The Decline in personality of Pay Tv channels over the years

[Ageofquarrel]

Anyone remember when Cinemax would have theme commercials for certain movies?
They used to have Cinemax drive in promos with Horror movies and Martial arts movies included.
Or Cinemax Superheros showing movies like Superman and hero at large.
The Movie channel used to have a thing called VCR overnite where they played a hit movie every morning at 3am and you could tape it. TMC also used to have theme weeks with Oscar nominated movies and Robert Osbourne used to intro. And what about Joe Bob Briggs Drive In movies on TMC?
This stuff was great.
It seems now presentation wise the Pay tv networks are pretty drab.
I gotta say Cinemax and TMC have just become the most vanilla networks.
I do like TMC's movie shorts though.
Anybody else agree with me.

 

[dmargalotti]

Theme movie weeks go way back to the days before cable and pay tv. I remember when WABC-TV Channel 7 in NYC would air The 4:30 Movie every weekday afternoon.
They would have a different theme each week...World War II, John Wayne, Martin & Lewis, Charleton Heston, Westerns, Spy Week with Dean Martin as Matt Helm and James Coburn with the Our Man Flint series, Abbott & Costello and so many others.

There were some weeks when I would rush to finish my after school paper route as quickly as possible, practically sprinting the whole way on my bike so I could make it home by 4:30!

 

[Ultimajock]

TMC also used to have theme weeks with Oscar nominated movies and Robert Osbourne used to intro.

..."used to"??!!? I suggest you turn TCM on right now...

...now if TCM would just put someone on during the week in addition to Robert Osborne. When AMC was still American Movie Classics, they had enough sense to split the intro duties throughout the week between Bob Dorian and Nick Clooney, and, after Clooney left, Gene Klavan...

 

[Ageofquarrel]

Oh I know that theme weeks are far from a cable tv phenomenon.
I grew up watching Monster movies every thanksgiving on WOR 9 and WNEW 5 having horror and martial arts movies themed weeks. I even remember (barely as I was very young at the time) my older brothers watching Chiller Theater on WPIX 11.

The reason I bought this up is that I was surfing around youtube the past couple days and found some great promos. Brought back alot of tv memories for me.

Heres a movie channel preview clip from 1987 with a little taste of Joe bob briggs drive in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9kRFXfUtQ4

Robert Osbourne hosting VCR overnite on The Movie channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3jhlZI6ZOQ&mode=related&search=
He went on to AMC and is now with TCM.

The Movie Channel VCR theater Overnite Promo Telling about that weeks movies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l77uy5QzAQc

Heres a couple of Cinemax Preview clips from 1988
Cool stuff. Reminds me of being ten years old again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdjJ9hpGG8w&mode=related&search=

Heres some more cinemax from 1988 with a Friday After Dark promo.
I used to sneak in to the living room to watch those flicks when everyone went to bed. Haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BybanhlgliI&mode=related&search=

Another Cinemax promo (Featuring a Max Headroom contest promo) with the Cinemax Comedy Experiment intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLzHU46jBuI&mode=related&search=

Ill round it off with some retro movie intros from the Big four Pay tv stations

Showtime circa 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcYCn8HllQQ

The Movie Channel circa 1987
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhi56bwOeog

Cinemax circa 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P9GaFZbUnU

And last but not least
everyones favorite
HBO IN SPACE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzs6EC47pkQ

 

[dmargalotti]

. I even remember (barely as I was very young at the time) my older brothers watching Chiller Theater on WPIX 11.

Chiller Theater was incredible. I can still see that claymation hand rising from the swamp while the creepy voice said "chiiillleeeeerrrrrr".

Channel 5 back when they were Metromedia 5 I believe had their own version of Chiller called Creature Features featuring all those old classic horror movies. If you're too young to remember watching, too bad. You missed some great TV!

 

[jwk1979]

TMC also used to have theme weeks with Oscar nominated movies and Robert Osbourne used to intro.

..."used to"??!!? I suggest you turn TCM on right now...

...now if TCM would just put someone on during the week in addition to Robert Osborne. When AMC was still American Movie Classics, they had enough sense to split the intro duties throughout the week between Bob Dorian and Nick Clooney, and, after Clooney left, Gene Klavan...

I think the original poster was refering to The Movie Channel, which is where Robert Osborne started, not Turner Classic Movies, where he is now.

 

[Ultimajock]

TMC also used to have theme weeks with Oscar nominated movies and Robert Osbourne used to intro.

..."used to"??!!? I suggest you turn TCM on right now...

...now if TCM would just put someone on during the week in addition to Robert Osborne. When AMC was still American Movie Classics, they had enough sense to split the intro duties throughout the week between Bob Dorian and Nick Clooney, and, after Clooney left, Gene Klavan...

I think the original poster was refering to The Movie Channel, which is where Robert Osborne started, not Turner Classic Movies, where he is now.

...you're right...sorry, my bad...