World Television Day: Loving the medium that brings us together

In 1961, Newton Minow, then-chairman of the FCC, declared television a “vast wasteland.” He was, needless to say, not a fan of the relatively new medium. Many bold declarations of the past have failed to stand the test of time, if they ever really stood fast at all. This is certainly one of them. Television, simply put, is the best. It’s one of the most wonderful inventions mankind has ever given itself and one that has earned much love from millions, nay billions, of people over the years.

Who would dare quibble with entertainment being brought into the home like this? Movies are great, but there is nothing quite like episodic television. It’s one thing to go see a film. It’s another to invite characters you love, or loathe, into your house week in and week out. Stories can be told over time in a way that enriches them. “Breaking Bad,” for example, could have been a great movie. But it’s an amazing television show because Vince Gilligan got to really dig down into the minutiae.

When “Friends” was popular, and thanks to Netflix it still is, it was because viewers loved checking in on what the group was up to. They were invested in Ross and Rachel (even though both of them were a total snooze, but that’s an argument for another day). Television has given us an abundance of truly transcendent pieces of entertainment over the decades. “I Love Lucy” turned Lucille Ball into a sitcom star (and also featured an interracial relationship and an overt pregnancy). “Star Trek” took us around the universe. “Lost” made everybody really happy and then really mad. Also, we have to mention “The Simpsons,” because it is humanity’s greatest achievement. How could you not love television as much as Homer Simpson does, if not more?

Oh, also because of television we can watch movies in our homes. That’s the best of both worlds. And thanks to the proliferation of cable, the medium has changed so much, now offering multiple channels dedicated to movies and sports. We can watch soccer games taking place in Europe live if we want to. If you live away from the teams you root for, television can help you stay in touch with them. Though highlight shows have gotten passé thanks to the internet, “SportsCenter” was a glorious thing in its heyday and still has an audience. 

Also thanks to television, we can see news as it happens. We saw man walk on the moon. Walter Cronkite told us about the death of John F. Kennedy, and since then television has provided a communal experience for us when major events, both positive and negative, have happened. You can be at Times Square on New Year’s Eve every year, and it will be much warmer in your home. On the entertainment front, television gave us game shows, which are a ton of fun. You can watch “Chopped,” or keep up with the Kardashians or hate-watch obnoxious people hunt houses in all over the planet. If you have an interest, television can feed it.

It is not as common today for people to actually sit down in front of a television, but the conceptual television is still thriving. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is a television show, even though it lives on a streaming medium. The same goes for “Stranger Things,” or many other Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime programs. The way we consume television is changing, yes, but the glories of television remain as steadfast as ever. These days, there is always something on, even if it is because you are actively putting it on. “Parks and Recreation” is always there for you when you need it (or if you just want it, because why wouldn’t you).

Though Minow’s disdain for television may be matched by the “I don’t even own a television” crowd, we know they are the ones who are missing out. For decades, television has been the preeminent entertainment device. Not every television show has been great, and certain areas of the landscape have turned toxic (shout out to Fox News). However, let us not judge television by those who misuse it. The countless hours of joy that it has brought us make up for it tenfold. Plus, again, it’s given us 30 years of “The Simpsons.” What more could you want?