Turner Classic Movies

[Randall Maysin Again]

Quick question, does anyone think, or know, whether if Turner Classic Movies changed their programming to include a more proportional mix of movies from all eras in cinema history, instead of focusing most heavily on the 30s, 40s and 50s, whether that would be a healthier long-term business model for them? Because if it would be, and there's no other catch, I think they should do so. They would still get to show lots and lots of Old Hollywood films, which frankly if I'm absolutely saturated with them as is the current TCM M.O., I do get kind of sick of them, much as I do love Old Hollywood. They could just be the Turner Film History Channel or something.

[Randall Maysin Again]

However, it's also my vague anecdotal impression that a portion of their audience is sort of living in the past, hates modern Hollywood, and maybe even sort of overlaps with the Fox news-kind of audience... Maybe that part of the TCM audience would not welcome such a change, I don't know.

[domino harvey]

Literally the worst idea I’ve ever heard

[Randall Maysin Again]

Why? I really don't see how it would be a betrayal or anything, or how it would "ruin" the channel, but if others think otherwise, I would really like to know why.

[domino harvey]

TCM has a brand. They have a specific niche in the market. Why would they throw that away to become Showtime? What other channels are even remotely catering to this audience besides something like MeTV?

[Randall Maysin Again]

My idea is really that they continue doing what they already do, except on a somewhat smaller scale to make some room for programming that does what TCM already does for, mostly, the 1930s-through the 1950s, except for at least most of the rest of English-language film history. Is that really what ShowTime is? I wouldn't actually know, but it's my impression that most/all other movie-centric channels are basically just the "Broadly Popular Mainstream Movie Channel", with at best only occasional little dabblings in titles from a deeper and more comprehensive or obscure catalogue, which is not what my idea is.

[knives]

They already have programming for that like their silent block, horror block, and foreign language block.

[Randall Maysin Again]

Yeah, that's it. All my idea is is that they devote more of their programming time to their

silent block, horror block, and foreign language block

as well as to their block of films from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and maybe even this century. I don't mean that they should just show The Shawshank Redemption and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and all that AFI stuff over and over again, LOL. Obviously TCM takes a more historically comprehensive approach to showing movies/old movies, and I don't think they should stop doing that, just that if it ensures their success and long-term survival better, they might devote more of their airtime to doing that for the rest of film history. Or maybe you gathered that already...I'm pretty bad at defining what I mean.

[Blutarsky]

In the past year or so, I have noticed TCM’s programming to be really good when it comes to incorporating both modern day movies and classics in their line up. I understand their intention too. With Letterboxd usage growing exponentially over the past two years or so, if people want to see/have seen There Will Be Blood, to keep viewers coming they might as well program it with similarly themed movies like Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Giant, which I believe they did during 31 days of Oscars. I think if it gets a new generation of movie lovers who can appreciate both older and newer classics, then I am totally gun ho for it.

Only thing I wish they did more is air Robert Osbourne’s old introductions. With winter coming around, his voice and insights were just as comforting as a warm cup of tea and a blanket.

[Randall Maysin Again]

In the past year or so, I have noticed TCM’s programming to be really good when it comes to incorporating both modern day movies and classics in their line up

Yes, but modern-day movies/movies from the 70s through the 90s, are like 1/10th of TCM's overall programming. I was just wondering also if, were TCM to increase the amount of such non 1930s-through-1960s or 50s or whatever films, whether that might not only be better for them financially, but whether it might also be better for fostering better/more mature/varied/etc. film appreciation in the wider public, a portion of whom would be drawn to TCM (I'm assuming) by the increased more modern day/more recent programming, and then a portion/fraction of which might presumably be introduced to, and acquire enthusiasm for, older films and serious film buff-ery by TCM's still programming a goodly amount of older films, with proportionally the same variety as they do currently. I'm also wondering whether TCM as it is might be off-putting to those who might otherwise enjoy these older films often enough but might, ostensibly anyway, be put off by the dominance of old Hollywood films on the channel. All of these ideas of mine are really meant as questions, potentially for other forum members who might be more informed, or have a different perspective, than me about these things. I have no idea what film buffs as a whole or as a demographic really want or would go for, or even if such information is even available anywhere, and thus I simply don't know what would be the best route for TCM's long-term survival, or even if their long-term survival might already be secure enough. These are just thoughts.

[Randall Maysin Again]

I wish they did more is air Robert Osbourne’s old introductions

I second this!

[Matt]

"So you want a realistic down-to-earth show that's completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots?"

[TechnicolorAcid]

“And also you should win things by watching!”

[domino harvey]

The TCM hub on Max will be adding hundreds of movies

[Matt]

Just give me the TCM live feeds on Max so I can cancel my cable subscription!