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What Happened To The Science Shows?

Several people have sent me links recently to an article at The Onion lamenting the sad state of science programming on television these days.  Interestingly, The Onion didn't even need to add much satire to the article. 

I have fond memories of watching shows like The Operation on The Discovery Channel back in the early 1990's.  A typical episode would introduce the viewer to a patient, describe his condition, explain the surgery he was about to receive, show about 30 minutes of surgery footage, and close with a post-op visit with the patient.  The surgery segments were fairly graphic, as one might expect, but at the end of the program I'd learned a few things. 

These days, I'm more likely to find a show purporting to prove t hat JFK was assassinated by a conspiracy between the Freemasons and the Russian Mafia because he was getting ready to expose the truth about the Roswell aliens and their connection to the destruction of Atlantis. 

It's absurd. 

A quick glance at the program lineup for The Discovery Channel today shows eight episodes of Cash Cab, six episodes of Verminators, four episodes of Man vs. Wild and a handful of other programs (including one which I initially misread as Solving History with Oily Steeds...).  Not much here I'd really call science.  The only really sciency program I can come up with on Discovery these days is Mythbusters, and even as cool as that show is, it sometimes veers a little too far into spectacle.

A check of The Learning Channel's schedule paints a similar picture - lots of shows about large families, fashion, and being pregnant, but scarcely a scintilla of scientific programming.

At this point, I'm almost scared to look at The History Channel, but here we go... 

Let's see - a lot of infomercials, UFO programs, and Monster Quest episodes (although I may have to check out the episode on the Hillbilly Beast of Kentucky...), but only a little in the way of History.  (I know.  The History Channel was never really positioned as a science channel, but it used to be a lot more geared towards educational programming than the infotational material it shows now.)

There is really only one good place to go for science programming these days - PBS. 

PBS runs some excellent, well-researched programs such as Scientific American Frontiers, hosted by Alan Alda, and the venerable NOVA. 

I wish there were more offerings like these...

-Jay

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