Retro TV Channels: ”The Good Old Days of Television”

[freddi]

I have some hope that Decades might still be on the air locally -- I think the new replacement channel is going on a different channel number.  We will see soon!  I think September sometime is the date of the change.   It turned out that there were several CBS-affiliate channels available for the new channel.  

Edited August 31, 2018 by freddi

[Cobb Salad]

42 minutes ago, freddi said:

I have some hope that Decades might still be on the air locally -- I think the new replacement channel is going on a different channel number.  We will see soon!  I think September sometime is the date of the change.   It turned out that there were several CBS-affiliate channels available for the new channel.  

I just checked the Decades website for where to watch and the entry for New York, NY (mine) is now “coming soon” because it’s being replaced by StartTV.  This is true for all of the CBS owned and operated stations.  I guess Decades will show up eventually on another over the air sub channel.  I don’t get why CBS couldn’t just put StartTV on another channel.  

The changeover is this weekend.  

[freddi]

24 minutes ago, Cobb Salad said:

I just checked the Decades website for where to watch and the entry for New York, NY (mine) is now “coming soon” because it’s being replaced by StartTV.  This is true for all of the CBS owned and operated stations.  I guess Decades will show up eventually on another over the air sub channel.  I don’t get why CBS couldn’t just put StartTV on another channel.  The changeover is this weekend.  

Thanks!  Bummer, I looked at the online cable listing for next week, and the current "Decades" channel is becoming StartTV, which I will not watch at all -- it is many hours of "Cold Case" and "The Medium".   But the Decades site of "where to watch" lists two channels that do not currently exist for our provider, so maybe Decades will show up there.  But I remember a similar game when "Cosi" disappeared earlier this year, with promises that is would show up on an unspecified other channel -- it never happened.   I know I can watch shows like "Family Affair" online -- but it's just nice to have them cycle through on the small screen!  

[shapeshifter]

On 8/30/2018 at 2:02 PM, friendperidot said:

and I also can't find Early Edition.

Good news! (Sort of.) Early Edition starts airing on the new StartTV (formerly Decades) Tuesday, September 4, 1:00am CT with 3 episodes 7 days a week. The time of day is outside my viewing time, but I might record a few.

 

6 hours ago, Cobb Salad said:

 I guess Decades will show up eventually on another over the air sub channel.

Possible more good news: It looks like WCIU has added another channel that is Decades. Here (30 miles north of Chicago) it's 26.6.

[friendperidot]

Thank you shapeshifter, but while Decades is available in my area, my antenna isn't able to pull it in. I really wish it were, I'd love to put a big old fashioned antenna on the roof, but 1) I'm 68, 2) I cannot climb on the roof and I don't own a ladder, 3) currently I have a broken foot, may have to have surgery, so it's knocked me out of almost everything since the middle of June and may continue to be out of everything a few more months, darnnit! 4) we have high winds often in OK, the winds do not merely go whistling down the plain, they blow at full gale force a great deal of the time, and roof antennas just aren't always a great idea, they have to be secured. 

[chessiegal]

I bought a Mohu Leaf antenna this morning. I pulled out my unused TV, however the remote is MIA. I can't get the TV set up with the antenna without it. Plan B - we have a TV on our boat that has a remote. Bring that TV home and see if I can get that to work. The salesman said most people in my area can pull in 28-31 channels. Talk about first world problems!

[shapeshifter]

46 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

however the remote is MIA.

Somewhere around here I have a spare remote for my old LG. I dumped water on the original and thought it was toast (bad metaphor) and found out really old remotes are cheap on Amazon (plus my daughter shares her Prime with me, so no shipping). 
Anyway, eventually the original dried out and started working again, so now I have two—somewhere. ?

 

It looks like here in Chicagoland we have both Decades and Start.

Right now I'm whiplashing between The Closer on Start and Nash Bridges on H&I.

Edited September 3, 2018 by shapeshifter

[chessiegal]

Well, my Mohu antenna works, but I'm not picking up the channels I thought I should be able to. No DC stations, some Baltimore but not the major networks. Maybe I need to experiment with moving it around the house. I wonder if upstairs would be better? Bottom line - no Decades.

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Well, my Mohu antenna works, but I'm not picking up the channels I thought I should be able to. No DC stations, some Baltimore but not the major networks. Maybe I need to experiment with moving it around the house. I wonder if upstairs would be better? Bottom line - no Decades.

Definitely upstairs is better (I wish I had that option), but even more important: 

• Put it in a window (I bought a really long cable cord)
• The window should face the city that broadcasts (e.g., DC, Baltimore).
  I'm half way between Milwaukee and Chicago, so I moved it around until it became obvious that the Chicago signals were stronger/more reliable. Occasionally I get a Milwaukee-only channel that shows Stargate SG1.
• If possible, pick a window without big trees or buildings right outside. 
• If you lose signal during a bad storm, rescan your channels afterward

Maybe even more important, the Decades wheretowatch page says:

Quote

To our Decades viewers: As of Monday, Sep. 3, the Decades network has a number of different affiliates in cities across the U.S. We regret that in some cities, Decades is temporarily unavailable. Please check back to this page frequently for information on new channels for Decades this fal

And note that on that same page, Baltimore says "coming soon."
So, don't give up yet?
DC is supposed to be 31.5, but I don't know if that's new in the last day (i.e., since you put up your Mohu leaf). 

When the switch happened, I did the hard reboot, so-to-speak, of:

1. Unscrew the cable to my Mohu antenna (on the back of my TV)
2. Rescan for channels (should find zero channels; this is to clear everything)
3. Unplug the TV from the electricity (seems like overkill, but that's the instructions)
4. Plug the TV back in and reconnect the antenna.
5. Rescan to find stations

[chessiegal]

28 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Definitely upstairs is better (I wish I had that option), but even more important: 

• Put it in a window (I bought a really long cable cord)
• The window should face the city that broadcasts (e.g., DC, Baltimore).
  I'm half way between Milwaukee and Chicago, so I moved it around until it became obvious that the Chicago signals were stronger/more reliable. Occasionally I get a Milwaukee-only channel that shows Stargate SG1.
• If possible, pick a window without big trees or buildings right outside. 
• If you lose signal during a bad storm, rescan your channels afterward

Maybe even more important, the Decades wheretowatch page says:

And note that on that same page, Baltimore says "coming soon."
So, don't give up yet?
DC is supposed to be 31.5, but I don't know if that's new in the last day (i.e., since you put up your Mohu leaf). 

When the switch happened, I did the hard reboot, so-to-speak, of:

1. Unscrew the cable to my Mohu antenna (on the back of my TV)
2. Rescan for channels (should find zero channels; this is to clear everything)
3. Unplug the TV from the electricity (seems like overkill, but that's the instructions)
4. Plug the TV back in and reconnect the antenna.
5. Rescan to find stations

Thanks. When I point the Mohu toward DC, I get none of their channels, but get some Baltimore, I moved it to a room so I could face Baltimore, but only got a few more channels. I don't understand why I'm not getting Baltimore NBC, ABC, and so on. I'm going to move it upstairs tomorrow, but have no windows facing Baltimore. Bottom line, so far can't get 31.5 in DC. Not holding out hope for the Baltimore "coming soon".

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, forumfish said:

Well, not long after discovering the Heroes and Icons was airing Early Edition, they've dropped it from the lineup.

Just in case you didn't already see this:

ON AUGUST 31, 2018 AT 5:13 PM, SHAPESHIFTER SAID:

Good news! (Sort of.) Early Edition starts airing on the new StartTV (formerly Decades) Tuesday, September 4, 1:00am CT with 3 episodes 7 days a week. The time of day is outside my viewing time, but I might record a few.

 

 

1 hour ago, forumfish said:

House and Monk are now part of the weekday rotation, and they are starting MacGyver, The Pretender, and The Guardian this weekend. I passed on The Guardian when it was new, before discovering how yummy Simon Baker can be.

I could barely tear myself away from the Monk episodes today on my day off to do errands, LOL.
I watched The Guardian for the first time in reruns quite a few years ago because of Simon Baker, but it got really depressing.

[DXD526]

As of today, I'm still getting Decades, even though according to what I read, my affiliate was supposed to be one that dropped it. Not sure what happened, but glad it's still around!

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, DXD526 said:

As of today, I'm still getting Decades, even though according to what I read, my affiliate was supposed to be one that dropped it. Not sure what happened, but glad it's still around!

I'm envious. I'm missing my MTM fix.

[shapeshifter]

18 hours ago, chessiegal said:

18 hours ago, DXD526 said:

As of today, I'm still getting Decades, even though according to what I read, my affiliate was supposed to be one that dropped it. Not sure what happened, but glad it's still around!

I'm envious. I'm missing my MTM fix.

Neener neener neener, I get both Decades and Start.
Of course, I also get Chicago winters.

 

I also get The U and The U-Too.
Starting next Sunday, September 16 today, Sunday, the 9th:
Major Crimes (which was most recently had 2 episodes scheduled on the CW on Saturdays, but was often pre-empted for sports, and disappeared today) will have 2 episodes on The U at 2 and 3pm, CT.
The Listener will have one episode on The U on Sunday at 6pm CT.

Edited September 9, 2018 by shapeshifter

[ratgirlagogo]

MeTV will be running six of Burt Reynolds' Gunsmoke episodes this coming week:

https://metv.com/stories/metv-remembers-burt-reynolds-with-a-special-week-of-gunsmoke-episodes

[opus]

COZI adds The Office in January

http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2018/09/cozi-tv-adds-office-in-january-2019.html

[cpcathy]

Great, I'm already exhausted from The Office for hours a day on Comedy Central!

[WendyCR72]

On 8/30/2018 at 3:02 PM, friendperidot said:

for the person who enjoys their Ken Wahl eye candy, I misspoke about it being on H&I on Sundays. I looked at the wrong date in the calendar. I can't find it on their schedule anywhere and I also can't find Early Edition. I wish they had run it a couple more months, it was only on a short time and I didn't get to see it all.

That was me, and it's not your fault! Maybe it'll circle back around on H&I if it ever gets tired of constant Star Trek and/or The Commish or something.

[friendperidot]

Quote

That was me, and it's not your fault! Maybe it'll circle back around on H&I if it ever gets tired of constant Star Trek and/orThe Commish or something.

I'm still ok with 3 out of 5 Star Treks, but I tend to tune them out most of the time. I watched the original series too many times in the 60s and 70s, just can't anymore. Never could get interested in Next Generation, my ex husband had to watch that one, I can't. But good grief, can they please put The Commish on hiatus for about 10 years!

[mmecorday]

Boo! Comcast has removed Cozi and Decades from its lineup. I hope they don't rob me of my MeTV. That and Investigation Discovery are just about the only channels I watch.

However, MeTV has made the bone-headed decision of airing "Gilligan's Island" in a three-hour block on Sunday afternoons after "The Brady Brunch." I loved that show when I was growing up, but I try to watch it now and I can't understand why the castaways even let Gilligan live. He screwed up everything!

[Cobb Salad]

2 hours ago, mmecorday said:

Boo! Comcast has removed Cozi and Decades from its lineup. I hope they don't rob me of my MeTV. That and Investigation Discovery are just about the only channels I watch.

However, MeTV has made the bone-headed decision of airing "Gilligan's Island" in a three-hour block on Sunday afternoons after "The Brady Brunch." I loved that show when I was growing up, but I try to watch it now and I can't understand why the castaways even let Gilligan live. He screwed up everything!

I don’t know what’s going on with Cozi TV but the Decades removal may be due to the market you’re in, not Comcast.  Decades has been replaced by Start TV in the CBS owned and operated markets.  I think they’re looking for new affiliates for Decades in those areas so it may show up again in your listings.  Crossing fingers MeTV stays where it is.

Regarding your comments about Gilligan’s Island, I agree!  Watched it growing up, even the late 70s TV movie where they are rescued - I saw it again somewhere years later and Gilligan still screws up!

[Tom Holmberg]

5 hours ago, mmecorday said:

Comcast has removed Cozi and Decades from its lineup

When I had Comcast I got almost all the retro channels.  I now have AT&T they only have ME-TV and H&I.  I miss Decades and Buzzr the most.

[Jaded]

With U-verse I get the local Me-TV affiliate, Antenna TV affiliate, the national broadcast of H&I on 137/1137 and Family Entertainment Television on 578 (Which is now airing The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show). I finally got to see all the seasons of Designing Women thanks to FETV and my DVR. FETV  previously had an agreement with COZI TV which ended last year. They never aired all the shows that normal COZI channels do though. One example of that is COZI started airing Baywatch before and for awhile after the Baywatch movie came out last year but FETV never aired it. They did air Miami Vice though which had gritty storylines compared to Baywatch.  I always wondered if not airing Baywatch was a choice they made or if the agreement they had with COZI wouldn't allow it. 

Buzzr streams their channel live through their website which I think I've mentioned before so it can be viewed using any device. I use the Silk browser on my Fire TV and stream it through my TV.

[chessiegal]

27 minutes ago, Jaded said:

With U-verse I get the local Me-TV affiliate, Antenna TV affiliate, the national broadcast of H&I on 137/1137 and Family Entertainment Television on 578 (Which is now airing The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show). I finally got to see all the seasons of Designing Women thanks to FETV and my DVR. FETV  previously had an agreement with COZI TV which ended last year. They never aired all the shows that normal COZI channels do though. One example of that is COZI started airing Baywatch before and for awhile after the Baywatch movie came out last year but FETV never aired it. They did air Miami Vice though which had gritty storylines compared to Baywatch.  I always wondered if not airing Baywatch was a choice they made or if the agreement they had with COZI wouldn't allow it. 

Buzzr streams their channel live through their website which I think I've mentioned before so it can be viewed using any device. I use the Silk browser on my Fire TV and stream it through my TV.

Thank you! I was so pissed when I lost Decades to Start TV, but I see I get FET - I had no idea they have my beloved MTM!!

[shapeshifter]

Even though I now get Decades on another CBS affiliate channel, between The Closer on Start; Nash Bridges, Monk, and Numb3rs on H&I; and The Nanny on COZI, I don't have time for Decades. I am gobbling up as many of The Closer episodes as I have time for on the new Start TV—I had given up ever seeing them again on over-the-air TV.

[dalek]

Of course, no sooner do I post abut being happy with Charge! showing The Avengers every afternoon, than they change the line up for the fall.  The Avengers is not weekends only, paired with Danger Man, which I haven't seen since high school.  I'd forgotten how cynical it was.  They also seem to have dropped the Saturday  Hong Kong martial arts movie block.  So I'm back to being annoyed RCN replaced MeTV with Charge!

 

OTOH, while I'm not happy H&I dropped Early Edition, I'm enjoying watching Numbers on Fridays.  Hopefully they'll actually show all the episodes from every season.

 

Also, it turns out you can stream Comet TV free, so I occasionally watch on my computer.  The really old SF movies aren't always to my taste, but it's nice to know it's out there free on the web.

[Was-MArsenault]

There has been a small Laff schedule change.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=5425164&postcount=1

[friendperidot]

Not exactly sure where this should go, but since some of the Hallmark channels have some retro shows, I'm choosing here. The very small streaming service I use, Philo, added 3 Hallmark channels to their line-up today! I know one of them has been running Matlock, I'm pretty caught up on that one. I'm looking forward to some of their other offerings, even though I'm not quite sure what they are. I'll have to find a listing somewhere and become familiar. 

[Maverick]

Don't get too excited. Starting tomorrow, all Hallmark channels will be showing schmaltzy Christmas movies 24/7 for two months straight. 

[friendperidot]

yuck! all of them? well, I have never had them before, guess you can't miss what you've never had!

[Maverick]

I don't know what the third channel is, but The Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries both become awash in single, big city career-driven women who return home to save their family's Christmas tree farm, learn to loosen up and find love with the local small town hottie. 

[Was-MArsenault]

Buzzr will be airing a marathon of The Great Christmas Light Fight the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Hopefully this is a one time thing and doesn't start a bad trend of reality shows coming to what was an all game show network.

[jumper sage]

Just stopped by to say I came across the Paul Lynde Show on ANTV or METV and I love it.  My neighbor and I sit around yelling, "Hashtag me too!"  Good lord.  Paul Lynde the dad was eyeing a teenager.  YIKES.  So funny though.

[Matt K]

So apparently Buzzr is on Twitch and their channel runs 24/7.  I have legacy ad-free viewing so I'm not getting any commercials and there are no ad breaks (so I have no idea when they run ads).  

[Barb1959]

I absolutely love Buzzr.  I don't sleep very well so I dvr it during the day and watch at night!  I just love Password and Password Plus!

[Was-MArsenault]

In our area, Comcast now has something called FETV which used to be a shopping/liquidation/jewelry channel.

For those who don't know what that is, Westerns air in the morning and sitcoms in the afternoon along with stuff at night such as Perry Mason.

[Tom Holmberg]

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 1:02 PM, MikaelaArsenault said:

For those who don't know what that is, Westerns air in the morning and sitcoms in the afternoon along with stuff at night such as Perry Mason.

They do have "The Bob Newhart Show" in the morning and "Mary Tyler Moore" in the afternoon (my time).

[Tom Holmberg]

Penny Marshall passed away at 75.

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/penny-marshall-dead-dies-laverne-and-shirley-1203092419/

[Tom Holmberg]

On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 1:03 PM, Tom Holmberg said:

"Mary Tyler Moore" in the afternoon (my time).

I noticed they showed the last episode of TMTMS today (Thurs.) and will start with episode one tomorrow (Fri., Dec. 21)- for people who like watching shows in order from the beginning.

[chessiegal]

59 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

I noticed they showed the last episode of TMTMS today (Thurs.) and will start with episode one tomorrow (Fri., Dec. 21)- for people who like watching shows in order from the beginning.

I record MTM every day as many days I am not home at air time. I haven't watched today's shows. I knew they were near the series finale. I wish FETV would start airing "Newhart". I lost the Decades channel earlier this year, just as that show was nearing the series finale. I love the ending where Bob wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette and says, you wouldn't believe the dream I had. Such a great ending.

[Tom Holmberg]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Such a great ending.

Best ending ever.

[Tom Holmberg]

Retro shows for the win!

"As much as everyone talks about Peak TV and how much original scripted TV is currently being produced, an increasing number of viewers are instead gravitating toward the old stuff. Me TV, in particular, is continuing to grow as its roster of over-the-air stations gets stronger. The network has leaped over TV Land and is within striking distance of Nick at Nite — two networks that pioneered the “classic TV” format before focusing on more contemporary fare."

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/network-ratings-top-channels-espn-cnn-fox-news-cbs-nbc-abc-1202030597/

[shapeshifter]

*Sigh* I guess I knew it would happen eventually.
Here's the new COZI line up: http://www.cozitv.com/tv-listings/
No more The Nanny during daytime.

 

 

18 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Me TV, in particular, is continuing to grow . . .

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/network-ratings-top-channels-espn-cnn-fox-news-cbs-nbc-abc-1202030597/

Huh. I don't seem to watch MeTV anymore now that H&I has Nash Bridges and Monk and Start has The Closer.  
Although now that the The Nanny isn't on in the mornings anymore on COZI when I'm getting ready, I might go back to MeTV's Matlock.

 

 

And, (as Columbo would say?), just one more thing:
How did I miss that original L&O is on the Escape channel M-F 12-2/1-3 CT?

Edited January 1, 2019 by shapeshifter

[ratgirlagogo]

15 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Here's the new COZI line up

Wow, I'm glad we made it all the way through The Avengers last year or so. Why would they ever drop that? Or, you're right, The Nanny, since nobody else runs it that I can see?   And why are they bothering with The Office and Frasier?  How many stations already run those?

I didn't know they ran McCloud!  Thanks, I'll add that one to the DVR pile.

Edited January 2, 2019 by ratgirlagogo

[Maverick]

 Logo runs The Nanny as well.   

 That COZI schedule has way too much The Office and Frasier.  And still a lot of Will & Grace.  I get tired of the multi-blocks some of these channels do (COZI and Logo are the worst).   COZI is also the worst for the amount TV Landization of their channel by having more modern shows.   They still have a few interesting things, but overall I think Antenna TV is better than them now.  

[chessiegal]

Cozi better never take away Frasier! It's one of the best written and acted sitcoms on TV. I don't know of any other network that shows Frasier.

[Maverick]

 I believe Hallmark Channel shows Frasier....at least during the 4 1/2 months during the year they're not showing the umpteenth movie about some woman finding love with the big city jerk that comes home to his small town and turns into a total heart-eyed fool because it snows on Christmas.    

[chessiegal]

I so look forward to my 2 hours of Frasier every evening, episodes in order. David Hyde Pierce is a treasure. His slap stick in the 3 Valentines show has me laughing until I have tears. It will never be erased from my DVR. And the trainer of Eddie deserved every penny he was paid.

[Tom Holmberg]

I noticed that the FE (Family Entertainment) has dropped "The Bob Newhart Show" in the mornings for more "Roy Rogers."  WTF?

I don't get COZI anymore, but the schedule has way too much "newer" material.  I'd still like to see some of the really retro shows.  Where's "You Bet Your Life"? 

[chessiegal]

13 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

I noticed that the FE (Family Entertainment) has dropped "The Bob Newhart Show" in the mornings for more "Roy Rogers."  WTF?

I don't get COZI anymore, but the schedule has way too much "newer" material.  I'd still like to see some of the really retro shows.  Where's "You Bet Your Life"? 

My husband dislikes Bob Newhart, can't articulate why other than he thinks he's not funny (well, that's a reason), but I was so disappointed to see The Bob Newhart Show disappear from FETV. I'm still mourning the loss of Decades in my market, and along with it Newhart. I told my husband I must be the only person who loves Bob Newhart. He thinks I am. 

Anyone know how HULU works? Looks like I might be able to get some Newhart there.