot better. I'd argue some of their original shows and airings of acquired shows and films has helped. The NBA, not so much. While not declining hugely, TruTV is near the point of an average of less than 100 thousand viewers. As much as I like Impractical Jokers, airing less of it could help. More airings of stuff like Tacoma FD and Fast Foodies would alleviate Joker fatigue. I don't think airing movies has helped at all.

What channels do you think have suffered the most? I intend to do more blogs about cable in the near future.

Nickelodeon Heavy Hitting Returns

The biggest cows for Nickelodeon were Ren and Stimpy, Rugrats, and SpongeBob SquarePants. This is in terms of merchandising. Ren and Stimpy had a decent amount of video games (The Sega ones are good). But the other two were a lot more marketable beyond games. As we are in 2021, the network has plans for those other two. A reboot for Rugrats and two new SpongeBob spin-offs.

The Rugrats reboot comes about as the show will turn 30 in August (Ren and Stimpy as well) It's going to be on Paramount Plus, the streaming app. According to sites like KIRO-7, they are bringing back the original voice actors for the kids. Whether they have the adults, I don't know. Be hard to replace Grandpa Lou since Joe Alaskey passed away in 2016, and that was his second voice actor. Judging by the report and some images, this looks like pre-movie era. That's the best I can guess. Obviously, different animation, but it doesn't look dreadful. Depending on the quality of the writing and humor, I can see some friends I know getting into it.

With SpongeBob, I don't know why they didn't do a spin-off of anything 15 years ago. The first show, Kamp Koral, looks like a really bad idea. The first episode is already out on Paramount Plus, so I can't comment much else. Ten year old SpongeBob wouldn't be much different from the adult version, so I don't grasp doing this. What's also weird is having Sandy on it, retconning the very first batch of episodes. This is a show they could have done as regular episodes of regular SpongeBob.

The next is The Patrick Star Show, which is set to debut in the summer. This one has a decent chance, but like Rugrats, will depend on the quality of the writing and humor. If there was an opportunity to have done this, it would have been around 2003-04. I say that time period, because Patrick wasn't always this complete dimwit and would have his moments of having some form of intelligence like in Boating School with helping SpongeBob get his license. I would have to look at the first episode whenever it does air to see where this goes. If there is some competent writing, it will last a couple years. If not, regular SpongeBob episodes are fine.

Viacom wants families to go to Paramount Plus. A way for some to remember the old Rugrats days and get hyped for the reboot. And a lot of people getting into SpongeBob. They're rolling with the punches. Will the audience accept them? 

Afraid of The Revivals?

Being born in 1992, I didn't grow up on early 90s Nickelodeon. To be honest, my memory is a little flaky at when I first started watching the channel, which was roughly around 1996 or 97. At the earliest, 96 at least. But, I do have some appreciation for some of their stuff from the first half of that decade.

We don't see much sketch comedy anymore in the style of Saturday Night Live. Back in April, All That turned 25 and recently got revived with original member Kenan Thompson as a producer. It was a staple for Nickelodeon and I remember a little bit seeing it in the late part of the 90s and when it was brought back around 2001-02. I think it's important to have. They are not only appealing to new audiences, but some of the older ones. Obviously, Kenan as a producer, but bringing back some of the old cast members to pop up in a sketch every once in a while. You get nostalgia for the old and memories for the new. In the midst of that, also there is that Are You Afraid of the Dark? revival. 

I vaguely remember Afraid of the Dark, but I did have it on at times. This was back when you could try horror on a kids network and it had a decent sized run beginning in 1990. Basically, horror stories similar what audiences watched back in the 50s and 60s. There is a revival set for October, but I would have a bit of concern. Not so much the show, but how audiences will react. There has to be a perfect balance between being entertaining for kids, but also providing some scares. But it is coming in at a time with horror movies being the trendy thing and actually doing well in theaters and critics loving them. Who knows where this will land.

I do have my concerns about the Rocko's Modern Life movie. That was supposed to air last year and nothing has materialized. Speculation on it airing this year is there, but will it is the question. There are other projects Nickelodeon has in mind. You hear plenty of things. There are plans for Rugrats for both the small and big screen. A movie in the fall next year. Also one that could be revived is the cult hit, Invader Zim.  Nickelodeon knows what their hits are. It's only a matter of when they will bring them back.

I think these revivals or attempted ones at least will stir up a lot of memories, good and bad. More power if they can stick to newer audiences. That being said, it shouldn't be used as a crutch as there should be some original shows in the mix, too. But, a few of these projects should be vital and just as important. Move over, SpongeBob. The 90s is coming back... maybe. 

SpongeBob SquarePants 20 Years Later

The biggest name to Nickelodeon in 1999 was Rugrats. It had a huge resurgence a couple years prior, culminating in new episodes and movies. As time went on, it stopped being king of the crop in favor of the point of this blog, SpongeBob SquarePants. I know it's a day early, but it's hard to believe that it has been on the air for 20 years. Granted, some of it is very lengthy seasons, but still.

This was one of those shows I never gave much thought on when it first came out. But not too long into 2000 or 2001 did I watch some of the episodes. It's a lighter version of Rocko's Modern Life. Fitting because of its late creator Stephen Hillenburg working on Rocko for its entire run. Nothing gimmicky other than a sponge living underwater and his group of friends and adversaries. Tons of funny moments within the first five years of its run.

For someone like me, it is an interesting feat considering most people I know are into the earlier stuff and there is a new generation that is into the newer material. I grew out of kids cartoons right around 2004-05 and that was when the tonal shift occurred. Some of the episodes looked like it came out of a Family Guy or Ren and Stimpy episode. Ones like SquidBob TentaclePants and The Splinter shows how gross they can be. One Coarse Meal is one that leans towards Family Guy territory, even with the guy that portrays Plankton writing a part of the episode. I hear the last few years have been better, but I can't say my thoughts on that because I haven't seen any of them. Sorry.

It took a while for SpongeBob to get airings due to the various Klasky-Csupo shows, Hey Arnold, and Angry Beavers being the main cartoons on Nickelodeon. As with these networks, new stuff will creep up and be the new leaders. And while Sponge still gets ratings, it is a far cry from what it was getting. My question is when will it stop? The days of cable might be finished at some point since there aren't many interested in some of these kids shows.

As of now, it is one of the great achievements of kids cartoons and of the late 90s-early 2000s. It may not be a sweet victory, but its place in entertainment is untouchable. I will talk more my favorite episode in another one soon.

The Genius of Stephen Hillenburg

News is spreading now of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg. His name is synonymous with Nickelodeon, a network he had worked for for a very long time going back to 1993. Even though it's only a couple of cartoons, they are amongst the most recognized in not just the cable realm, but for cartoons and the entire television spectrum.

If you were to ask me my favorite cartoon on Nickelodeon, it would be Rocko's Modern Life. Even though Hillenburg didn't create it, he was instrumental to a lot of what made the show special. It was a bit tame compared to Ren and Stimpy, but it wasn't playing safe like Doug and Rugrats. Him and a number of those writers created a world of over the top moments, and stuff that can cater to both kids and adults. A lot of fun satire and normal day things being very dangerous. It's amazing how much they got away with, and it holds up surprisingly well. There's no gimmicks to Rocko, and with that, it stands out a lot more.

Of course, we can't talk Hillenburg without talking SpongeBob SquarePants. It's been on the air since May of 1999 and hasn't stopped. Personally, I stopped watching it probably over a decade ago once they really dumbed down the characters tremendously and either aimed to be like Family Guy or some other cartoon. However, you can't deny the blueprints for those first few years. One thing I just realized was that he was a Marine Biologist. I'll assume that's what made him want to have this kind of show.

SpongeBob is a different premise, but yet, similar to Rocko. It is a bit more lighter toned, but you still have those over the top moments and stuff that caters to both kids and adults. What also helps is that there is more of a wide range of characters, almost like what The Simpsons is. Even though the focus is on a couple handfuls of people, there is still the community of Bikini Bottom and all sorts of events that occur. Hillenburg and his staff created a world that is memorable and easy to recognize. Some of their early stuff is amongst some of the best known material not just for the show, but for television overall.

It's tragic of ALS claiming yet another person. The world is less fun with Hillenburg being gone.