VARIETY COVER: Inside the Cable TV Hospice: Can NBCUniversal’s Divorce From MSNBC, Syfy, E! and More Prolong the Life of Once-Popular Channels?

In the early 1980s, when cable TV was young and music videos were on the cutting edge, Doug Herzog used to fly coach for his job as a junior MTV programming executive.

When he traveled, Herzog would make a point of wearing something with the familiar logo, and he would pack a generous amount of MTV-branded swag — T-shirts, hats, tote bags. At the check-in counter, if the ticket agent was under 50, Herzog would almost always get a question or comment about MTV. When he did, he was quick to offer the agent a free T-shirt or hat.

“Next thing you know, you’re flying first class,” Herzog recalls. “That was absolute currency. People loved those MTV satin jackets and would kill for one back in the day.”

Today, you can still buy MTV T-shirts at Target. But nobody’s getting a seat upgrade on the strength of a free branded network hat. MTV’s fortunes have declined so far that most Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers have never seen more than a few minutes of the channel, other than old clips harvested on TikTok and YouTube. Fewer still have actually watched MTV via an old-fashioned cable TV subscription. 

And MTV is not alone. The traditional cable television business that gave rise to CNN, USA Network, ESPN, Nickelodeon, TNT, Discovery Channel and A&E Network is in steady decline. Some would call it a “state of decay,” made worse by a woeful lack of investment. Although cable’s been waning for years, industry veterans are still stunned to see long-established brands evaporating against the competitive challenge posed by streaming platforms. In recent years, the money and resources that NBCU once funneled into channels like USA and Syfy has been diverted to build up NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform, for example. 

And nothing is more symbolic of cable’s hard times than the news announced in late November by NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, that it was selling off most of its linear cable channels. (Comcast, the largest provider of cable and broadband service in the country, makes most of its money from providing the northeastern U.S. with high-speed internet access and cable TV subscriptions.) NBCUniversal will hold on to the NBC network and the ever-buzzy Bravo, but will essentially divorce itself from the not-inconsiderable problems faced by seven outlets that were once the backbone of NBCUniversal’s TV division: USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Syfy, E!, Oxygen Media and Golf Channel. (Also included are digital assets like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes.)

If that’s not “inflection point” enough for the biz, there are also big shifts afoot elsewhere. This year, Warner Bros. Discovery’s ad-supported entertainment networks have a new leader in Channing Dungey, who is plotting a different course for channels like TNT, TBS and Discovery while keeping her primary focus on running Warner Bros. TV Group. And Paramount Global is about to be acquired by Skydance, which brings with it a new leadership team that likely has its own ideas about what to do with a once-vibrant collection of cable brands like MTV and Comedy Central.

How quickly things changed after Netflix revolutionized the way we watch TV. Since the rise of that platform, the media giants that own the largest cable channels have turned their focus to building up streaming services. Peacock, Max, Disney+, Hulu and Paramount+ are now the flagship outlets for the conglomerates, serving as a cable replacement for a new breed of TV viewers. Amid this generational transition, long-established outlets that still generate solid profits have been left to wither on the vine.

Read more here.

This Week's Variety Cover: R.I.P. Cable TV

For this past week's Variety cover story, my colleague Kate Aurthur and I took a deep dive into the world of cable TV, and how the major conglomerates are adjusting their business models as viewer habits quickly change. We've been buoyed by the response so far — and check out that kick ass cover! An excerpt:

Pundits had long predicted the death of broadcast TV, while basic cable feasted on a dual revenue stream of subscriber fees and advertising revenue. But that gravy train started going off the rails when the streaming services arrived. At first, Netflix was a friend, supplying yet another source of revenue and even acting as a marketing tool — helping to turn AMC’s “Breaking Bad” into a much bigger hit during its final season of originals on AMC, for example.

But as AMC soon learned, consumers began thinking of “Breaking Bad” as a Netflix show — and Netflix was using acquired library content to quickly change viewer habits. Last year, the streamer launched more original programming than the entire cable TV industry had a decade earlier.

Meanwhile, “cord cutting,” once pooh-poohed by the cable industry as a myth, has become a real threat: The number of pay-TV households peaked in 2010 at 105 million; now it’s down to approximately 82.9 million. And a study last year by eMarketer forecast that number to dip to 72.7 million by 2023. Now, it’s cable that’s on the ropes — and struggling for survival.

If you haven't yet, read on here.

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Episode 23 (LISTEN NOW!)

We've been busy with The Spin-Off! For our next edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I chat with Salon's Sonia Saraiya about the latest TV headlines:

Given that spring is traditionally the season of rebirth, on this episode of The Spin-off we talk about a couple of big TV reboots that have made news recently -- Full House! The X-Files! And Mr. Show...sort of. While there’s a creative, nostalgic appeal to re-doing these shows, there’s also a huge commercial interest at stake.

It sounds like David Lynch may have pulled out of Showtime’s reboot of Twin Peaks, but in the long run, this may just prove to be a negotiating tactic. We ask how much of the original cast and creators need to be involved in order to pull off a successful revival.

And by now you've heard Comedy Central has named a new Daily Show host in Trevor Noah. There’s been a lot of talk and backlash about his appointment, but we’ll use that as a jumping off point for a larger conversation about just what we’re looking for in a news show...and if that varies if you’re talking comedy news or "traditional" news.

How did we come to a place where we’re holding comedy TV hosts to higher standards than politicians? And it’s a sign of strange times when John Oliver flies to Russia to interview Edward Snowden for his HBO show and the next day, Diane Sawyer announces she also has a big upcoming interview...with Bruce Jenner.

Finally, Mark Burnett’s AD opened strong on NBC on Easter Sunday, but didn't do nearly as well as his show The Bible did on The History Channel. It’s just one example that proves networks can no longer assume they’ve automatically got a huge platform, but many of them are still operating that way.

Listen by clicking below!

MIKE ON RADIO: Talking AMC vs. DirecTV on KROQ's "Kevin & Bean"

If you were watching "The Walking Dead" on Sunday night, the screen was interrupted throughout the evening by a message warning you that AMC might soon be yanked off your satellite service. Later, DirecTV broke into the AMC feed to give its rebuttal -- featuring a cartoon AMC zombie:



AMC Networks' position is at KeepAMCNetworks.com, while DirecTV rebuts at DirecTVPromise.com.

I appeared on Wednesday's Kevin & Bean Show on KROQ to discuss the dispute -- and how, most of the time, it's the viewers that lose in the end. Wednesday's Kevin & Bean podcast is below.

Too Much TV? Here's Why Your DVR Is Clogged

Too much TV? Via FX: Basic cable aired 16 original scripted series in 2002. In 2013, it was 114. A gain of 613%!



You may remember I wrote about this "Too Much TV" question last year ("As More Networks Develop Series, Is There Too Much TV?").

Big TV Mysteries, Answered

(from the Jan. 6 edition of TV Guide Magazine)

By Stephen Battaglio and Michael Schneider

The TV viewing experience gets more complicated all the time. That’s why we asked you to submit questions on Facebook about the intricacies and inanities of the TV industry. Here are the answers to the five most common queries.

Why can’t the broadcast networks produce cutting-edge shows like The Walking Dead?

“That’s a bit of a crock,” says one network executive. “Scandal, The Good Wife and The Blacklist could easily be great cable shows, and people would say, ‘Why doesn’t broadcast do that?’” But it’s also true that, beyond a handful of shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead and FX’s Sons of Anarchy (both of which post broadcast-size ratings), most of cable’s critical darlings still reach a niche audience much smaller than the big crowds broadcast TV requires. That’s especially the case early in a show’s run. “Breaking Bad would have been canceled for lack of audience after its first year if it was on broadcast,” the exec notes.

When does the law to bring down the volume on commercials take effect?

It already has! The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act began on December 13, 2012. The FCC rule requires TV commercials to have the same average volume level as the programs on which they appear. The FCC is relying on viewers to help enforce the rule, so if you think a broadcast or cable channel is in violation you can file a complaint electronically at fcc.gov/complaints. Click on the “Loud Commercials” button and you’ll be directed to the form.

Why does Downton Abbey air so many months later here than in the U.K.?

The delay between the U.K. airings in the fall and the American premiere in January helps generate interest in the show and proves to be a ratings boon, according to PBS president Paula Kerger. “We look at how we can get promotion and buzz around the series, and the fact that people talk about it and that word of mouth travels once it premieres in the U.K. has benefited us,” she has said. The numbers back her up. Downton Abbey is the highest-rated drama series in the history of public television, with 12.3 million viewers watching the Season 3 finale last February. In the age of binge-watching, asking viewers to keep a lid on spoilers no longer seems like a big risk.

Why can’t I just subscribe to the cable networks I watch?

Sen. John McCain has pushed legislation that would give consumers the opportunity to buy channels on an à la carte basis. But only paying for the networks you watch doesn’t mean your cable bill will be lower. When large media companies negotiate with cable operators to carry their channels, they demand that their lesser-known channels be included in a package with the popular ones. If the cable operators refuse to carry those smaller networks, the owners simply charge higher carriage fees for their more widely viewed channels—and that cost would be passed on to subscribers. An investment bank recently determined that cable subscribers would pay $20 to $30 a month for ESPN if it were offered on a stand-alone basis instead of as part of a bundle. The best way to lower your cable bill is to call your local operator and say you want to cancel your service. There’s a good chance you can cut a deal to pay less.

How is Ryan Seacrest able to work for so many networks?

Despite his stature as the last remaining original star of American Idol, which made him a household name, Ryan Seacrest isn’t beholden to Fox. Last summer, he hosted NBC’s The Million Second Quiz. He’s in Times Square every year to emcee ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. Until recently, he anchored E!’s E! News Daily. (He’s also a producer of several shows, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Shahs of Sunset.) Doesn’t Fox have any exclusivity on Seacrest’s services? The network does—sort of. Under the terms of his $15 million-a-year deal, Seacrest can’t host another show that would be considered a competitor to Idol (in other words, your job on The Voice is safe, Carson Daly). But that means any other type of show is fair game. And workaholic Seacrest seems willing to test the limits of how many employers one TV star can have.

Retro: When Bravo Meant the Arts, and TLC was The Learning Channel

Once upon a time, Bravo was a network devoted to the cultural arts, and TLC was "The Learning Channel," even airing some programs in French! Some late 1990s promos for Bravo (above), and a 1989 round up of some truly dry, early fare for The Learning Channel below. (And by the way, I don't mean this to judge these two channels, which are both tremendously more successful now than they ever were back in the day. And let's all be honest, we watch a lot more Bravo and TLC now compared to back then. These are businesses, people.)

Retro Friday: When Cable Was Young, and Channels Were What They Said They Were

From 1989, when TLC was truly "The Learning Channel"



From 1984, when A&E was truly "Arts & Entertainment"



From 1985, when VH-1 was truly "Video Hits One"



From 1985, when AMC was truly "American Movie Classics"



From 1987, when Bravo was truly "Bravo"



From 1989, when ABC Family was truly "The Family Channel"



From 1986, when HLN was truly "Headline News"

Spending Time with the 'Men of a Certain Age'

(Photo: Maarten de Boer/SAG Foundation)

I had a blast on Tuesday night moderating a panel for TNT's "Men of a Certain Age," which -- to borrow an old TV Guide feature -- is easily one of the Best Shows That You're Not Watching. Star/co-creator Ray Romano was battling a fierce cold and fellow star Andre Braugher had to catch a late flight, but both were there and in funny form, along with the cast's third member, Scott Bakula. Also on stage: Co-creator Mike Royce.

The panel, held as a part of the SAG Foundation's "Conversations" series, gave plenty of insight into the the creation of "Men of a Certain Age," and how the show is tough to categorize (which could be why it struggles to attract a larger audience). It's the most dramatic role of Ray Romano's career, and it's the most comedic of Andre Braugher's. It's a show about a group of men, but it's not a show about a bunch of guys acting like stereotypical guys. It's simply a funny, and deep, show about the what it's like to be struggling to achieve and maintain your life as you approach 50.

For Romano and Royce, it also represented a change of pace after writing set-up-joke-set-up-joke sitcoms. But like "Raymond," it continues in the classic style of "write what you know" comedy -- with strong results.

A few things gleaned from the panel:

-- Romano's character, Joe, has a gambling problem -- and Romano admits that his character's gambling is a bit autobiographical. That includes Joe's habit of making "self bets" -- promising himself a reward (like Lakers tickets) only if he achieves a goal. Romano says he considered making a "self bet" episode of "Raymond" but decided it would be too dark for that comedy.

-- Romano and Royce originally offered Braugher's role to "The Wire's" Wendell Pierce -- but Pierce was already committed to HBO's "Treme." That's when Braugher was suggested. When Romano and Royce checked his IMDB credits, they couldn't find a single comedy on his resume -- but knew he was too good to pass up.

-- Bakula notes that he's nothing like his manchild character, Terry, but that he's intrigued to see the character finally mature and perhaps settle down.

The second half of season two debuts June 1 on TNT. Among the storylines, Joe looks to get his gambling under control but winds up reviving his friendship with his bookie, who's struggling with cancer. Meanwhile, Owen (Braugher) tries to find new ways to save the struggling car dealership he inherited from his dad.

Mad Men Returns... in 2012, as AMC, Lionsgate and Matt Weiner Finalize New Deal

By Michael Schneider/TV Guide Magazine


Pour an Old-Fashioned and celebrate: After much delay and plenty of down-to-the-wire drama, Mad Men is a firm go for two, and possibly three, more seasons.

While AMC and creator Matt Weiner engaged in a public war of words on Tuesday, negotiators for Weiner, the cable network and Lionsgate (which produces the show) were busy behind closed doors getting the deal done.

The deal keeps Weiner on board for seasons five and six, while his new long-term deal with Lionsgate allows for a potential season seven,

"I want to thank all of our wonderful fans for their support," said Weiner. "I also want to thank AMC and Lionsgate for agreeing to support the artistic freedom of myself, the cast and the crew so that we can continue to make the show exactly as we have from the beginning.  I'm excited to get started on the next chapter of our story.”

It wasn't an easy negotiation. Although a deal to keep Weiner and the show on AMC came close to fruition last week, a handful of sticking points slowed things down – and things got ugly Monday, after those issues were revealed.

Among Weiner's objections: AMC's move to trim the show from 47 minutes and episode to 45 minutes (which is still above the now-industry standard 43 minutes). The executive producer also wasn't pleased with AMC's move to cut costs by trimming the number of series regulars (particularly actors who don't appear in every episode) or the network's request to highlight more product placement.

But under the deal announced Thursday, insiders confirmed that AMC will air a full 47-minute season opener and season finale of Mad Men. Weiner will also be given the leeway to produce all 13 episodes at 47 minutes – but AMC will have the option of trimming those episodes down to 45 minutes. (Full 47-minute episodes will still be available on other platforms, such as VOD, and on home video.)

Insiders also said that there is "no mandate" to cut cast members (all series regulars will be returning for season five) and that that product integration will simply be more "transparent" and under Weiner's advisement.

AMC and Lionsgate had been locked in a battle for months over the two additional seasons. At issue: Although a critical hit and the show that put AMC on the map, Mad Men is not a huge ratings draw – and boasts a hefty production cost (as much as $2.5 million). Weiner also doesn't come cheap: The executive producer, who's synonymous with the show, will bank around $10 million per season.

Complicating matters further: Rainbow Media, AMC's parent, is preparing to be spun off from owner Cablevision into a separate entity.

"This is a giant corporation fight between Lionsgate and Rainbow/AMC," one source familiar with the negotiations said prior to the deal.

AMC added to the fire on Tuesday by issuing a release confirming the season five pickup – even though it had already been announced – and telling reporters that Mad Men wouldn't return until 2012 (believed to be in March). Despite AMC's decision to push Mad Men into next year, while sources close to Weiner (who wanted to stick to a 2011 timetable) said the exec producer still had every intention of delivering episodes by late summer or early fall.

But that would have been too late for AMC, which has other programs already on the Sunday docket for fall – including season two of The Walking Dead (which is now AMC's top-rated series). Unfortunately for Mad Men fans, AMC is holding to that early 2012 date.

With AMC paying Lionsgate for the show, it was up to the network to find a way to make a deal work. That's why insiders on AMC's side believed the demands weren't outrageous, such as bringing the show's length in line with other dramas and finding ways to be more open about the kind of product integration that the show already does.

Weiner spoke to the fan site Basket of Kisses on Wednesday, telling the blog that "I had nothing to do with this delay and it is not about money. I am fighting for the cast and for the show."

Weiner said negotiations didn't begin in earnest until three weeks ago, and dismissed the reported $10 million-per-season figure. "I've brought the show in on budget. I’ve been a good producer," he told the blog.

Reaction was mixed in the creative community. Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, in his typical brash style, disagreed with Weiner's objections: "You can't ask a network for 10 million, then bitch when they want to expand their ad revenue source. Whore or saint, pick one."

But Tim Goodman, the TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, was firmly planted on Team Weiner: "AMC was a second rate movie channel (and that's being generous) until Mad Men put it on the map… Pay the man."

"AMC’s original programming began with a mission to create bold storytelling of the highest quality, and 'Mad Men' was the perfect expression of that commitment," said AMC president Charlie Collier. "We've been proud to support this show from the day we read Matt's ground-breaking pilot script and have loved building it with Matt and Lionsgate into the cultural phenomenon it has become. For everyone involved in the show and its passionate fans, we are thrilled to announce that the series will continue on AMC under the exceptional vision of Matt Weiner."

Added Lionsgate TV president Kevin Beggs: "We are proud to continue our successful relationships with AMC and the brilliantly talented Matt Weiner, whose vision has created one of the most distinguished series on television. We also appreciate the passion and patience of 'Mad Men' fans around the world who have been awaiting this good news, and we believe they will be rewarded with many more seasons of this extraordinary and groundbreaking series." 

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

My Evening (Sorta) With Tom and Katie

I generally don't do the red carpet at events, but the Monday night premiere of controversial new miniseries "The Kennedys" was different on a number of fronts. First off, it was controversial -- dumped by History channel, shopped around and finally salvaged by little-known network ReelzChannel.

And secondly, the guest list promised some real star wattage (unusual for a basic cable screening, doubly unusual for a screening surrounding a channel that no one had previously heard of). Stars Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes were in attendance, and Katie brought along her husband -- this guy named Tom Cruise.

Standing outside the Motion Picture Academy theater in Beverly Hills, I chatted with "The Kennedys" executive producer Joel Surnow, as well as director Jon Cassar. Then I stood back to watch the media circus as Tom and Katie passed through. Armed with my Blackberry, I caught a few pics (above and below).

Investigation Discovery Explores 'LA: City of Demons' With James Ellroy

James Ellroy is bringing his take on the dark side of Los Angeles to the Investigation Discovery channel.

"James Ellroy's LA: City of Demons," which debuts Jan. 19, looks at "some of Hollywood's most nihilistically notorious crimes from the past to the present."

In the six-part series, Ellroy will be front and center, talking to witnesses, prosecutors, investigators and jurors. To add an even more surreal sheen to the show, Ellroy's work will be interrupted occasionally by an animated crime dog, "Barko." Seriously.

"Crime is a palpitatingly perennial gas – and L.A. crime is the craaaazy creme-de-la-crime," Ellroy says. "Viewers are terribly tired of the trailer trash tragedies that caustically contaminate documentary TV. They wantonly want to groove, grok, gravitate and glide toward glamorous crime – and L.A. is where all that shimmering sh…stuff…pervertedly percolates. This show will be serious, satirical and great fun."

The show will kick off with Ellroy's personal account of the unsolved 1958 murder of his mother. The show will also look at the mob's relationship with the LAPD; the 1950's tabloids; dead celebrities; and serial killers such as the "Hillside Strangler."

Ellroy, of course, has chronicled the seedy side of L.A. through his books "The Black Dahlia," "The Big Nowhere," "L.A. Confidential" and "White Jazz." Ellroy just released his most recent memoir, "The Hilliker Curse."

"James Ellroy is the preeminent crime writer in the world, today, and provides our audience with an outrageous roller-coaster ride that neither they nor ID ever wants to end," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery. "Indeed, while Ellroy has said that crime owns him, what is even more fascinating is how this 'Diogenes of the Dark' captivates millions of readers and our audience through his incredible storytelling."

Digital Ranch Prods. is behind the show; Rob Kirk, Rob Lihani; David Cargill and Sara Kozak are executive producers.

Retro Friday: Our Televised Future, Circa 1992

It's always fascinating to watch these news stories from 20 years (or more) ago, predicting our telecommunications future. Some things they get sorta right (check out the primitive DVR usage) while others, not so much (not a single mention of the coming Internet?). This CBS News piece from 1992 takes us back to a time when paying bills on a TV screen seemed exotic and VCRs repped the only control you really had in TV viewing.

The report centers on trials for a new TV device being tested in Cerritos. It all seems so primitive now.

Also: Check out the young, pre-VP Al Gore. And watch a National Cable TV Assn. exec predict the death of newspapers -- but blame it on the telcos. (Again, the idea of the Internet is not yet in anyone's mind.)

Some things, though, don't change: Our hatred for the cable companies and their price gouging. Watch above.

R.I.P., Gen X Quizmaster Ken Ober

"The quizmaster of 72 Whooping Cough lane, Ken Ober!"

Ober was the unofficial game show host of Generation X, and his "Remote Control" helped usher in an age of programming on what previously had been a diet of music videos on MTV.

It's strange to think that the folks our generaton grew up with are already dying, but Ober, 52, passed away this weekend in Santa Monica. From the L.A. Times:

Lee Kernis of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, who represented Ober, confirmed the death but said the cause was unknown. According to Kernis, friends said Ober had been feeling ill with a headache and flu-like symptoms Saturday and did not meet them later as planned. An autopsy is planned.

Ober was a stand-up comic when he landed the job as host of “Remote Control” in 1987. On a basement set featuring college-age contestants and audience members, Ober introduced categories spanning the universe of TV reruns -- beginning with the old black-and-white days of "Car 54, Where Are You?" and "Mr. Ed" but returning again and again to "The Brady Bunch." If the players, who were strapped into garish reclining lounge chairs, answered correctly, they got to choose the next category. Those eliminated were ridiculed, then pitched backward in their chairs through the wall of the set.

You may also remember that Ober was paired with former "Brady Bunch" star Susan Olsen for a radio program on 97.1 KLSX, back when the station marketed itself as "Real Radio." More recently, Ober had been a TV writer for shows such as "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

L.A.'s Public Access Channel 36 to Stay on the Air, But at Reduced Operations

LA36, the Los Angeles public access station, was set to go dark as of today -- but an emergency measure by the City Council has allowed the channel to stay on the air, but at reduced operations.

LA36 president/general manager Carla Carlini told us Wednesday evening:

"Movement in City Council today allows for LA36 to stay open for the next few months. However, we will not be running at full capacity because of the difficult financial situation we still face. The final City Council vote in a few months will ensure the remainder of our funding. Until then, we are cutting staff and some of our services. We do not have the budget to do any new productions.

It will not be pure repeats – we will endeavor to put on new content given to us from outside producers. But LA36 as an entity will not be producing things like High School sports anytime soon.

Quite a reminder of how cash-strapped Los Angeles is -- if it can't even spring what, in the grand scheme of things, is a tiny amount to keep LA36 running. There's no question that the No. 2 market in the country should have a vibrant public access organization.

DirecTV Smells Blood in the Time Warner Cable Waters

DirecTV is hoping to steal away a few Time Warner Cable subscribers still pissed off about last month's Manny Ramirez snafu.

You may remember, Time Warner Cable took some heat after it accidentally cut into Prime Ticket's coverage of the Dodgers -- missing a dramatic home run by Ramirez.

Now, DirecTV is running spots on the radio reminding Time Warner Cable subscribers of the goof -- and suggesting they try DirecTV, which wasn't impacted by the accidental pre-emption, instead.

I subscribe to DirecTV -- and although I'm mostly pleased with the service, I'm surprised that cable operators like Time Warner never attempt to combat satellite's major West Coast weakness. DirecTV and Dish offer mostly East Coast feeds -- which means primetime series air too early out here, and many channels telecast infomercials by 11 p.m. PT (which is 2 a.m. ET), making for frustrating late-night channel surfing.

Retro Friday: Classic Cable Edition

Long before "The Real Housewives," "Top Chef," "Project Runway" or "Queer Eye" -- I mean, lonnnnng before those shows -- Bravo was an arts-centric channel, focusing on obscure foreign and independent film, as well as programming such as the Montreux Jazz Festival. Above, what Bravo looked like in 1989. It's unrecognizable.



Nickelodeon is set to unveil a new logo this fall -- its first update in 25 years, since 1984. Above, here's what Nickelodeon originally looked like, from a clip in 1983. Check out the ads for long-disappeared fare such as "You Can't Do That on Television," "The Tomorrow People," "Reggie Jackson's World of Sports," and Leonard Nimoy's "Standby Lights Camera Action."



Ahh, of course. Classic MTV from the 1980s. Here's a collection of moments featuring the original VJs.