[The TCM Programming Challenge]

I'm sorry, it seems to me that just about says it all - there is no room or time to consider running viewers' requests because as the tcm programmer states "between the star-of-the-month, the spotlight, the guest programmers, Bob's picks, the Essentials, etc. we're running out of room to do all of the other stuff we want/need to do" .

 

Shouldn't the viewers programming preferences and requests be just as important, if not more important, than the host of things that TCM indicated prevents them from having the time to for a viewers? request night?

 

After all, how many TCM viewers would actually stop watching TCM if TCM suddenly stopping running Bob?s picks of guest?s programmer?s picks and, heaven forbid, replaced it with a night of viewers? picks? I don?t think most viewers would stop watching TCM even if they removed half of the programming items listed and replaced them with nothing.

 

I've been a faithful watcher of TCM for years and will continue to watch since it's the only game in town but I think the station is getting further and further out of touch with what the TCM-viewing public wants.

 

Has the public actually requested any of what constitutes a major part of tcm?s programming over the past few years: constant repetition of certain films and certain genres of films (need I elaborate?), attempts at overly-clever themes which end up being meaningless, introduction of mediocre 80s and 90s films, lack of focus (anime on a classic movie channel ?), pretensions to artsy ness ( they won?t ?commercialize? Christmas season by showing more than a very small handful of Christmas films, despite what their viewing public wants yet they?ll repeat the King Kong promo ad nauseum and show Sleepless in Seattle repeatedly in a failed attempt to attract younger audiences), actors? spotlight programming that presents films where the actor is barely featured while leaving out major bodies of the actors? work.

 

As I said, I will continue to watch TCM as I don?t have access to any other channels that air older films. But I don?t have to harbor any remaining illusions that TCM programming is concerned to any great degree about the viewers wishes.

[What's your fave Bette Davis movie(s)?]

Bette is my all time favorite. I started watching her movies when I was a teenager. They were broadcast on UHF, I'm sure that dates me, I can't even remember what UHF stood for. They were the non-network, local stations and we had 3 of them, bringing the grand total of stations to 6 plus one PBS station. I digress - anyway, I have these stations to thank for my lifelong love of classic films and particularly the films of Bette Davis. My favorites are: The Letter, Dark Victory, Jezebel, Now Voyager. I wish there were more of her films on DVD. I will say, though, that when her acting was bad, it could be pretty bad and sooo stilted. I'm lucky enough to live near one of the 2 Movies Unlimited video rental stores (the company that sells movie on the TCM site) and so I've been able to rent some movies I'd never heard of. I rented one that was billed as a Bette Davis film a few weeks ago called "Phone Call from a Stranger". She's only in the last 5 minutes - it's a really interesting movie - but her performance was so stilted. I even enjoy her bad performances now, though, because they're just so Bette. Lately, I've become addicted to Ebay because I just discovered they have some new Bette Davis items - magnets, purse and a Tshirt (which I have been looking for for years and years) to fuel my obsession. Does anyone know a site/store that sells products with classic Hollywood images on them? Please forgive my long-windedness, this is only my 2nd post but I tend to rhapsodize on my favorite of all time.

[What's with the repeats????]

I agree that TCM repeats too many movies while ignoring other movies altogether. It Happened One Night, Notorious, Bringing up Baby, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, North by Northwest (can't believe it wasn't on this month!!) and many others are played over and over and over again. Granted most of the repeats are great movies but there are lots of other great movies that deserve airing. Interesting to note that The Little Foxes and the African Queen are both "TCM Premiers", yet other movies are shown several times a month, several months in a row. It's funny, they rarely repeat (or show, for that matter) Bette Davis movies other than maybe Of Human Bondage and 1-2 others - there are a few on this month's schedule finally. But what worries me even more is that the newer movies are now becoming repeats - Annie Hall, Sleepless in Seattle and other movies that can be seen regularly on the other cable stations.