What would the world be like without television?

Mr_ Bondoc

Mr_ Bondoc

Consider that the civil rights movement would be stalled by at least 15-30 years. Consider that it was the images of African-Americans being attacked by police and attack dogs, that sent the message to Americans how vile Southern racism was in the 1960s. Consider that the 1991 Rodney King beating on camera served to emphasize how real police racism and brutality was. Or consider how the 2008 elctions were changed by the "Macaca video".

Radio had certainly covered these events since the 1920s, but television gave the news items an immediacy and reality that radio couldn't.
 

Lindseyman

Speaking as somebody who was glued to Sport on Two on a Saturday Afternoon and Test Match Special on Radio Three, and Radio 4 the rest of the time I beg to differ!
 

Henriksson

RAKtheUndead said:
Given that the ARPANET and other early networking technologies (and a fair proportion of network technologies today) relied on cables rather than wireless transmission, and given that many early computer terminals were effectively teletypes, I would doubt that there would be no internet at all.
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I think the issue here is that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why a world that would neglect a comparatively super-easy technology like television would go on to establish an internet.
 

doctorx

Pure Bliss.

No Dr. Phil
No Oprah
No Jerry Springer
No Real Housewives of Dumshit County
No The View
No Americal Idol
No The Bachelor
No Shopping Channel
 
Luath

Luath

doctorx said:
Pure Bliss.

No Dr. Phil
No Oprah
No Jerry Springer
No Real Housewives of Dumshit County
No The View
No Americal Idol
No The Bachelor
No Shopping Channel
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No Star Trek
No Stargate
No Doctor who
No Babylon 5
No Seinfeld
No Battlestar Galactica
No Band of Brothers
No Pacific
No Walking Dead
No Thunderbirds
No Captain Scarlet
No Thomas the Tank Engine
No QI
No Have I got news for you
No House
No Scrubs
No Breaking Bad

And

No Porn.
 
Mr_ Bondoc

Mr_ Bondoc

Here's something, consider that television is one of the best advertisers of American consumerism in the Third World. While we despise the soap operas and talk shows, consider that they sold the lifestyle and political ideas that were possible in the West. Even in places like Iran and North Korea, people in those countries will discuss what clothes the actors from the Twilight series are wearing. They are learning English through watching broadcasts of Dallas and Dynasty long after those series were cancelled.
 

MattII

Luath said:
No Star Trek
No Stargate
No Doctor who
No Babylon 5
No Seinfeld
No Battlestar Galactica
No Band of Brothers
No Pacific
No Walking Dead
No Thunderbirds
No Captain Scarlet
No Thomas the Tank Engine
No QI
No Have I got news for you
No House
No Scrubs
No Breaking Bad
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I wouldn't be so sure of that, Saturday Matinees and graphic novels ought to be able to cover at least some of those bases.
 

gladiator8085

Pure Bliss.

No Dr. Phil
No Oprah
No Jerry Springer
No Real Housewives of Dumshit County
No The View
No Americal Idol
No The Bachelor
No Shopping Channel
Click to expand...

It might be worth it if we could get rid of the Kardashian's and Honey Boo Boo.:D
 

Mike Stearns

Luath said:
No Star Trek
No Stargate
No Doctor who
No Babylon 5
No Seinfeld
No Battlestar Galactica
No Band of Brothers
No Pacific
No Walking Dead
No Thunderbirds
No Captain Scarlet
No Thomas the Tank Engine
No QI
No Have I got news for you
No House
No Scrubs
No Breaking Bad

And

No Porn.
Click to expand...

Agreed. No Star Trek. No Simpsons. No Battlestar. No M*A*S*H. No 60 Minuets. No West Wing. Basically geeks of all stripes and interests hate you.
 

MattII

Definitely. Oh it might take a while to go grim-dark, but given that Tintin has been around since '29, I'm hard-pressed to see how it could really be stopped. Hells, in a world without TV graphic novels might be more popular than OTL.
 
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Lindseyman

mattep74 said:
To butterfly away TV you have first to butterfly away cinemas.
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Why? They use completely different technology. As to the above programmes not being produced. Hello the radio still exists and some of them would have made excellent radio serials. I can certainly see Dr Who being a successful programme for Radio 2 at the same time about 6pm after Sports Report that it appeared on BBC1(or even on Radio 4).
Is it me or are we Brits rather less bothered about no TV than our American friends?
 

Lindseyman

I always thought the story of radio listeners thinking that Nixon won the debate and TV veiwers thinking that Kennedy won the debate was apocryphal.
 
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SeanPdineen

choice

Albert Hertzog would have to find something else to fuss ABOUT.
As a wheelchair user, technology of all kinds computers tv an the net has made my life easier. Its a bit frightening, to think without it. However, the price has seemed also to be a disaffection from familial closeness, could one happen without the other? God knows.
 
juanml82

juanml82

Mr_ Bondoc said:
Here's something, consider that television is one of the best advertisers of American consumerism in the Third World. While we despise the soap operas and talk shows, consider that they sold the lifestyle and political ideas that were possible in the West. Even in places like Iran and North Korea, people in those countries will discuss what clothes the actors from the Twilight series are wearing. They are learning English through watching broadcasts of Dallas and Dynasty long after those series were cancelled.
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Movies can, and did, that.

The thing about TV is that there is no way to avoid its development without stunting technological development.
Maybe, if somehow advertisements are avoided, and TV shows are made by the manufacturers to sell TVs, it results in TV not turning into a profitable business and it doesn't develop. The question would be, why wouldn't advertisements show up?
 
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