TV and Movies

[silkyk]

If you are looking for wonderful movies (no fees and no commercials) be sure and check out the Library's streaming service Kanopy. They have the largest selection of all kinds of movies that I've ever seen. If you have a library card jump on in. Limited to 6 movies a month but choose wisely and enjoy.

[Jo1313]

I seem to catch movies that are in the 60's..I prefer older movies..I've lived through the 60's..not much that I am interested in..

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@qualitygal wrote:

Myself, not really watching 1932-ish movies.  That's too far back.  Guess it depends on the actors.

What would you like to see?  So we can get an idea of what you're after and if we see it due to be on, we can alert you?

Adding: I just bought 3 DVD's due to not finding a lot of what I felt like watching too.

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[Spurt]

@Jo1313 @silkyk @Jeanne from VA @lgfan @kaydee50 

I love TCM and even though its not my era, I love the movies from the 40's, interesting and creative plots, and great acting....Even the unknown actors and unknown films from that time period are a delight....Ive found so many wonderful hidden gems.....

I think some of the changes with TCM has to do with the films being leased from the movie studios instead of being able to purchase the films for exclusive rights. So now TCM is competing with some of the other channels and streaming services to get a lot the classic movies. 

This is what TCM's website has to say----

When Ted Turner actually "owned" TCM he also owned a huge library of the MGM and Warner Bros movies that was part of his original acquisition. In fact, he founded TCM as part of a showcase to air all of those older movies that he had ready access to.

But Ted sold TCM, and the video library along with it.
TCM no longer has as ready access to a lot of the movies that it originally did, and must lease them (as it does most movies) from the companies that own the rights to them, as well as those who control movies from other old studios such as Paramount, Universal, Columbia, RKO, even Disney and a slew of others.
So TCM makes deals where they can show these leased movies so many times during a given period. And some which they can also offer on their WATCH TCM ON-DEMAND website. In order to take full advantage of the re-showing allowed for these movies, the TCM programmers come up with various overlapping movie themes to allow them to show some of the same movies several times before their lease expires.

Most of the other general filler movies are those which TCM has more ready access, or cheaper, longer term leases, and TCM still has a library of movies that they can fall back on, albeit much smaller than the original one was.

TCM is always negotiating with movie distributors trying to cut deals to show other studio movies.
Sometimes they do, and there will be some sort of TCM "premier" of a movie that may not actually be new (as in a recent release), but one that TCM has never been able to show before. 

BTW, unless a channel has access to original content it must do the same thing as TCM and lease movies from those which control them. That is why on other movie channels such as AMC (for example) you will also see the same movies shown several times during a given period. It is the way the "game" has been played for many decades.

The primary difference being that TCM thus far has stuck to it's original mantra about airing its movies "Uncut, and uninterrupted by commercials."

[deeva]

The audience that likes really old movies is dying. I can't think of many movies from the 1930's and 1940's that I haven't seen a zillion times. 

I'm glad that TCM is dropping some of the older movies. 

[chrystaltree]

Great is a subjective word.  It's likely most of their viewers today aren't interested in movies from the 30s and 40.

[Vivian]

To me those early 1930s films are fascinating. They were pre-code, I.e., before the censorship began. Some of those films are far more nuanced, even risqué, compared to the post code films. I also love the fashions of that era. I get a kick out of people dressing for dinner in gowns and tuxedos, all this during the Great Depression. What an escape!

[Johnnyeager]

TCM has reported that internal research shows that two-thirds of its regular audience is 18-54.

I think it's terrific that a younger audience appreciates uncut commercial free films from all decades.

Films of the 1970s and 1980s could easily fit within a definition of "classic" and more should be included in the programming lineup.

[Judaline]

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@Johnnyeager wrote:

TCM has reported that internal research shows that two-thirds of its regular audience is 18-54.

I think it's terrific that a younger audience appreciates uncut commercial free films from all decades.

Films of the 1970s and 1980s could easily fit within a definition of "classic" and more should be included in the programming lineup.

Nah, you can get enough of those on other channels. TCM is one of a kind in what they present.

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[Cakers3]

I miss having TCM.  We now have to upgrade to add it to our lineup-why I have no idea.  All of a sudden it's still there but locked.

I may be the only one here but I like the old movies and even like the silent movies.

@Oznell   Always like seeing your Clara Bow avatar.

[Oznell]

Hey, @Cakers3 ,  not everyone recognizes that it's Clara Bow--  kudos to you for knowing that!

@Jo1313,   it's true that not all of the "innovations" at TCM have been welcome.   I think it can be summed up that, when TCM strains too hard to be "hip and happening",  they seem at their most creaky...   and perhaps lose focus.

There's a lot of lively discussion, pro and con, on the TCM message boards about the changes too...

Discerning people of all ages will be drawn to past classic films.  Just as intelligent readers will forever dip into works from every century--  no one expects readers who are "contemporary" to reject the classics of literature merely because they are from a different time.  Quality is quality.

I'm not surprised at @Johnnyeager 's reporting about the age range of TCM's viewership.  There's also a range in ages of the enthusiastic classic film fans who post on the message boards over there too.