The Best TV Shows on TV – TV’s Moments of Joy: The Burn Unit

Jon has several questions, some of which involve actual thought.  “What is the ideal number of TV channels?  Where is the tipping point?  What’s the ideal balance between specialization and niche focus vs. cultural phenomenon?”

These are really questions for a much smarter man than I.  A person who knows things about facts and numbers.  However, I’ll do my best.  I can’t help but think we’ve reached the maximum sustainable number of channels.  At this point, there are so many specialized channels that the birth of a new one doesn’t create new viewers, it just cannibalizes somebody else’s viewers.  Specialized channels have even more specialized spinoff channels.  However, I wouldn’t mind another couple of sources for quality original programming.  The world of TV is better now that FX provides significant amounts of original content, rather than just syndicated repeats and edited movies, for example.  There may not be much more room on the dial, but I think there’s room for a more active programming strategy.  If AMC can provide excellent original series, why not, say, the Golf Channel?  I bet there’s somebody out there with an amazing pitch for a series about a young guy making his name on the PGA tour.