You’ve undoubtedly had the experience of turning on your TV, for a long time now, “powered” by cable or satellite, and you realize to your regret, that there’s NOTHING on that you want to watch.

How can this be?

Hundreds of channels, such as the “Watching Paint Dry Channel” and “The Quilting Channel” and the “All Infomercials Channel,” and still, you have no interest in even pressing the remote.

“How could home entertainment get any worse?” you might wonder.

For an answer to that question, visit your video store. I’m not speaking of Blockbuster, which might be re-named, Blockheads, featuring the equivalent of radio’s Top 40 hits, ad nausea.

I’m talking about a reasonably stocked, medium sized establishment, occupying 2,500 or more square feet that contains “classic” movies, too.

Today, I could rent three for the price of two, so I went in and I was only able to emerge with ONE video, from thousands of choices. I invested the better part of twenty minutes scouring shelves until my eyes blurred.

As a kid I’d argue with my family about whether we should watch science fiction or a live variety show, both of which were engaging. That was a good problem, as it turns out.

I’d squirt home after school to tune in very old TV reruns, nearly every one of which was a winner, at least in my estimation. I actually LOOKED FORWARD to a number of programs.

Is that even possible today, given the choices?

Today, it must be easier than ever to break into show business with so many garbage channels available to display mediocre work products. Heck, you could probably start your own channel!

Supposedly, there was a “Golden Age of TV” somewhere in the 1950’s, but I believe there was a different one, in the 70’s and 80’s. During that time, in parts of Los Angeles, you could see the “Z Channel” on cable.

It was always a surprise, showing ultra-cool and hip movies you’d never heard of, and it was “programmed” by a guy who became a legend, in his own right.

There’s a documentary floating around about “Z” and this gent, and I commend it to you, if you can find it somewhere in the video aisles or in the airwaves.