My TV Production professor told my class that TV shows are made so that you can multitask, come in the middle of a show, or have a short attention span and know exactly what’s going on. This was interesting. Heck, it explained a lot!
This is why so many shows are so very similar. Look at the CW’s “hit new show” Gossip Girl. Bleh, I’m sorry, but I can’t stand this show. It is so very carbon copy of other hit teen shows that it has no originality in my opinion. Shows will revolve around rumors spreading between friends or how two girls want the same guy. What teen drama hasn’t done this? Now, I know a little bit about this show because my friend/roommate is a huge fan of it, and she’s trying to get me to like it. I still don’t really care for it, but then again, I’m into a different type of TV show.
I’ma fan of sci-fi fantasy shows like Smallville and Supernatural. I watched Heroes, and I’m current with the new Terminator show. So you can see that the type of show I’m interested in doesn’t coincide with my roommate's favorite type of show. There we have some differences, but I love my shows not just for the action and sci-fi aspects, but because they are different than other shows. I have not yet encountered an episode of Smallville or Supernatural or one of the others where the main plot point is “Does he like me or does he still like her? I hope my social status doesn’t suffer!”.
I feel that my shows have a little more complexity than the average hour drama. My shows often contain subplots, multiple characters involved in these different subplots, and the necessity for continuity. Gossip Girl could probably get away with putting their shows a little out of order, but mine need to have a specific time line in order to not make mistakes (ie the importance of continuity). And I’m not saying my TV shows are the best in the world or that their writers never make mistakes. Just like people, no TV show is perfect.
So yeah, TV writers in general may create TV shows to appeal to the multitasked or person with a abysmal attention span, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with every TV show.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
I don't believe that is the case for all shows either. I used to watch lost back when my mom was alive and if you missed one episode of that you were "lost" You can also multitask with some movies to like the ones that get 4 stars that really suck or take 3 hours to get to the point. I have never watched term. or supernatural so I don't know but that is probably why I don't watch them because I am not here when good shows come on. But you have to admit they make the stupidest shows now and almost all are reality.
I agree. Way too many idiotic shows and reality shows... especially after the writer's strike, we've been flooded with all these new reality shows that are trying to fill the gap until new episodes are shown again.