Thoughtnami Classics | Reason #187 Why Time Warner Doesn't Like The Turner Networks

Originally Posted 06/08/05 by Jeff Harris

Starting at 6 AM EST on Saturday, TV Land is presenting a 50-hour marathon celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Warner Bros. Television. Shows from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today are going to air throughout this weekend's marathon. Some you might expect to see such as dramas like The Waltons, Dallas, Life Goes On, Eight Is Enough, and Jack and Bobby, crime-dramas like The FBI, 77 Sunset Strip, Surfside Six, and Spencer For Hire, westerns like Maverick, action and adventure shows like Wonder Woman and La Femme Nikita, and comedies like Alice, Welcome Back Kotter, Chico and the Man, Murphy Brown, The Hogan Family, and Full House. Aside from the fact that it was distributed in syndication by Warner Bros., I'm not sure why The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a series produced by Quincy Jones Entertainment and NBC Studios, is on the marathon.

Now, in the official press release, Warner Bros. was pleased to present this marathon on TV Land. However, couldn't they have done the marathon on either TBS and TNT? That does make a bit of sense, considering that TBS, TNT, and Warner Bros. Television are all owned by Time Warner Entertainment, and certainly Paramount would air their anniversary event on one of their networks. Heck, TBS and TNT could have used their thematic lineups to have two individual marathons. TBS could have aired a comedy-specific 50th anniversary marathon, and TNT could have aired an all-drama marathon. Hell, Warner Bros. Television could have even aired a 50-hour marathon on Boomerang (or better yet, Cartoon Network where more people could actually see it) of Warner Bros.-produced animated television products, including airings of rare programming from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today.

And I mean Warner Bros. Television. Not Castle Rock (no Seinfeld for you). Not HBO (ditto for Sex in the City). Not even Hanna-Barbera nor its heir apparent, Cartoon Network Studios. Just Warner Bros. Television shows.

But, once again, that would mean that Time Warner would actually have to show love for the Turner networks, something they only rarely do from time to time.