TVSquad

couldn't agree with you more. There is nada on saturdays. And to think what great shows used to be on Saturday. Shows like Mary Tyler More, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, even Hollywood Palace and Lawrence Welk. I think it's just an excuse the networks use to save money and rerun shows that need extra exposure.

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Saturday scheduling is actually the poster-child example of how TV executives, everyone involved in the TV industry (from the $2 million fine-giving FCC on down) is just mired in decades-old mentalities when it comes to the entire concept of television. Whenever you see a TV exec parodied on some show or movie - it's not actually a parody - that's how they are! My limited involvement with TV execs (mind u, mainly the food channel, but also some local stations) really amplified this for me.

I am generalising of course, and there are definitely break out, and "rock the boat" people involved in the industry, but by and large, the big decision makers are just stuck in a time warp.

It used to be Saturdays were the one night you'd be going out. But in this age of people working every day of the week, working from home, setting their own schedules, working swing / not normal shifts, not having a concept of "weekends" (I certainly fit that bill), Tivo, PVRs, you name it, I know I'm as likely to go out on a Thursday night as I am on Saturday night.

One thing that I wish they would bring back from the olden days (they seem to be stuck in when it comes to other things) is the great variety / sketch comedy / new music show. It could SO be done today with today's hot tech for eg - mine podcasts, indie music sources, youtube, you name it and put a show together featuring unknowns doing everything from dance to comedy.

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The last time I remember Saturday nights were popular on TV was in 1978 and 1979. A lot of dance shows, variety shows and other fun shows were on. That was when everybody of all ages gathered around the TV. And when Eddie Murphy and that original lineup were on SNL in the early '80s before moving on to successful movie careers. But I think that these days, most adults go to the clubs or the movies on Saturday nights. Myself included. Or watch sports in sports bars. Or some other entertainment options like concerts are competing on that night. I've noticed that the ratings are very low for primetime shows. For me, I watch a few infomercials, SNL (if they have a great musical guest or a better set of skits), or something very daring and challenging on Saturday. I don't know why the networks gave up hyping Saturday nights--they've put so much money on their Law and Orders, CSI, Survivors and any reality show ripping off Mark Burnett's style that it's scary. They put far more attention on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday shows than the rest of the week. I remember when Wednesdays didn't pull in as many viewers as the other days. So I think that they've figured out that most people don't watch on Saturday.

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What about a "Best-Of" night? Pick 2 1/2 hours and 2 hour longs from your schedule. Play episodes from the previous season or much earlier in the current season (so as not to interfere with the ratings). You could even do it in blocks changed every month or quarter and use it to prop up series who are doing well but losing their slot or reinforce winning shows.

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I am thinking it is a matter of executives not wanting to spend momeny producing shows for a night when they are not sure what audience is out there. I'd wager that there are elements of people too young to go out and middle aged and older folks who longer feel the desire to do so. It atrikes me that family programming and whatever the Lawrence welk equivalent of today's 50'60 year olds would probably make for worthwhile original programming. Since networks aren't buying, that must not be true.

I recall not too long ago that Dr. Quinn was a popular family show on Saturday night, older folks liked The Golden Girls, and The Staler Brothers old fashioned variety showwas doing pretty well on cable, though.

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I'm okay with no good programming on Saturday - I need the night to catch up w/ my Tivo.

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The sad thing is Saturday nights used to be Thursday night. In the 70s you had Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, and MASH on CBS. In the 80s it was the Golden Girls and whatever was on before and after them for NBC. Contrary to what people think a lot of families are home on Saturday nights and it's a perfect night for inexpensive family programming. Hell, why not put one of the CSIs, Law and Orders, or some other popular show on at 9 pm. Do the overpaid TV execs think people won't watch them simply because they're on Saturday? Cable networks often offer original movies and mini-series (some of them high quality telefilms) on Saturday and do quite well. I just think it comes down to money. The networks can take their expensively produce shows and re-air them on Saturday instead of creating original programming.

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How about showing reruns of popular shows from earlier in the week?

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To answer comment #5, I was 15 or 16 when The Golden Girls came on Saturday nights in the '80s. That show was so funny! Had me laughing most times! It was heavily watched by young audiences too as well as adults. Made them think about their own grandparents too. It was probably one of the last high rated shows on Saturdays before the networks lost momentum on that night.

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I'm not picky. I'm fine with SNL. But honestly, they could at least put on some decent re-runs. I miss my Will & Grace anf Friends and all that stuff I watched all summer and don't have time for now.

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There's no reason to stock prime-time on Saturdays with television gems. Not that I wouldn't watch (I would!), but because I shouldn't watch. Look, I'm never going to be the person who says television will rot your mind and make you anti-social. My favorite shows are challenging (The Wire) and actually spawn lengthy debates the next day at work (Lost). But there has to be a point in one's life where they say, "Hey, Television! I'm going outside."

For me, that night is Saturday.

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What, no one watches Adult Swim on Saturdays? Bleach is on!

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IMHO, the reason that nothing good is ever on Saturday is because the "super" smart network and advertising executives think that their "target" demographic (the 18-34 or 18-49 year olds) aren't at home watching TV on Saturday night. What they FAIL to realize, is that I am that target, and with 3 small children, I am home on Friday and Saturday nights. By 9:00, the kids are in bed, and my wife and I are plopped on the couch.....with nothing but garbage to watch. Every time we find a show we like on Fri/Sat night (last year it was "Injustice", a great show), it gets canned because it was sentenced to Death on Friday night. Even though it got respectable ratings, it got canned. ATTN: advertisers, I watch TV on Fri/Sat night, and then on Sat/Sun morning, I am at BJs/Costco, Home Depot, Target, ToysRUs and Best Buy spending lots of disposable income. I am your target. Program some quality stuff on Fri/Sat night!

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That's why Saturday is Mythbusters marathon night! The only thing worth watching besides the occasional movie on a cable channel.

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Football is on on Saturdays, and that's what I watch all day long. I can understand why they wouldn't want to compete with that. As for the rest of the year, I'm not sure.

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