Reality TV killed The history and discovery channel

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I used to love watching the history channel learning about ancient civilizations and great wars, And I also used to love watching the discovery channel learning about intresting animals in different parts of the world (also David Attenborough has the best voice ever) However I went a long time without really watching any TV with the exception of shows like South park,breaking bad and the walking dead. Anyway I recently was staying at my cousins house and she suggested we watch some TV, So I suggested The History channel Only to be greeted by 10 straights hours of Pawn stars and Ice road truckers My first thought was WTF this is not history So I suggested that we go to the Discovery channel only to be greeted by friggin Cash cab and Auction kings

What happened to informative TV now its all sh*tty reality TV

I hear you. I got the History Channel when it first aired, and I absolutely loved it and watched it religiously. Now, because of the kind of reality idiocy they play, I hardly watch it at all anymore. Such as sad waste of a good thing.

I agree completely!

Agreed. We dropped cable, and outside of Comedy Central I don't miss anything.

I've noticed this trend for years, and it saddens me. The Discovery Channel used to be so awesome, now aside from shows like "How It's Made", it's a mere shadow of its former self. As for History Television (the Canadian version of the History Channel), I'm just utterly baffled by the lack of history-related content on it.

Mermaids, and bigfoot is real!! ! And those people that made those caves in order to hide from ancient aliens that fly around in vessels from outer space, that is real too.

And that owner guy from Orange County Choppers that promotes bullying in the workplace is totally awesome. Especially when they throw stuff around, scream, yell, and slam doors and stuff.

It is also cool when people wheel, and deal to make profits off of others, when all they need to do is sell it on ebay, or cl.

Those storage guys. "WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT !"... Commercial. And 17 minutes more of them in a half hour show. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! !! !

I have a PS3. I play games, and go to the pawn shop to get 2 movies for three bucks on tuesdays. I cannot even stand the news.

I am also in disbelief at how low History and Discovery have sunk. I used to love them; now they are unwatchable.

At first I thought there was some hope for the H2 channel (formerly History International). But even it seems to mainly focus on ancient aliens and bigfoot. Aarrgh.

I disagree. I don't see anything wrong with any of these shows. Also pawn stars is about history. The history of items. Discovery has shows such as mythbusters and they have shark week and many other shows where you discover things. Also the unexplained is watched by many who feel it is not bull.

Agreed. Pawn stars is neat. Those guys in the ghetto in chicago... not classy.

Also, the Learning Channel (TLC) and the Weather Channel. I read reality shows are cheap to produce.

Years ago, I used to watch The Learning Channel religiously, especially for their documentaries on great literature. But in recent years, I haven't even bothered to turn it on anymore.

History Channel, Discovery, MTV (the worst offender IMO) have little to do with their respective names. Which is why I take a liking to National Geographic.

Oh yeah. I think it was their Great Books series. I remember scholars talking about "The Odyssey" and "Moby Dick". I think they also had a marathon of science documentaries. I agree, to post I had to look up and see if TLC was still around.

I'm with micfranklin - National Geographic has some wonderful, beautiful space documentaries (my fav) plus other very interesting shows.

Even when talking about the Dutch versions of these two channels, I'm very much appalled at what Discovery Channel has become since the past 15 years or so. Back then, there were so many documentaries on wildlife, prehistoric times, astronomy, etc. etc., and now it's fishing programmes, Pimp My Ride copies, and the like. Some truly bizarre programming that would have been unthinkable in the 1990s.

I must say that I'm likewise disappointed in National Geographic Channel, though. When Discovery started its decline here in Holland, at least NGC was keeping up its standards. But these days, I feel that the interesting documentaries have more and more given way to something I can only call 'shock science', in which the scientific, documentary aspect of the shows must come in the package of sensationalism. For example, shows about plane crashes, drug trafficking horror stories, inside prison life w/ extreme offenders, the effects of earthquakes, tornadoes, volcano eruptions and the like played up in this sensaionalist armageddon scenario style of storytelling, etc. etc.

I prefer when science shows on TV are presented from a rational perspective of curiosity for the world around us, and not with mandatory violence, sex, and explosions.

I have not heard the term 'shock science" before; it perfectly describes what I see so much these days - thanks!

I recently also learned a term that describes many of the crime shows that are so popular these days: "murder porn".

That's right, it was The Great Books. I especially remember Frankenstein, and Moby Dick.