Talk of TV's golden age misses large picture

Shows like AMC's highly-acclaimed 'Mad Men' found second lives due to cable.The basest reality Tv shows a la 'Keeping Tabs On the Kardashians' plumb disheartening levels of abuse and humiliation, while breeding a period of 'stars.' FXs Puppy puppy nip/Tuck shown other fundamental cablers they may also achieve artistic ambitions like premium cable systems. Every once in awhile, an idea propagates through the cultural ether to cause media elites -- frequently belatedly -- to at the same time notice some trend or large idea.A present example involves acknowledging the burgeoning quality of television, and going to broach whether TV has surpassed its elder, bigger brother, movies, in cultural influence or quality.And so the NYer is sponsoring a meeting now titled "Is Television the completely new Cinema?" And alternatively coast, Zocalo Public Square is hosting a meeting this month asking "May be the Golden Ages of Television?"Well, can it be? And how come sections like these have to be presented being an problem, anyway?Such queries have a very inclination to simplify -- make that terribly over-simplify -- years of content evolution. Yes, there's an embarrassment of TV riches at this time around, together with a fuzzy batch of Oscar competitors. It's complicated, however, distilling people elements into an "Is TV a lot better than movies?" debate, the kind of phallic face-off tailor-created for a splashy Web headline also to attract Hollywood, which always values putting things in "Who's bigger?" terms.Alas, however pithy the question, a geniune answer won't fit nicely around the postage stamp.For television, this indeed signifies the most effective and worst of occasions -- a Golden Age and Pyrite Period at one time.Allow us get rid of the second first. Because the unscripted genre is just too diverse to speak in sweeping generalities, it's fair to convey the basest reality Tv shows plumb disheartening levels of abuse and humiliation, while breeding a period of "stars" (start to see the Kardashians) whose only noticeable talent is becoming famous. As evidence, switch through any copy people Weekly, ideally before eating.Clearly there's room for entertainment of both everywhere types, though tellingly, ratings for programs represented on TV's recognition roll rarely rival top unscripted hits. This easily allows professionals to pay for behind the old "Everyone made us have it doneInch excuse.Concurrently, it seems irrefutable there's no time before been this type of array or abundance of great dramas, between enough first-class comedies low of prevent that reduced art from being jeered in the conversation.Clearly, fans of great television -- the kind that has, for a number of, transformed excursions for the theatrical art house -- owe a massive debt to Cinemax, which gave even elite snobs license to check out TV. The channel's old "It is not TV. It's Cinemax" slogan perfectly taken this attitude, enabling NYer and NY Occasions site visitors (and experts) to happily reference "The Wire" or "The Sopranos."In hindsight, though, the pivotal moment in the current quality explosion might be monitored to the introduction of "Puppy puppy nip/Tuck" in 2003.Created by Ryan Murphy, the Foreign exchange drama's early years shown fundamental cable could need to some artistic ambition rivaling their pay brethren -- while pushing content restrictions as intensely as entrepreneurs enables. Programs like "Mad Males" and "Damages" adopted, and network suggests that may have once met untimely deaths (see NBC's "Friday Evening Lights" and "Southland") found second lives due to cable.Somewhat perversely, the tv movie's decline also funneled additional assets into episodic drama, as channels like Showtime recognized signature hits could lure audiences back each week, unlike one-shot telecasts.Clearly, don't assume all seed of "Puppy puppy nip/Tuck's" legacy remains as creatively fruitful, as evidenced with the latest Murphy/Foreign exchange collaboration, "American Horror Story," which reflects TV's anything-to-get-observed impulses.It's also easy to forget there's simply really, well, everything -- both bad and the good, worldwide (see "Downton Abbey") and domestic. How could there Not, when earlier references to TV's "golden age" denoted an occasion when greatness composed from the mere quantity of channels?Ultimately, all current day terrific stuff can't reverse first law of television -- namely, gems is going to be hidden in mounds of dreck -- but people with discerning palates, persistence together with a Digital video recorder do not need to look far to discover enticing delights.So yes, there are many gold spilling in the TV, plus much more goodies to discard an individual's time than previously. Yet because the TV usually bigger and, a vintage adage is still relevant: Everything glitters is not gold. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com