Robert Thompson Shows Quotations

One reason we watch these shows is the cheese factor. This ups the cheese equity of American Idol , as opposed to the (1950s) quiz shows scandals, which undermined the very value of what those shows were.

So many of these reality shows sound so egregious on paper. The automatic response when you hear this is to think, 'Oh man, how low can we sink?' But it's all going to depend on how it's executed.

It is one of the few shows on American television, especially after you get past those first couple of weeks, where really little kids love it, grandma loves it. It's got the kind of wide appeal we used to see all the time on network TV that we very seldom see anymore.

The only difference is that television is such a predominant medium. ... Radio used to have sitcoms and doctor shows and cop shows and game shows and all the different genres, and television wrestled that primary entertainment away from it. But I think in terms of its impact on the medium of radio, yes, this is going to be a very big deal.

VOD is perfect for established hits, and for reruns of shows that didn't have enough viewers to keep them on the air. 'Freaks and Geeks' had a lot of people watching, but not enough to keep it on the air. With VOD, you don't have to worry about getting a 15 share. If a show already had its network run and the production expenses are paid, anything after that is gravy.

To some extent, the Oscars and Emmys are the mother of all awards shows and are immune to that. But then, who would have guessed that Miss America would be leaving Atlantic City and playing on a cable channel that didn't exist several decades ago?

The good news is that, today, adults can watch programs that were way better than before. We can watch 'The Sopranos' and 'Deadwood' and 'Sex and the City' and other really interesting, emotionally complex shows that I would not in a million years suggest watching with anybody younger than 14.

The fact these shows are airing while hurricane season is still going on seems insensitive, but on another level it's what gives them juice,

The genius of Nickelodeon is that they figured a couple things out, ... They knew that especially among the very young, it was the parent that chose to turn on the TV, so Nickelodeon came up with a program that would appeal to their targets and the parents. They had shows that were cool enough that even the older sibling would watch.

The idea is, 'Let's move these units off the shelf for Christmas and let's get as many people under the tent as possible. You'll bring people in with temptation to see these shows but eventually I think a new aesthetic will be need to be devised, a kind of new show that falls between the high production of 'Lost' and radio.

These kinds of shows are good vehicles for future leading men and women.

How television and the culture are absorbing Katrina is certainly different than how they absorbed Sept. 11. Four years ago, all culture was put on pause. But people have continued to watch comedies and dramas and reality shows throughout, even when things were at their grimmest.