SaturdayNightLive - Medialoper

In their first podcast of 2012, Jim & Tim wonder if you’ve heard that new Van Halen song. Kirk could care less. But it does lead to a discussion about various band reunions as well as the various incarnations of Van Halen. (4:37 – 11:04)

Then, there is general worry at a British study that says brain decline starts in the mid-40s, not the early 60s. (11:05 – 19:55)

Also, speaking of decline, has any retailer had a swifter decline than Best Buy? Probably, but who can remember? Kirk traces it back to when they got into a public spat with the DuroSport Electronics Corporation. (19:56 – 29:18)

Finally, the latest inductee into the Medialoper Bebop Great Albums Hall of Fame, Horses by Patti Smith. Even though it’s Kirk’s choice, Jim is going to use this opportunity to link to his article about seeing Patti live in 1996, as well as Kassia’s article about her love for Patti Smith. (29:19 – 47:10)

All that, and the new Van Halen song! On Medialoper Bebop Episode 27: Brain Decline.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:21 — 74.7MB)

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Once upon a time, the TV networks gave a rats ass about Saturday nights. It almost seems apocryphal, but there was a fabled season long ago that had this Saturday night lineup: All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and The Carol Burnett Show. Three solid hours of comedy all-timers.

Slow-forward about 35 years, and what do we have on Saturday nights? As Al Swearengen might say, a huge bag of shit. Sports. Reality. Magazines. Not a single scripted comedy or drama. Saturday night has become a major TV casualty of the overabundance of entertainment choices, and the networks aren’t even bothering to address it.

But isn’t there *anything* they could do? Maybe. But it would involve taking a gamble on some programming concepts that they’ve been slow to embrace, and actually taking advantage of what I will dub “The Spinal Tap Paradox.”

Saturday-Night-Live

Medialoper Bebop Episode 27: Brain Decline

Some Saturday Suggestions