The September 19-25 (2004) edition of TV Guide has this gem on page 15, in the article titled Who's That Lady?" [about the Emmy statue]:

"The woman's wings symbolize art, while the atom she holds is an electron, representing science"
(emphasis added)

I think someone needs to go back to science class...

I feel confused.

Well, if one of you feel confused, then all of you must feel confused.

Electron, Are we going to have to get all Fermionic on his buttocks?

I noticed that too. I must have the nitpick gene.

In the listing for next week's Enterprise episode ("In a Mirror, Darkly Part II") the TV Guide listing says alt-Archer takes over the Reliant instead of Defiant.

Also, in the listing for "Inside the Actors Studio," it says that Jane Fonda won an Oscar for "Going Home." It was actually "Coming Home."

In the Sept. 4 issue, TV Guide states that Guatemala was used for the hidden rebel base on planet Yavin 4 in Star Wars: Episode V. First, Yavin 4 is a moon, not a planet. Second, it was only in Episode IV.

In the Returning Favorites issue (Sept. 18), Sam Waterston's name is spelled Waterson. (Caption on pg. 48)

TV Guide has done a massive overhaul, doubtless in order to save bucks. All the regional issues have been dispensed with, and the size of the magazine itself is much slimmer. The emphasis is not on the listings, but on the "People"/"Us" - magazine-type articles. And, the "Close-Up"s have been eliminated. The only good thing is a (temporary) cover price reduction to 99 cents, from $1.99. Once the price goes back up, even though I've gotten every issue since the 1967 Fall Preview, I'll say "Bye Bye" to TV Guide.

I, too, am not happy with the refurbished TV Guide. There's not enough stations and programs listed. Too little information. I don't see myself buying it for too much longer myself.

That seems to be a general consensus. I can't even find it at the local newsstands and convenience stores any more. (Not that I was looking for it -- more like noticing that it seems to have disappeared.)

Most supermarkets here stock the current issue (which comes out on Thursdays now, not Mondays any more.) It's tough to find on newsstands; those that have it stock it near the celebrity mags. Also, Wal-Marts have them displayed prominently at the checkouts.

I didn't know we even had a topic on this. That's what you get when you only check the Last Day view...

I can't believe how much I dislike the new format. I'm not a collector of them (a la Frank Costanza), but did enjoy getting the little guide every week and reading it during lunch. I alwasy read Cheers and Jeers immediately. The size of the new format surprised me, both in the larger dimensions, and lack of material. The old format was instantly identifiable. Now it will just get lost among the People, Us, and Entertainment mags in the store rack.


I had been getting the new version for about three weeks, and finally decided to check on a program using it rather than my local listings. I found that they were listed in Eastern and Pacific time zones only. Hey, there is a reason most TV promos say something like "Thursday at 9, 8 Central".

Later that week, on a Saturday I wanted to look up something again, and found they don't even have weekend daytime listings!! That was the last straw. My subscription runs out in a few months -- I'll read C&J until then, but as a TV Guide, it is pretty useless. They certainly have not been printing many letters saying "Your new format stinks!!"

It's a much better MAGAZINE (I'm impressed with the sheer number of articles now), but it's become a pretty poor TV listing. Maybe they think everyone gets their TV listings online now?

I shudder to think what the fall preview issue will look like, though.

I have back issues of TV Guide dating back to 1980, thanks to my grandpa. Ive been subscribing myself since 1991. I saw no problem with the old format. I HATE the new one. I live in the central time zone. It only has the eastern in my issues. I also don't like how on weekdays it doesn't start till 12 noon eastern time, and on the weekends it only has the evenings! The thing that really ticked me off is it says "for more complete listings, plus your local channels, go to tvguide.com. I'm sorry but that really ticks me off! I mean, what did i pay for my subscirbtion for if I have to go online to get the listings for free? its stupid! My subscribition doesn't run out till next August and I thought about just letting it run out, but as I keep getting more issues every week of this "New TV Guide", I'm thinking more and more of calling them and cancaling and telling them to send me my remaining money back! This is NOT the TV Guide that I paided for! If I want a tabloid, I'll go buy US or the Enquirerer.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant, but it just ticks me off that they go and ruin a magazine that i've gown up with and then say "39 pages of listings you'll love!" Well guess what TV Guide, I DON'T LOVE THEM!

I subscribed through my cable company, and I had a (magazine, not digest sized) issue, customized for the particular cable company. When the mag "re-invented" itself, the cable subscription dried up, and I've been buying it on the newsstand, when I can find it. As I said, once that 99 cent price goes away, I'll quit buying.

The bad thing is that I'm buying it, but I'm really not using it. Seriously. The current format provides me with so little useful information, that even 99 cents is a waste of my hard-earneds. I think I've bought my last issue.

TV Guide in a way has become useless with the TV listings on the "Neutral" channels.

Not to mention, people nowadays turn on the TV, and if they don't like what they see, they turn the channel. Then after going "around the block" with all available channels, if they still haven't found something they like, they either pop in a videotape or DVD & wacth that or they just simply turn the TV off.

Mike, the irony for me is that now I've bookmarked the online listings now that they've changed their format, and even though I made one or two payments on my resubscription, I'm not going to mail the rest. Yesterday I mailed the most recent bill with the words "Cancell, I am not interested in the format" scrawled on it in black marker, and I'll just let the subscription run out. It'll be slightly inconvenient at times, but I'll just go online.

Luigi, they will probably send you a letter back saying if you don't pay the rest of what you owe, they will turn it over to a collection agency.

Sadly, for the last couple decades I have paid ahead the maximum period, like 3 years, thinking "Oh, I'll always use it. Besides, it hasn't changed in 50 years!!" Fortunately I don't have that much time left on it.

However, I'd like to cancel it and ask for a refund just out of spite. Even though it would only amount to a few dollars. Speaking of which, if the cover price went down, did my subscription get extended? I really don't care if it did.

I also prefer the former digest size, although that one ticked me off when they stopped listings at 10:45pm. And to add insult to injury the new one stops at 10:30pm! So now I'll only read the articles that interest me and then use the online guide for several reasons, like to find what I want to see (since I watch most shows on the bedroom TV while online) and when because that also tells what's new or not and what each episode's synopsis is, as well as give the title, plus the online listings are 24 hours, too, not just half a day. I'll probably just let my subscription run out but I'm also wondering if I do will I no longer be able to use the online guide or not. If you're basically forced to have to subscribe to use it then it's kind of like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, although you might be able to subscribe only to the online guide, which would be fine with me for a reasonable price.

Influx, I was wondering the same thing about if the price went down does one's subscription get extended but then I figured most likely not cuz you're still paying less than the cover price per issue anyway, though probably not for as nice of a bargain as before.

The online guide is free. I don't have a sub, and I've managed to take a look at it. I may start using it instead of the paper version.

And BTW, is it me, or does the new version of TV Guide seem to take itself more seriously? I somehow can't see the current format having multiple covers or even a cover like one of the last digests - Homer Simpson as Fred Flintstone.

So far, the cover photos have been particular uninspired. One or two characters in front of a white background. I remember some awful cover photographs on the old one, but also very many clever and artistic photos (and paintings!) as well.

My caricature teacher, Sam Viviano, who is now the Art Director on MAD Magazine, did one or two covers for them back in the day, but nowadays (even before the format switch), they rarely use illustrations for covers any more.

Benn,

I don't see why they'd stop the multiple covers thing, if only for the extra $$ it could make them.

Yahoo also has online listings, in case anyone's interested.

Another thing lacking in the new format is the list of movies showing for that week. They only list what they consider the "best" ones. So much for individual taste. But I can do a Yahoo TV search if I want to see a particular movie.

Also, the weekday daytime listings only list shows that are the same from Monday through Friday. This wasn't totally true in the old format. So if I want to find out when Sci-Fi is showing Night Stalker episodes (no bloody Stuart Townsend), back to Yahoo.

One positive thing is that they finally have listings for Sundance and IFC (for primetime only), and descriptions of TV Land shows.

And, the "Close-Up"s have been eliminated. - Adam.

True, but the daily highlights are basically the same thing.

They certainly have not been printing many letters saying "Your new format stinks!!" - Influx

They did publish one negative letter. It quoted Ellen DeGeneres from a TV Guide article saying that she checks the listing for the show every day so she knows when she has to work. But guess what? The show's not listed any more because it's on local channels. Apparently, the letter writer is going to stop buying the magazine too.

Overall, it's not too bad to me, but judging by this board and people I've talked to, they're going to have a revolt on their hands. But hey, they saved a lot of money...

Once that 99 cent price goes away, I'll quit buying.
Well, when I went to the supermarket last night, they were sold out of TV Guide. (Probably due to the issue containing 3-D glasses for tonight's episode of Medium.) So, I walked out without one, and I didn't go anywhere else. So, my 38 year "relationship" with the Guide is over, even though it's still 99 cents (for now.)

My guess is, Medium will have only two or three 3-D scenes, and the rest will be standard format, leaving all new viewers to think "What a waste of time!"

Still, I'm saving my TVG glasses just in case I can't find the ones for my 3-D DVD's. One thing though, they really don't work that well if you are color-blind. (From what I understand, they don't work all that well for those with normal color vision, either.)

I want the classic
TV Guide format back, the way it
was up until 2005, the size of a
Reader's Digest, with the color section & Black & White listings

Anyone here subscribe to TV Guide Magazine ? Let's list in detail all references to
James T. Kirk, William Shatner in Upcoming Future Issues, even Kirk as played by Chris Pine, Paul Wesley, etc
Let's Note the Specific Issues, date, page Numbers, it's part of a
Star Trek Project I'm Doing

Let’s not

They still make an actual magazine?

Yes, TV Guide is sold at some bookstores , and some people still subscribe to it,
Like I said,
Let's list in detail all references to
James T. Kirk, William Shatner in Upcoming Future Issues, even Kirk as played by Chris Pine, Paul Wesley, etc, and why Kirk is Better than Picard
Let's Note the Specific Issues, date, page Numbers, full Quotes, it's part of a Fun
Star Trek Project I'm Doing,
Not Just for TV Guide, but for all other Science Fiction Magazines we come across . Let's do it for all our Fellow Nitpickers and Star Trek Fans

Let’s not.

Winters, must you keep posting the same garbage over and over again. Get it into your head, NO ONE HERE CARES!!

You're like a door-to-door salesman that keeps ringing the doorbell of the same house. In spite of owners of said house telling you that they're not interested in what you're selling.

Tim & Rodney, call me Jeff
But we at this site nitpick and discuss pop culture, Star Trek, Science Fiction and other TV shows, etc , I thought we would care and that it's relevant

I only call people I like by their first name, Winters.

Enough said.

But what about the point I made of
October 30, 2023 at 7:01 pm

Don’t accuse me of something I didn’t do. I call you Jeff. Tim has called you Winters and explained why.

Your so-called “point” doesn’t even make sense.

Nothing that Winters writes makes sense.

That is when he does write something, rather than just posting a link, or stealing text from somewhere else.