When televisions get so dark and serious? Where did the fun go? Most of what we see on television these days is dark gritty crime shows. There is no fun left anymore. Everything has these long through stories if you missed it you are lost. We lost the fun action drama. All I want to know is why so serious?

When I was younger television was loaded with light action drama. We had shows with simple through stories; really it was just the premise not some convoluted arc that ran through as a mystery to solve. Shows were simple. A group of ex-military on the run from a crime they did not commit. You didn’t need to have insight into the ongoing conspiracy to frame and shut down the A team. Just know that the military is looking to bring them in for their crimes, whether they committed them or not was not at issue. A stuntman worked as a bounty hunter, the real kind not the movie kind, when he was not working on a film. No ongoing court battles, no money struggles that could tear the business apart; just Colt Seavers hunting down people who needed to be in court and did not show up. Plus we got to see him use an elaborate stunt from a recent film to bring back the bounty; and sometimes he would even solve the case and get the right person.

Personally I blame the X-files. Don’t get me wrong I love the X-files it was a great show and worked well for the time; however they seemed to be the first to introduce the through story of simple action drama. The government conspiracy that was holding us all back; the driving force that was pushing the characters forward and initially in different directions, it was almost necessary for the show. Without this show other shows that should have been simple episodic adventures, never would have thought to run the through story. This was really the first show to take the simple crime drama and add in external forces. Prior to that the only shows that had these over arcing story lines were straight up dramas, soap operas in prime time. I want my action drama back. Just a guy with a big rig hauling goods from town to town with his pet chimp and they set right the wrongs of a small town in each episode. No over lying details, nothing that drives them besides the job and a decent sound track would be nice too.

Television was going to rot our brains with its lack of moral value. Ah the good ole days. Where is the jiggle? Everything on TV now is so serious and the sex appeal is all but gone, unless you go to HBO but that’s just sex now. What ever happened to shows like Charlie’s Angels, Xena warrior Princess, or, for the ladies, Hercules? I watch a lot of TV but all of it seems to strive for meaning. Where is my fluff? Just silly action or silly comedy that is fun to look at too. We have started to take ourselves too serious; I mean I write a blog about entertainments as if my views matter to anyone but me…and even that is hard sell. When did we get so self-important? Can’t show that it demeans women, can’t say that it offends minorities, and can’t laugh at that it’s inappropriate. Just stop it already. I mean some guy on a reality show that features a prayer at the end of it gets chastised by the world for his religious views, or his simple view and interpretation of the world. Seriously it his opinions leave him alone. I am sure you have some opinions that the rest of us would find laughable if not offensive, I know I got a few. We need to stop taking the world so serious and just have fun.

Remember when television was somewhat intelligent too? Yeah me neither but let me try to make a point here. As bad as it was we have dumbed it down even more. Used to be you had to have some knowledge to understand the jokes. They were sort of intelligent. They used to say television and newspapers were written at about an 8th grade level. This was so they could reach a wide audience. If this is what passes for 8th grade now days then I am terrified. The stories have all seemed to be pulled from the high school lunch room and dressed up in adult attire. You may be a doctor at a hospital but you treat your love life like you are in middle school. No wonder our world has gone the way it has. We have all refused to grow up; I lead the charge here but seriously a little maturity. The back stabbing and name calling, the baseless accusations and diabolical schemes, and that’s just the evening news.

I understand television has always been a wasteland. I get it. It is just a simple format to show me new products to buy. If I am entertained while doing this then great if not too bad just watch the commercials. I know times have changed and there are now certain topics that used to funny or accepted as the world we live in that are no more. I understand a need to not piss off some soccer mom with a few thousand followers on her blog so she does not mount some boycott that could cost profits. But really ? can’t we just have a good ole laugh at ourselves and relax? I’m just sayin.