Broadcast is no longer where it's at for TV Hits

Posted by Eric Halberg

Thursday, 31 January 2013 00:31

At one point in time, broadcast television was what everyone was tuning into almost every night of the week. Whether it was NBC's Thursday night line up or ABC's amazing night time dramas, broadcast television was truly a step ahead as far as programming and viewers. In the past decade, however, cable television has been climbing the ladder of success by providing viewers with amazing series, mini series, comedy specials, and more.

Today, cable television is responsible for a wide variety of award-winning, cutting-edge programming, and viewers are checking their cable schedules on a daily basis to make sure they don't miss the latest and the greatest in programming. Here are a few shows that are extremely popular among today's cable viewers due to their content and originality.

Enlightened

Enlightened is an HBO series starring Laura Dern as Amy, a mixed up, yet loveable woman who has decided to take on the injustices of the world after suffering a nervous breakdown of sorts. After a stint in rehab, Amy returns to her place of employment (ironically where she suffered the breakdown) and is surprised to learn that she has been demoted to the basement.

She is furious that her ex-boss (as well as ex-lover) has demoted her, but she decides to take what she learned at her spiritual rehab retreat and make the best of it while promoting positive change. What makes this show so great is that Amy is a flawed individual with a variety of personality traits that are actually quite off-putting, but there is a sensitivity and vulnerability underneath that rounds out her character and makes her completely loveable. Enlightened is getting ready to go into its second season, and viewers will definitely be tuning in.

Swamp People

Swamp People is the History Channel's most popular program. It is a reality-documentary style program that follows a group of alligator hunters around during alligator season, a 30-day period in September where the "Swamp People" are given a specific number of gator hunting tags, allowing them to hunt and capture the gators and sell them for a profit.

What is so interesting about this show is that, at first, the title gives the viewers a preconceived notion about the characters in the program, when in reality, they are smart business men and women that use their hunting skills to earn a very good living in just a matter of 30 days. The camera crews follow teams of hunters down the Louisiana waters, and the viewer gets an up close and personal look into the day of a gator hunter. The cast members are amazing, and each person has a story to tell. They are currently in their 4th season and it looks like Swamp People will be around for quite some time.

Smart, Interesting Programming

Cable television used to primarily consist of movie channels, music channels, and possibly a few children's and religious programming channels. Today, cable television subscriptions contain hundreds of channels and a variety of tier packages, allowing viewers total control over the programs they watch. Sites like CableTVAdvisor.com assist viewers in keeping up to date on the new programming, and more and more people are tuning in. HBO, Showtime, and educational channels like TLC and History provide the viewer with interesting and cutting-edge programs, and although broadcast networks still offer interesting shows, the day has come when the broadcast networks are taking a backseat to cable television.

Author Bio: Eric Halberg is a big fan of watching television and blogs regularly on the subject. He loves sharing his insights about his hobby on various websites.

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