I mean, it's not even close.

It depends on the movie and show, but I can see your point.

as long as we're talking HBO and AMC then i totally agree with this.

have to agree here - the vast majority of modern television is dreck with just a few standout shows or channels - although in writing that, it seems that modern cinema is largely the same...

zeb, did you have a set of examples? or were you just commenting on your overall view of TV these days?
I, personally miss the normal sitcoms that have been apparently dumped for reality television as far as the eye can see. Except for maybe 30 Rock - which I've been watching as reruns on the Comedy channel lately and feels most like what TV used to be like to me.

30 Rock is still solid. As is Parks And Recreation. New Girl is pretty awesome. And I still enjoy The Office, though it's lost a step or two. Also How I Met Your Mother is just great. But I'm only up through Season Six.

And AMC is about to premiere their first reality show. So... the writing is on the wall for them. Breaking Bad only has 1 more year, Mad Men renewed for 2. They better be careful. Reality programing is the first sign of major infection.

hence, it depends on the movie and tv show.

that was an extremely useful post right there...

Sorry, the echoes on the board made me do it.

Easily. There was actually an article about this in the newest issue of "Written By" (Screenwriter's Guild Magazine). The author proposed that the financing structure of TV is what has led to this--in TV you can get paid for a pilot and then re-write it until it's better, whereas most movie studios will only finance a finished script, so there's less re-writing, less polishing, more focus on what will sell. I think it also has to do with the medium--TV needs to be consistently good or you won't make your money back because it will get cancelled. How many people will pay $7 to see a shitty movie, though?

And yeah, there's some dreck on the networks. But AMC, FX, HBO, Showtime--all consistently producing quality shows. I don't think you can say the same for the major movie studios.

For me there's so much great long form television - Breaking Bad/Game of Thrones/Mad Men/etc - and so little cinema that I would actually leave my house for that there's just no comparison.

this thread had better be The Wire-centric within the next few pages or i'm walking

I agree - modern TV is much better than modern cinema.

The litmus test for me? Name your five favorite TV shows and then quickly name the five best movies, of say, 2011-12. Naming the TV shows is a lot easier.

EDIT: Omar comin'

I haven't seen a movie in the same year it opened since the LOTR trilogy. :/

Want to go to the Moonrise Kingdom premiere with me?

the Walking Dead is more retarded than anything in theaters.

um, Comic Book Men came out awhile ago.

Oh. Didn't know. I was talking about Reality Mad Men that I keep seeing previews for. Still, The Killing and Hell on Wheels haven't been up to the usual AMC standard. They feel like they're on the decline.

This is me except Inception.

this is me except Jaws