The Change Mariner

Cutting edge TV only on cable now

MSNBC
... Cable, after all, is where the juice is these days. Cable is where you’ll find risk-takers and programming with creative passion and vision. As for the broadcast networks, well they obviously continue to be mired in a play-it-safe rut.
With big money and ratings at stake and numerous fickle advertisers to appease, broadcasters tend to operate in a climate of fear. Consequently, so much network fare is the bland residue of conservatism and compromise. There is little incentive to be unique and daring.
In contrast, cable often leads the way in providing bold, edgy shows that defy the formulas. By now, everyone is familiar with HBO and its string of high-quality hits, including “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “Six Feet Under,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Wire.” Those shows blow away almost anything the networks can offer.
But other cable outlets are making headway as well. Little FX has two of the most compelling and daring dramas on the air in “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck.” Comedy Central, which continues to push the envelope with “South Park,” also offers “The Daily Show,” the mock newscast that gleefully wallows in political satire — a form of humor the networks have all but abandoned.
And when it comes to innovative, buzz-generating shows, cable continues to make a splash in prime time. Last year MTV struck paydirt with “The Osbournes.” This year, Bravo grabbed gobs of attention with the hilarious “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”
The trend is just as pervasive, if not more so, in made-for-television movies and miniseries, a genre that cable has dominated in recent years. While the networks generally stick to superficial explorations of current events (i.e. NBC’s disappointing “Saving Jessica Lynch”) and fluffy show-biz biopics, cable, led by HBO, churns out award-winning films that outclass even some of the better theatrical offerings.