I don’t agree with everything John wrote especially the channels and shows that are judgemental, discriminatory and exclusive. I have Verizon Fios, so I probably have a lot more options than other people.

Entire channels:
HGTV, FoodTV,Public Television, NatGeo, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, Travel Channel, Hallmark channel and the Hub.

Religious channels:
EWTN, Inspiration Network, JCTV, 3ABN, TWN, TBN, TCCD (I don’t know what all these stand for)

I would disagree with John in regard to a few of his choices; I am not a fan of political talk such as with Hannity, Beck and O’Reilly.  We have seen how good people can get ugly in their views on these shows right here at the Register.  And I might add Amazing Race to ‘reality’ TV as my kids enjoy following the travels on our map at home, counting miles, etc. 

We all know that TV, in and of itself, is not bad.  The particular shows we watch are, of course, a concern and require examination, but, I would also remind us/me that how much we watch can be a problem.  Even EWTN can get one in trouble if your responsibilities are neglected!

19 Kids and Counting gets my vote! This is a wonderful show of a very pro-life Christian family who stands firm in their beliefs and even when the criticism gets tough(“you’ve have one near-death premie, why risk more?”) the mother says that she answers to God, not any of the critics, and listens to God’s will for their family.
The kids are respectful, full of fun, loving to each other and parents, and best of all, the parents are IN LOVE with each other and show lots of respect for each other! I’m sure they clean the house, get dressed, and fix their hair and makeup for the cameras, but who wouldn’t?
I understand that they are just like they appear on camera, nothing fake. The parents really teach us a lot and I feel inspired to be a better mom and wife after watching the show.

I’m enjoying “No Ordinary Family,” “The Event,” and “The Middle.”  I also think “The Office” can be brilliantly written and acted, though it definitely sometimes contains content that could be deemed objectionable.

What about TCM? They show some great movies on there. And they even have a family movie series.

You forgot to mention the older shows like Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver, etc.  These show the true values of family and friends.

Even when the shows are OK, sometimes the ads are not. I was schocked on vacation this year to turn on the Food Network during the afternoon and find every commercial break promoting contraceptives. Likewise many of the commercials on other channels feature exploitation of women, casual sex, etc.

Ok, I know thos may seem absurd but I see some virtue in the show What Not To Wear.  They help women (and sometimes, but rarely, men) gain confidence in themselves, find who they really are, they encourage age-appropriate clothing and Most importantly they show women that they can dress beautiful, modern, stylish AND MODESTLY!  I’ve watched many episodes and there has been very very little of the clothing they promote women to wear that I would deem immodest or inappropriate.

Just a few observations. Even if the content is generally not objectionable, the commercials often are.  Try watching a football game on Sunday with your 10 and 13 year-old boys and have to switch channels every time a scantily clad woman wriggles on behalf of Miller Lite, or a spot for Two and a Half Men or CSN comes on.  This is also very true of ESPN’s content.

News programs feature scurilous and sandalous news stories in nearly every segment - we stopped watching news when the tawdry Clinton/Lewinsky story was non-stop, and have not gone back.  Beck, Hannity and O’Reilly, while mostly *accurate*, are also not suitable for family viewing without close parental supervision.

Most movies shown on those movie channels during that time slot may be okay in general, but contain some highly objectionable scenes (e.g., the bed scene in Iron Man, the language in E.T., etc.).  Why expose your kids to that?

And I know I’m treading on sacred ground here, but why should we “idolize” singers?  Especially given some of the costumes, song content, and dance moves they perform on American Idol.  Pass.

My family has now started watching shows on KBS, from Korea.  Two Days - One Night is a hilarious travelogue/skit show that features comediens and celebrities on travels to various destinations in South Korea.  Go Dream Team pits another group of celebrities and comediens against professional athletes in situations where the show’s characters have a chance of victory against the pros.  Another great show is Invincible Youth, where young people are sent into different situations, usually involving close contact with older people, to help them and interract with them, and the results are always both funny and touching.  And the commercials are always non-objectionable. It’s like American TV from the 50s.

I should add: the referenced shows on KBS have English subtitles, and while the shows occasionally reference unfathomable local culture and idioms, they’re generally easy enough to follow along.  On Dish Network, it’s channel 9850.

“Safe” channels:  EWTN, Boston Catholic, Trinity (even though it’s non-Catholic and evangelistic), Food Network, PBS.
TCM and TV Land depending on the movie and series that suits your fancy.
Cartoon Network used to be good with all the old cartoons that we grew up with but they don’t broadcast those anymore…Yogi, Bugs, Popeye, Felix, Scooby but they still show Tom & Jerry…
And for you shoppers out there…QVC…if you can resist the temptation not to buy everything being offered.
Infomercials are also pretty safe even if they’re sometimes corny.
I should mention even though I am middle aged-I’d rather watch a show meant for pre-schoolers than some shows that are meant for “adults” if that is my only option.  I miss UHF.

I used to think HGTV was an excellent, “safe” channel for me and my children to watch.  However, I noticed that they often feature unmarried and homosexual couples living together and re-designing their homes.  There does not seem to be a lot of respect for a traditional married couple who is open to life.  Finally, does anyone else find the show named, “Property Virgins” to be offensive?

I disagree on John’s last two American Idol and America Got Talent, have you watched Deadliest Catch? They like to curse.  You want good family value shows, leave out everything immoral and cuss words and if it could hurt your soul in anyway; it shouldn’t be watched.

I beg to differ than “any sports telecast”, HBO, Starz or Encore channels have few moral objections.  Hockey is violent, football can be and don’t forget the cheerleaders (football) and the commercials (ad for TV programs, movies, video games, alcohol, etc) played during sporting events.  As far as the movie channels go, they do broadcast R-rated movies as well as PG and PG-13 movies that are objectionable between 6 AM and 10 PM.