Let's Talk About..."TV Guide"

OK. Raise your hand if you miss "TV Guide." I mean the pint-sized weekly magazine, not the website. I do. A lot.

"TV Guide" ushered in the whole era of television watching starting in 1953, designating which shows were broadcast in "living color" in its familiar grid of times and channels.

Do we even say "channels" anymore? "Channels" meant ABC, NBC, CBS, maybe one or two independent stations, and PBS, where all the "educational" shows were found. "Times?" That's prehistoric too. Now, you watch when and where you like on computers, phones, monitors, tiny screens, giant screens, even your watch. "Screen Guide" just doesn't have the same kick.

Remember the fat "Fall Preview" issue? I ate that up and planned my next few months around it. The "TV Guide Fall Preview" told you what's coming, who is in each show, what time to watch and on what station. Now I have to find out all of that on the street.

Fast forward to now. TV/movie viewing (there is no real difference anymore) is the top topic of conversation at any gathering anywhere. Someone says, "What are you guys watching these days? I am bingeing 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.'" The response is inevitably, "That was so good. Is it coming back? What's that on?"

OK, let's pause right there. The word "bingeing" never was in the vernacular with respect to TV, only Girl Scout cookies. You watched a show and waited a week to watch the next one. And if you missed it, you would have to watch it in reruns. "Reruns" today means doing a marathon twice.

Similarly, no one would ask "What channel is that on?" They ask, "What's that on?" That's because "channels" are obsolete, and the options are endless: Cable, streaming services, premium stations, even good old fashioned over-the-air TV.

And what's the answer? "I am not sure. Netflix? YouTube TV? Sling? Amazon Prime? HBO? Apple TV? Peacock? Hulu?"

Well, that's not helpful.

Then someone says something like, "'Succession' is coming back. I can't wait!" "What is that on?" Answer: "I am not sure. Netflix? No, HBO." Then, "Oh, I don't get HBO."

So not only do you not know what's on or where to find it, but then you realize you now have to pay. For each "channel." Or not pay and quietly excuse yourself from the main topic of conversation.

Recently, I have been told four times that "Beef" is so good. One time was out of the blue on a business call. Of course, I asked, "What's it on?" Answer: "Oh, I am not sure. I think Netflix."

With "TV Guide," like Yoda, there would be no "I think." It knew.

Same with "Shrinking," "Ted Lasso," "The Last of Us," "Picard," "Wired," "Night Agent" – the list is endless. You might say, all you have to do is ask Siri, Alexa or your remote control to play "Poker Face." So, what's the problem?

Well, this assumes you remember what you want to watch, Siri understands what you are saying, and you have a very modern TV.

I now keep a list on my phone of shows I have to watch which, naturally, I can never find. Since we no longer set our TVs to record every episode of our favorite shows (no need - it's all on demand), I have to go to my phone, search for that elusive list, then go to the TV/computer to figure out the "channel" it is on and whether or not I pay for that one, and when I finally ask Siri/Alexa to play it, she ends up giving me a recipe for banana bread. It's exhausting. Read a book.

What is a modern girl to do? One answer: bring back "TV Guide."

Where you knew and understood the reference "Same bat-time, same bat-channel."