you're not crazy, and you're noticing another of Hollywood's "great waves of change". Every so many years this happens. Seriously, its like everyone gets some kind of memo: "on date X? All shows will be structured around these new themes..." and that's what happens. You can read about the great "urbanization" of America and now that I mentioned it, you can look back historically and now "notice" and scratch your head how it all works.
When shows like "King of Queens" and "Everyone loves Raymond" were in their prime? The formula for a TV situation comedy was simple. The women are clever, intelligent, wise, and domineering. All the husbands? Stupid, lazy, childish, scared. Every episode boiled down to this... show starts on the PREMISE. the main husband MC, gets some childish hare-brained idea, and runs with it, to great comedic ability. The whole show is antics with the MC running around, trying to keep their childish deception or shortcoming under wraps.
But the wives? Of course figure the childish plot out like mothers dealing with children. They scold the husbands, the wives talk and sort things out, and of course the women get all the best snarky one liners. All male characters fear the sharp look or curt word of any woman in their life.
honestly, overnight this was "almost every show" that was a situation comedy for years.
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welcome to my world, OP. I didn't have cable TV for several years in college to save money and afford to get a couple of pieces of paper to hang on my wall. After college? Bought a cheap house and left cable TV off the bills list again. And you know something, by the time I thought I was ready to start watching TV again... I *hated* it.
I remembered watching TV with my dad when i was younger, and I got used to his shows he liked. I didn't know I was growing up being given a taste for... retro. So? I got on YouTube and found out every show DAD had liked? Was labeled by season # and episode #, and all the commercials were edited out. I started watching "dad's shows" and I was happier. Also, I swear every documentary EVER, is on you tube as well.
modern paperbacks? same situation. I grew up with boxes of paperbacks in dad and granddad's basements. SIlly me, I thought I understood... paperback genre books. Judging by what passes for books today, I can buy a whole BOX of paperbacks at the flea market or a yard sale, for the price of one (crappy) new one.
I guess my dad ruined me early. I got ruined as an adult. Now I'm permanently ruined.
what do?
shut the TV off. read a vintage paperback. write your own book, that would have not been out of place in 1980 but set in the modern day. watch quality retro on youtube, when you want entertained.
you'll be the better for it.
