Educational TV

So, has anyone noticed that educational TV seems to becoming a lot less educational?

I am talking about the Discovery Channel, History Channel, and The Learning Channel. While I watch pretty much zero network TV, I do flip between these on a regular basis and have noticed a trend.

What is the newest show on Discovery? A reality show about Lobster fisherman. What is the show that seems to be on most evenings? Deadliest Catch, a reality show about crab fisherman.

Discovery is not alone here. History has Ice Road Truckers. The Learning Channel has American Chopper (which I admit to enjoying – I like seeing the bikes being built), Miami Ink and now, LA Ink.

Granted, these shows are a minority among those being offered. The History Channel alone has so many WWII shows that I keep expecting Nazi Germany: The Shoelaces of the Third Reich to show up. The Discovery Channel also has that perennial favorite: Shark Week.

You know what I would love? Besides being fed fajitas by supermodels? If the History Channel and Discovery Channel combined forces to produce Nazi Shark Week. I do not care if it was about actual Nazi Sharks (der PanzerTigerhai), Nazis being fed to sharks, or the forbidden love between a Nazi and a shark. Nazi + Shark = television greatness.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I realize that these networks need viewers as much as anyone else. I also realize that reality shows are the thing right now. Could they just, you know, try and make them a bit more informative? Human Weapon is a good example of a show that provides entertainment (people hitting each other) with information (how hitting people in one way hurts more that hitting people other ways).

Barring that, they really need to go with Nazi Shark Week. Or American Chomper, a show about building motorcycles while being attacked by sharks. Or Miami Inked, where they try and tattoo a squid.

Cheers,
-Jason