DVR and the Death of Traditional Television

The invention of the DVR has really screwed up television.

Not to be an old man here, but back in the day, the way I discovered new shows was usually through, what people in the business call, a “lead-in.”  See a lead-in is when a popular show that draws millions of viewers leads into a show that the network would like the masses to get behind.  The lead-in boosts ratings of everything around it.  It’s like the cleanup hitter of television.

But, with the invention of the DVR, lead-ins are meaningless.  I rarely ever watch a show at its regularly scheduled time.  I record and then watch at my own convenience. The show I’m watching never leads me into anything because it’s recorded and when the shows over, I move onto something else.

Because of this, I miss out on a lot of great shows.

Like a little sitcom on ABC called Happy Endings.

I’ve recently picked up on the show through hearing about it on the blogosphere.  I’m sure Happy Endings has a great lead-in on whatever night of the week it’s on TV, but I would never know.

You know why I would never know?  Because I DVR everything and I never watch commercials.  If networks are promoting their shows, I’m not aware of it.  I find out about new shows or season premiers through the internet, not the lead-ins or the promos. 

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