Stars on TV

Just a few years ago, many cultural pundits were predicting the demise of television. With the rise of Internet video streaming technology looking like there was going to be future for free internet tv, declining tv ratings for the big four tv channels – fox tv, abc tv, cbs tv, and nbc tv, and a technology that hadn’t experienced any fundamental changes for some time, many people assumed that computer technology would make television obsolete. Fast forward to current times and it’s apparent that television is stronger than ever. While television technology didn’t progress for years, there has been a certifiable boom in television innovation in these past years. One of these developments has been the increased popularity of satellite tv providers like direct tv and dish tv. What these satellite tv providers has done has increased the number of television channels available allowing for people to check out specialized TV channels that they will enjoy. This has led to the popularity of such channels as food tv, court tv, lifetime tv, playboy tv, spike tv and fuse tv. Additionally, television has been given a shot in the arm by such respected TV channels as HBO and bravo tv that raised the bar for television programming. Just a few years ago, television watchers would be depressed looking through the tv listings in their tv guide and seeing nothing but formulaic TV shows.

 

However, due to the consistently refreshing programming of HBO and bravo tv including critically acclaimed and popular TV shows like The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Weeds and Entourage, major television networks have had to step their game up. Whereas the common perception of television was that it produced shows for the lowest common denominator, now tv stands up to or even eclipses movies for content and originality. The popularity of the heroes tv show on NBC and the no angels tv show is a testament to how far television programming has come from the low brow days of mad tv. Additionally tv channels have discovered that one of the best ways to reduce costs has been to reduce funding for formulaic tv programming and investing it in cheaper reality tv programs or shows that heavily emphasized live tv that often result in spontaneous and much better content. When internet technology grew and computers were becoming essential items for people to have, many people wondered how television would be able to compete with the new medium. Just like how TV overwhelmed and eventually replaced radio, many people expected that computers would ultimately make television obsolete. However, there was something that people neglected to factor – that people prefer to watch things on a large television screen. To counter the ease and convenience of watching video and DVDs on a computer, there have been a dizzying number of television technical innovations that have made television the preferred medium to watch programs. The release of the plasma tv and flat screen tv have really changed people’s perceptions on television. During its time of dominance, televisions didn’t really seem like they changed that much in quality.

 

However, the days of bulky televisions that often had poor resolution are officially over. These plasma tvs and lcd tvs are just the tip of the iceberg as high definition TVs or hd tvs are becoming increasingly regularly. Topping this has been the advent of digital video recorders (DVRs) or tivo that enables people to record programs that they are able to access on their television. Additionally those early media critics were proven wrong in their prediction that internet tv would compete with television. Rather, recent years have shown that the Internet is acting as a complement to television. In previous generations, people had to either look diligently through their tv schedule to watch their favorite show or record it, if they wanted to watch a show. However, the rise of internet tv allows people to watch their favorite tv shows from the comfort of their own home at their own pace. Many people find it convenient downloading their favorite program onto their iPods so they can enjoy ipod tv. While many people worried about the effect that downloading will have on television programming it seems that it has only increased the popularity of tv shows. Although the video quality diminishes when you watch tv online compared to how it as seen on tv, there’s something so convenient about watching internet tv. Many people love to download tv commercials and tv theme songs. Additionally, the increase of television mediums has increased the amount of content. Amateurs and massive TV corporations have gotten into the act by producing free tv that you can access on the internet with sites that allow for free online tv. With free internet tv, people are able to disregard the tv schedule and just watch tv online whenever they want to. Another factor that has strengthened television in recent years has been the surprising success of tv on dvds. Packaging classic and contemporary television programs into DVDs allow people that may have missed a couple of episodes of a show and then abandon it the second chance of watching great television programs. 80’s tv shows have received a shot in the arm and have escaped entering a void of being ignored through this trend.

 

However, many current shows have discovered that the number of fans for their shows has drastically increased. For this reason, the television industry is looking healthier than ever. Critically acclaimed television programs like The Office and Arrested Development has made the medium a desired place for actors to go to get great parts. With many actors and actresses establishing themselves as stars in television, we will examine at some of today’s finest television stars. From stars of live tv competitions or game shows like Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Ryan Seacrest, and Howie Mandel to late night legends like David Letterman, Conan O’Brian and Jay Leno, our writers will examine your favorite stars of television. From funny men to gifted dramatic actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Hugh Laurie to many other great stars on TV, we will take a look at the lives and work of these gifted stars.