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Ted Turner's Film and Television Legacy
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:25 am
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:25 am
The guy went from one of the most hated people in the film industry (colorizing black and white films against the wishes of the creators) to founding the cable channel that almost every big director cites as one of our most important film resources (TCM).
24 hour news just seems like a no-brainer now, but when Turner invented it almost everyone thought of it as an unneeded gimmick.
Sports fans throw around the term, "America's Team", but Turner came close to making it a reality with his Atlanta Braves on WTBS. A lot of us came home and were stunned to find our parents and grandparents had turned into MLB fans following the Braves.
I never give Ted Turner a second (or first) thought. But when he died I realized that the top two channels on my YouTube TV program guide are his stations (TCM then CNN).
(I try to avoid starting threads that are guaranteed to breed political statements, but I wanted to give the founder of TCM some kind of shout-out on this board.)
17
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:25 am to Fewer Kilometers
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:35 am to Fewer Kilometers
Cant forget Cartoon Network and basically introducing Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons to an entire generation. Which ultimately birthed Adult Swim (and Jesus has that had a huge effect on film and tv)
This post was edited on 5/7/26 at 10:36 am
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:35 am to Fewer Kilometers
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:42 am to tylerdurden24
quote:In the 70s, some kids first exposure to anime was seeing Speed Racer on WTBS.
Cant forget Cartoon Network and basically introducing Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons to an entire generation. Which ultimately birthed Adult Swim (and Jesus has that had a huge effect on film and tv)
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:42 am to Fewer Kilometers
quote:
the top two channels on my YouTube TV program guide are his stations (TCM then CNN).
This post was edited on 5/7/26 at 10:48 am
Posted on 5/7/26 at 10:45 am to Fewer Kilometers
Somehow you left out his WCW adventure. Culturally that was a huge deal. WWE is not what it is today without what it went through to overcome WCW.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 11:30 am to Fewer Kilometers
Can't ignore the films he produced through Turner Pictures either.
Gettysburg and Gods and Generals are both quintessential films for Civil War buffs. Those do not get made without him.
Gettysburg and Gods and Generals are both quintessential films for Civil War buffs. Those do not get made without him.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 11:35 am to TigerFanatic99
quote:Thanks to the guys bringing up wrestling. My knowledge ended with Dixie Wrestling in the 60s. We just take nationally televised matches for granted now.
Somehow you left out his WCW adventure. Culturally that was a huge deal. WWE is not what it is today without what it went through to overcome WCW.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 11:39 am to Fewer Kilometers
Turner was a very interesting guy. Came across like a drunk buffoon, but he was crazy sly like a fox. Saw things no one else could see. For better or worse, created the 24hr news cycle.
One of his main/major regrets was the doomed AOL/Time Warner merger. He lost his shirt in that, and control over all of his properties. He recovered, of course, but man, that was one of the more disastrous mergers in the history of the country.
One of his main/major regrets was the doomed AOL/Time Warner merger. He lost his shirt in that, and control over all of his properties. He recovered, of course, but man, that was one of the more disastrous mergers in the history of the country.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 11:39 am to Fewer Kilometers
As far as television goes, he’s one of the all-time greats. A titan in TV history. His legacy is assured there.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 12:24 pm to Fewer Kilometers
quote:
In the 70s, some kids first exposure to anime was seeing Speed Racer on WTBS.
Hell, consider what Adult Swim and Toonami did for anime stateside. I’m an avid fan of the Braves, DBZ and still watch wrestling (bad as it has gotten later), almost entirely because Ted introduced it to us via our TVs in the 90s
Posted on 5/7/26 at 12:45 pm to tylerdurden24
One of his best properties was ultimately one that got lost in the shuffle of the regional broadcast networks. Turner South was a fantastic concept, and a great channel with some interesting original programming in the early 2000s.
Classic wrestling with Dusty Rhodes, Junkin' about random southern flea markets, and 3day Weekend were all a ton of fun to watch.
Classic wrestling with Dusty Rhodes, Junkin' about random southern flea markets, and 3day Weekend were all a ton of fun to watch.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 12:48 pm to Fewer Kilometers
Posted on 5/7/26 at 1:06 pm to Fewer Kilometers
Great legacy despite (evidently) unleashing exposure to anime on our pathetic public.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 1:19 pm to Fewer Kilometers
Turner’s dominance in the 90s was unmatched. CNN, Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, Atlanta Braves, WCW Monday Nitro flipping the cable world on its head and propelling professional wrestling into being the cool pop culture zeitgeist of the late 90s. Dude was a genius.
Also who else stayed up late on TNT Saturday nights to watch MonsterVision?
Also who else stayed up late on TNT Saturday nights to watch MonsterVision?
This post was edited on 5/7/26 at 1:20 pm
Posted on 5/7/26 at 3:11 pm to RoyalAir
quote:
of his best properties was ultimately one that got lost in the shuffle of the regional broadcast networks. Turner South was a fantastic concept, and a great channel with some interesting original programming in the early 2000s. Classic wrestling with Dusty Rhodes, Junkin' about random southern flea markets, and 3day Weekend were all a ton of fun to watch.
Loved Turner South. Hosted a lot of Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers games in the early 2000s. Also where I first saw the original Swamp Thing movies and reruns of In the Heat of the Night.
Posted on 5/7/26 at 3:13 pm to Godzilla jr
quote:
Also who else stayed up late on TNT Saturday nights to watch MonsterVision?
I’m now realizing that virtually everything I love was basically influenced in some way by Ted Turner
Posted on 5/7/26 at 3:13 pm to Fewer Kilometers
Who fricking gives a shite
Posted on 5/7/26 at 3:14 pm to tylerdurden24
Spent many, many a night falling asleep watching TS.
Turner started the network specifically to broadcast the Thrashers, as NHL rules wouldn't allow them on TBS.
Shed a tear when that became SportSouth. It just didn't hit the same way.
Turner started the network specifically to broadcast the Thrashers, as NHL rules wouldn't allow them on TBS.
Shed a tear when that became SportSouth. It just didn't hit the same way.
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