OK, that’s it, I’m calling shenanigans. We’ve witnessed MTV stop really caring about music, VH1 abandon video hits, A&E decide to have nothing to do with Arts or (arguably) Entertainment, and TLC race as far and as fast as it can from programming that could cause anyone to actually learn anything. But this was the final straw: The Weather Channel announced today that it will air feature-length movies on Friday nights starting Oct. 30.
Yes, that’s right: The. WEATHER. Channel. Granted, the first movie on the docket, The Perfect Storm, is relatively appropriate, but then we’re gonna get March of the Penguins, Misery, and, I kid you not, Deep Blue Sea. All airing on the channel you go to when you want to know the weather. Worse yet, the network will still air the weekend forecast six times an hour during said movie, which is kind of like tuning into ESPN to watch Forrest Gump (there’s running!) with occasional updates on the big games. No. Wrong. SHENANIGANS.
Tell me, PopWatchers, am I crazy? Are you really eager to flip on your TV sets to catch Twister or Hard Rain edited for time, content, and alerts every ten minutes on actual tornadoes and thunderstorms? Or do we all agree to take a stand, here and now, against so many of our beloved basic cable networks all congealing into variations on two basic themes: The Movie and TV Rerun Network or The Deeply Depressing Cheap-o Reality TV Network? Who’s with me?
Photo Credit: Claudette Barius
eh.
When I read the headline I thought to myself, “What are they going to show? The Perfect Storm.” Then I clicked on the link. Totally saw that one coming!
I’m surprised Twister didn’t make it on the first batch of movies. But really, who turns on the tv to check the weather?
I do. Every morning.
Me too!
This is the point. we turn on to see the weather in the mornings, or before bedtime on weekdays….on Friday night we are out and about, so why not. Its an NBC station now.
I do as well.
Every day!
I do, morning and evening
I love watching the weather plus it still gets good ratings
I *wish* I could… AT&T doesn’t air the local forecast… I have to look online for all the up-to-the-minute accurate stuff.
Yeah same here with AT&T not showing local stuff. I watch my local news or go online for that. I only tune in to TWC if a hurricane may come my way.
its the first thing I do, since i travel to work for an hour and also go fishing alot so its a must.
If you live on the Florida coast you turn to the Weather Channel during hurrican season. Go anywhere with a TV and it’s ESPN or The Weather Channel on all the time.
LOL! so true!
You are definately not crazy because that’s ridiculous. And no, I will not be tuning in for movies. When I go to the Weather Channel, I want, you know, the weather…
The Weather Channel is obviously having a hard time snagging ratings. However, this idea sounds more amusing than tragic. At least TWC isn’t airing movies during more crucial periods of the day (i.e., mornings). It’s not nearly as bad as MTV, VH1, A&E or TLC (unless TWC starts airing movies all day long), but hearing TWC cite the snowstorm as the reason behind airing Misery is hilarious.
AMC now has TV series, Bravo and TLC have reality shows, Lifetime Has Project Runway. The nets are all becoming more like each other.
You’re right CK. You would think that with all the channels out there, they would be trying to distinguish themselves from each other. Instead they are becoming interchangable. Why would someone go to the Weather Channel to watch movies that have already been shown on lots of other channels?
That is why I appreciate TCM’s all Classic-movies and documentaries and behind the scenes specials, all the time, even if I question their definition of recent classic movies lol. I adore that channel.
God, I like watching the Weather Channel w/o the shows because it’s interesting. Not to watch Twister. Epic. Fail.
Do they even KEEP ratings for the Weather Channel? I mean…it’s the Weather Channel, for crying out loud. I happen to think it’s a stupid idea, but then I don’t “watch” the weather on TV. Any time I flipped it to that channel, they were showing the same episode of “When Weather Changed History” over and over again anyway (did you know it was cold in Europe in winter 1944? No, really. It was TOTALLY cold). It’s a head-scratcher, no doubt, but I gave up way back when AMC stopped showing anything even remotely “classic.” Wonder what shenanigans the Food Network has in store for us…
“Do they even KEEP ratings for the Weather Channel? I mean…it’s the Weather Channel, for crying out loud.”
That’s what I said!
And hey, they wouldn’t have to just rely on “Misery” for their big blizzard tie-in. There’s also the “Shining,” too. I guess Stephen King is the go-to weather guy here.
OMFG. best. headline. ever.
Agreed
ridiculous. weather documentaries, fine. movies? no.
TWC is only good for live hurricane coverage.
Jim Cantore is the man.
Actually I find their hurricane coverage becoming tedious. They deploy their people five days before landfall, yet we get endless ‘live’ updates of nothing happening. And they always show the same false color IR satellite loop even when a more detailed visible loop would be better.
Now I’m afraid Cantore is gonna get buck nekkid but only if the integrity of the story demands it.
But where does it end? There’s weather in every movie, even if it just takes place on a sunny day. I hate NBC Universal. By next year, they’ll be showing Law & Order: SVU reruns on Saturday nights. This is like when the Travel Channel got fixated on Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, because, you know, they take place at some other location that you have to travel to to get there.
I turn on Weather Channel all the time to see what is going on with the WEATHER, as when a thunderstorm approaches or possible tornado warnings. When I’m wondering weather to head for my basement and get nothing but a MOVIE, I’m going to be ticked off!
Exactly… so when a tornado warning goes off in my area, I can expect a movie to prevent my finding out of news. What dimwit dreamed up this ratings idea?
I second you on this because besides me, there are many weather viewers still want to watch more live weather coverage. This is very sad for folks who wants to know more about live weather. I pray TWC will rethinks this while they air these movies.
in my business i depend on an up to the minute radar
report. when i tune the weather channel for that report
i usually get a documentary of some sort. the i have to
go to weather on line. i’m fed up with the weather channel
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
I love that “Things that make me die inside” is one of the tags on this. Agreed that it’s ridiculous. I at least hope that when there’s a real weather emergency they’ll delay or just not show the movie. After all, weather is their first priority!