Magnum Mania!

Is it just me or is a complete & total absence today of shows of Magnum's or Miami Vice's quality? All I watch today are reality shows so I could be mistaken.

There's very little on tv that I watch today. There are a few good shows, but I think the quality is really poor for the most part.

Thats what I can't comprehend. WHY not? What is so incredibly hard is it to develop a story around a character(s) who are good, honorable, a good role model for kids, not foul mouthed lowlifes? Magnum wasn't penned by Steinbeck but it was easily one of the best TV shows of all time.

Much is the same for popular music. I went to high school & know Tim McGraw and he's a product of a formula. He NEVER sang until open mike night at his cousin's Jack 'O Diamonds during college and suddenly he's a superstar. Totally typifies what I think of country music.

What happened to the world since 1986?

Really! Did creativity crash with the Berlin Wall? Maybe I am just getting old. Most of the good television shows these days are on pay channels like HBO and Showtime.

Anyone here watch Madmen? I've never seen single ep.

I haven't seen it. I usually watch House, Dexter, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Breaking Bad. Other than those sports is usually on in my house.

Heroes has been lacking, but I still watch it every week out of loyalty to the first season. I thought Prison Break was decent in the first 2nd seasons, but that of course is over now. So is Boston Legal.

I also like NCIS, but of course, it's Magnum's younger brother brought to us by the grand daddy Bellisario!

People are stupider and have shorter attention spans.

(wait, were those supposed to be inside words?)

Seriously though . . . . I think these things go in cycles. Look at the success Monk had and House have? (I liked it to start, but thought he got a little too out there) Character driven shows are still out there, but right now the focus is the reality (which I think is dying out) and the "deep" shows (Heroes, LOST, FlashForward, etc.).

Due to this site I got into Burn Notice, which is another character show. I'd add BONES to that list as well

I think there is good stuff being made, but it just seems the 'feel good' sort of show, like Magnum, doesn't sell any more. I think shows like Mad Men (which is totally awesome) and Desperate Housewives have really good writers, but they're very dark. Gone are the days where a one hour drama can have characters that are actually 'good guys'.

I'm no puritan, but there's something nice in thinking that your heroes are contributing to the greater good.

I've just started watching 30 Rock recently and I find it to be very clever as well. Oh yeah, I'm addicted to Lost too...even thought it's frustrating at times. My wife and I sat beside the lead character Matthew Fox and his family at the Starbucks in Honolulu International.

We've added Burn Notice to our Netflix que, so I'll be interested to see what I think of the show.

I never thought I, of all people, would be saying this...but society needs a MPI show more now than ever before. Magnum still, thanks to dvds, is a strong influence on me. I wouldn't re-enlist to save my life in order to serve the Illumenati & they're lust for oil but I do have immense respect for those poor kids who actually beleive they're serving the common good of america. Vietnam and those forced to serve (draft) is an even harsher example of misguided patriotism IMO.

I couldn't imagine living anywhere else but this country, unless Obama can perform miracles, is headed down a dark path.

I can't think of any character on tv today that has the likeability and integrity of Thomas Magnum!

good call on NCIS.........they have a lead character that has a military past that they can tap when they want for storylines, ala Magnum.

not much has really changed. We still have the primary genres of DRAMA television that have always sold.....

Medical
Courtroom
Police

only the names/faces change.

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:We've added Burn Notice to our Netflix que, so I'll be interested to see what I think of the show.

From all reports Burn Notice is a good character driven show with many similar qualities to MPI. Problem is for me at least, I don't like the characters.

The characters aren't very strong, but so far I like the story. I'm going to stick with it and see how it develops. I would call it slightly above average thus far.