When is/was/will be the Dark Age of Television?

My apologies. Let's just hope that 'not a television movie' will remain true from here on forth until the end of days... and add a couple of millennia to that, just on the off chance somehow, somewhere, some poor alien culture manages to get their hands on our televisions and the programs shown on them...

I can easily imagine that advanced alien cultures would fire weapons of planetary destruction upon us for creating such heinous crimes against the universe as Movie 43.

Commercial broadcast television was always aimed at the lowest common denominator. Television was merely a medium for commercial interests to pay for shows that attracted the largest audience to buy the advertised product. Despite this, there were many good shows in the past, though, if you think about it, the vast majority of shows were useless, melodramatic pap with no lasting value whatsoever except to lull the viewer into a hypnotic or suggestive state so as to buy the product.

Every fall the broadcast networks produced dozens of new shows of which about a quarter survived after several episodes. At least in this way many of the worst shows were culled out. Nowadays, with the advent of cable the viewing public has been drastically reduced for commercial broadcast television. Because of the high cost of producing a show any new show that is produced is there to stay regardless of its quality.

Currently there are only two television series I watch regularly.
I really enjoy watching both of these television series.
They are both currently on long hiatus before returning.

I do not like or watch any "reality tv" to me its a big farce mainly because its just not real!!! My main issue is the stupid censorship that happens here!! I severely object to the Victorian censorship, so what you see a topless woman, get over it. Then they 'censor" a stone statue or a painting, I understand the likes of Jerry Springer but censoring at 2200, put on a warning beforehand but its just stupid. Parents need to take responsibility for what there kids watch etc, my viewing should not be 'adjusted" because of there lack of skills!

You are correct that 'reality tv' is not real.
I would argue that someone who knows they are on camera will act differently than someone who doesn't know they are on camera.
When the director says "Action", that means start performing.
When the director says "Cut" that means to stop performing.
These same principles apply to (so-called) Reality Tv.

I personally prefer watching scripted shows.
Especially (action) television shows and (sci-fi) television shows.

In the so-called "Golden Age" of television From 1949 to the late '60s, there were over 100 western series that aired on the networks. Virtually all problems were solved by violence and the death of a bad guys by shooting. One exception was Have Gun Will Travel starring Richard Boone who was a hired gun who talked to his victims to death.

One of my favorite contemporary shows was Dr. Oz, a show which talked about America's health issues and has now been taken over by the money counters and degenerated into another talk show.