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I believe the quality of television shows is at an all-time high, but it is not reality television that is the cause. There are several factors.

First, we can't mention quality TV without talking about the effect of cable television. Cable has grown enormously in both popularity and quality, to the point that it appears to be on equal footing with the networks in terms of ratings, ready to overtake them in the near future. Cable TV allows shows more freedom and less censorship, and that translates to better stories and characters. Of course I have to mention "The Sopranos." We take it for granted now, but when in debuted in 1999, it was so new and different, with its profanity, sex, violence, and despicable-yet-lovable main character, that TV would never be the same. HBO was the initial leader in quality, but Showtime, FX, USA, SciFi, and TNT have followed suit with their original series, giving cable TV a line of hit shows that surely makes the networks envious. There is terrific television all around us on cable, and with quality clearly winning audiences, the networks have responded, creating new and different shows that wouldn't have been viable in the past. Cable raised the bar for TV, and the networks are clearing it.

Second, there is a changing audience that is more diverse, open-minded, and wanting of complex storytelling. Life in the United States, overall, is good. Many Americans have jobs and homes, which bring security. With security comes leisure time, which means that the people want entertainment. Television is there to fill that void. In the past, with only a handful of channels, people had to watch whatever the networks felt like showing. Shows like "Gunsmoke" and "MacGyver" were great in their day, but they were mainly story-driven, which is a nice way of saying that it was the same story (basically) in every episode. Now, TV viewers want something more complex and spanning, with story arcs lasting several episodes, entire seasons, or multiple seasons. Characters aren't plain, they have layers and shades of grey. Complexity gives people a reason to keep tuning in, and generally, complexity leads to great TV.

And finally, money. Television is big business, and the creators, writers, and actors involved with a hit show can now make millions of dollars from first-run episodes, and then make millions more when they sign syndication deals. All that money brings many talented people, the best of whom create inspiring, complex, wonderful shows that are both beloved and acclaimed.

These are the reasons that televisions shows have such high quality. Reality TV has nothing to do with it.

And, just for the record, the shows I love are: The Sopranos, Deadwood, Battlestar Galactica, The West Wing, House, 24, and Lost.

Learn more about this author, Colby Cannon.
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